Church 180 Pastor Lorenzo Sewell has enjoyed growing notoriety since supporting President Donald Trump.
by Sewell relationship with Trump has flourished since his church held a campaign stop last year, culminating with his
Excerpts from Sewell’s invocation went viral on social networks. A few hours later, he announcement 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 piece,” he said in a social media post. “I want you to be able to see politics manifest not only in the fact that we pay for political rallies, but also in the fact that we become the hands and feet of the Lord Jesus Christ. Do you want to help me?
The value of Sewell’s coin started at a fraction of a cent when it was released to the public on Monday. A day later, the coin’s value had already skyrocketed, then dropped to a level close to its original value. Some X users accused Sewell of
Sewell said proceeds from the coin would be used to fund 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 their value can rise or fall wildly. Fraudsters have used memecoins to orchestrate financial schemes. by Sewell coin launch was covered by a popular YouTube channel that reports on cryptocurrency scams.
In some cases, memecoin owners coordinated with investors to artificially inflate the price of the tokens, solely to sell their coins once the price reaches a certain level. This causes the value of the coin to drop, leaving investors to suffer unexpected losses.
This is not the first time Sewell has benefited financially from his association with Trump. The church received $5,000 for hosting Trump’s election campaign last summer.
Sewell has become a rising voice in conservative spaces.
He secured a speech at the 2024 Republican National Convention, led prayers at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort, appeared on Fox News and delivered the opening invocation of the new session of the Republican-majority state Legislature.
Sewell said it was impossible for pastors to remain politically neutral, arguing that Christians have a responsibility to align society with spiritual teachings. He advocated for pastors to use their pulpits 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 didn’t respond when I called him to talk about his rise in Republican spaces and his cryptocurrency aspirations.
Sewell explained how his political transformation is influenced by his religious transformation during a recent appearance on a conservative podcast.
The Detroit native said he came 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 he was baptized while holding drugs in his pocket.
Sewell regained control of 180 Church in 2023 after being sued by the son of a church founder. Sewell was accused of refusing to leave after the church fired him, but Sewell gained control of the church. He was represented by attorney Todd R. Perkins, who is running for mayor in 2025.
Sewell has recently been present at city council meetings, where he demanded an investigation into allegations of voter fraud. Sewell holds weekly political conversations at his church and organized a group of about two dozen residents to attend a council session in January.
The comrades include Malik Shelton, a Detroit activist who asked the council Tuesday to “subpoena witnesses and evidence,” Ramon Jackson, who unsuccessfully sued the city last year and is seeking a seat on the City Council, and District 6 Council candidate Anita Martin.