A black bishop who will take part in the inauguration ceremony of Donald Trump has defended his role as a calling from God.
Bishop Wayne T. Jackson of Great Faith Ministries International in Detroit conceded that he has been called a "sell out".
But he insisted that he is representing "the teachings of Jesus Christ" when he prays for the new president at the swearing in ceremony on Friday.
"I've been called a sell-out...[but] my job is a job to represent the Bible...and the teachings of Jesus Christ," Jackson said in an interview with TMZ. "It is not about Democrats, not about Republicans – it's about making sure that I do what Jesus says, and that is that we are supposed to love everyone. That is the message that Jesus brought, and my position as a minister, to be asked to pray at the highest ceremony of our country – it gets no higher than that – I do what I do because I'm called to do it."
Jackson added that he was a "target" because he was at the "forefront".
"So...any time you're in the forefront, you're going to be a target, but you have got to make sure that you're convictions - why you're doing it – they are pure," he said.
The bishop concluded: "It's not over for America: America has a great future ahead of it."
In September, Jackson faced criticisms after hosting Trump at his church.
But he wrote on Facebook at the time of his encounter with Trump, which was televised: "This interview is not an endorsement. This is engagement. We have given Hillary Clinton the same opportunity as Donald Trump and she has not yet responded. This is not to put one up above the other but you gotta understand that we are in a race, and there's two people in the race. This is to inform our community of what he will do if elected."
