180 Church Pastor Lorenzo Sewell has enjoyed a growing profile since getting behind President Donald Trump.
Sewell’s relationship with Trump bloomed since his church hosted a campaign stop last year, culminating with his
Clips of Sewell’s invocation went viral on social media. Hours later, he announced the launch of a new cryptocurrency token.
“I need you to do me a favor right now: I need you to go buy the official Lorenzo Sewell coin,” he said in a social media post. “I want you to be able to see politics become manifest not just in a way where we’re paying over political gatherings, but we’re seeing us become the hands and feet of the lord Jesus Christ. Will you help me?”
The value of Sewell’s coin started at a fraction of a penny when it went public on Monday. A day later, the coin’s value had already spiked and then dropped close to its original value. Some X users accused Sewell of
Sewell said proceeds from the coin will pay for church services and said he would not trade his own tokens.
A variety of so-called memecoins – digital tokens with no intrinsic value that are traded on digital blockchain technology – were launched around Trump’s inauguration. The president and First Lady Melania Trump launched a pair of cryptocurrency tokens.
Memecoins are considered risky financial investments because they often rely on gimmicks and can wildly soar or plummet in value. Scammers have used memecoins to orchestrate financial schemes. Sewell’s coin launch was covered by a popular YouTube channel that reports on cryptocurrency scams.
In some cases, owners of memecoins have coordinated investors to artificially inflate the price of tokens, only to sell their coins once the price reaches a certain level. That causes the value of the coin to plummet, leaving investors with unexpected losses.
It’s not the first time Sewell has found a financial benefit from his association with Trump. The church was paid $5,000 for hosting Trump’s campaign stop last summer.
Sewell has become a rising voice in conservative spaces.
He scored a speaking spot at the 2024 Republican National Convention, has led prayers at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort, appeared on Fox News and gave the opening invocation for the new session of the Republican-majority state Legislature.
Sewell has said it’s impossible for pastors to stay politically neutral, arguing that Christians have a responsibility to align society with spiritual teachings. He advocated for pastors to use their pulpit for political persuasion, invoking the tradition of pastors like Martin Luther King Jr.
Trump was coincidentally inaugurated on MLK Day, and Sewell invoked King’s famous “I Have a Dream” speech during his prayer.
Sewell hasn’t responded when I’ve called him to talk about his rise in Republican spaces and his cryptocurrency aspirations.
Sewell spoke about how his political transformation is informed by his religious one during a recent appearance on a conservative podcast.
The Detroit native said he comes from a family “filled with murderers,” including an uncle and father who are serving time in prison. Sewell said he was a drug dealer who had a religious experience in 1999 that convinced him to seek redemption. Sewell said was baptized while holding drugs in his pocket.
Sewell regained control of 180 Church in 2023 after he was sued by the son of a church founder. Sewell was accused of refusing to leave after the church fired him, but Sewell was granted control of the church. He was represented by attorney Todd R. Perkins, who filed to run for mayor in 2025.
Sewell has been a recent face at City Council meetings, where he demanded an investigation into allegations of election fraud. Sewell holds weekly political conversations at his church and organized a group of around two dozen residents to attend a January council session.
Comrades include Malik Shelton, a Detroit activist who asked the council on Tuesday to “subpoena witnesses and evidence,” Ramon Jackson, who unsuccessfully sued the city last year and is seeking an at-large seat on the City Council, and District 6 council candidate Anita Martin.
Just another con man in the likeness of trump.
Amen
We are living in the time of 1st century Rome.
Today there are false prophets like Christ Jesus said there would be as a sign in his Mt. Olivet discourse with his disciples in Matthew 24. Jesus also indicated that the church should not be used to make income, charging money for ministry. He cleansed the money changers out of the Temple and said, “Take these things hence; make not my Father’s house an house of merchandise.” (John 2) But today so much money is made in the name of Christianity. Religion is big business.
Is 180 Church tax exempt? Ironically, we once attended a church where a MAGA member insisted that the church give up our tax exempt status because he did NOT want the church affiliated with the government.
Pastor needs a tutorial on the Establishment Clause.