Full Breakdown
Kansas Senate Race: Pastor Adam Hamilton’s Past Sermons Fuel Controversy
By Drooid · · How we work
Core Event
Democratic Senate nominee Adam Hamilton, senior pastor of the Church of the Resurrection, is under scrutiny as opponents highlight his summer-2020 sermons that called for “repentance for White privilege” and referenced “all lives matter.” The issue has become a focal point of the race against incumbent Republican Sen. Roger Marshall, amplified by conservative pastors and political ads.
Background & Context
After George Floyd’s killing, Hamilton urged his congregation to acknowledge benefits tied to being “educated, White and male” and noted that Black men fear police stops while he does not. The sermon was posted on YouTube and later excerpted in a Massachusetts-based ad labeling Hamilton “way too woke for Kansas.”
Hamilton’s record includes a $500 contribution to Kamala Harris’s campaign on July 23, 2024, and a statement that the Jan. 6, 2021 Capitol attack was a “disqualifier” for former President Donald Trump.
Key Figures & Groups
- Adam Hamilton – Democratic Senate candidate, founding senior pastor of the Church of the Resurrection.
- Roger Marshall – Republican incumbent senator, aligned with former President Donald Trump.
- Kyle Lammott – Pastor of Exodus Church (Wichita) and author of an open letter demanding Hamilton’s repentance and withdrawal.
- Willy Rice – President of the Southern Baptist Convention, speaking on theological stakes.
- Tony Perkins – President of the Family Research Council, commenting on the pulpit’s role in cultural issues.
Data & Statistics
- FEC records confirm Hamilton’s $500 donation to the Harris Victory Fund on July 23, 2024.
- Lammott’s petition gathered over 700 signatures by early Tuesday.
- The 2020 sermon was featured in a political ad run by the Main Street Fund.
Official Statements & Responses
Hamilton defended his remarks as an attempt to “listen and understand” systemic advantages, emphasizing that “all lives matter” while acknowledging specific fears among African-American men regarding police encounters. He described his political philosophy as prioritizing “the weak, the vulnerable” and expressed concern about Trump’s “disruptive” leadership style.
Sen. Marshall condemned Floyd’s death and called for bipartisan police reform, urging Republicans and Democrats to work together to prevent future tragedies.
Willy Rice warned that silencing evangelical voices on policy would push congregants toward “social media” for guidance. Tony Perkins asked, “What happens if the pulpit is silent on these issues?”
Verbatim Quotes
- “Like part of what I know is that, is that I grew up in a way that I'm blind to certain things in our society,” — Adam Hamilton
- “Everybody understands white lives matter, blue lives matter.” — Adam Hamilton
- “I probably lean more towards a concern for the weak, the vulnerable — justice weighs heavily for me.” — Adam Hamilton
- “I think what happened in January 6th four years ago was a disqualifier from my perspective,” — Adam Hamilton
- “Set Paul against Jesus, as though we were free to choose which of them to follow.” — Kyle Lammott
- “Scripture counts ‘hands that shed innocent blood’ among the things the Lord hates (Prov.” — Kyle Lammott
What’s Next
President Donald Trump is scheduled to rally for Marshall in Kansas on October 19, a week before the November election in which Hamilton seeks to unseat the first-term Republican senator. The Cook Political Report still lists the race as a toss-up as both campaigns intensify outreach amid the sermon controversy.