A Tennessee pastor brandished a large sword during his Sunday sermon and suggested that the recent cancellation of “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” was the result of divine intervention.
In a message titled, “Urgent Word to the Church,” Pastor Kent Christmas of Regeneration Nashville addressed what he called “strongholds in politics” while holding a sword on stage.
“I declare by the word of the Lord that God over this nation … God can do anything he wants to. Stephen Colbert, bye-bye,” he said.
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Brandishing a large sword on stage during his sermon this past Sunday, pastor Kent Christmas suggested that God was behind the cancellation of The Late Show With Stephen Colbert (@colbertlateshow): “God can do anything he wants to. Stephen Colbert, bye bye.” h/t @RightWingWatchpic.twitter.com/N0yMtKmykd
— Christian Nightmares (@ChristnNitemare) July 22, 2025
It’s not clear why the pastor specifically mentioned Colbert in referencing “strongholds” in America. CP reached out for comment Wednesday and will provide an update if a response is received.
Christmas’ sermon came days after CBS’ cancellation of “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” was announced earlier this month.
The show, which has been a staple of late-night television since 2015, was set to continue until May 2026 before being abruptly ended. The timing of the cancellation, just days after Colbert criticized CBS parent company Paramount Global for settling a defamation lawsuit with President Donald Trump, has fueled speculation about the motives behind the decision.
Colbert had referred to the settlement as a “big fat bribe,” a comment that some believe may have contributed to the network’s decision.
Christmas, who has been in full-time ministry for over 50 years, has over 3,000 members at his church and an online presence that reaches over 200,000 viewers weekly across nearly 100 nations, according to his website.
However, some of Christmas’ past statements have been controversial.
He erroneously prophesied that President Donald Trump would win the 2020 election despite Trump’s loss to former President Joe Biden. In 2021, he also suggested that a “demonic spirit” was causing more children to identify as LGBT.
While identifying as a Roman Catholic earlier in his career, Colbert recently said a female portrayal of Jesus is “long overdue” during an interview with the bisexual actress set to star as Jesus in “Jesus Christ Superstar” at the Hollywood Bowl this summer.
“One of my favorite musicals of all time is ‘Jesus Christ Superstar,'” Colbert said during an interview last week with Cynthia Erivo, a British bisexual black actress who is deliberately bald. “I love that — and I’m so excited that in August, you’re going to be playing Jesus in ‘Jesus Christ Superstar’ at the Hollywood Bowl.”
“First woman to play Jesus in a major production. Long overdue. I’ve said for years I’d love to see a woman in that part,” said Colbert, who asked what that milestone means to Erivo, who prefers “they/them” pronouns.
