God’s got this.

That’s the main message from leaders of conservative Christian churches and religious organizations in the Pikes Peak region, as a Democratic president and what is shaping up to be the nation’s most progressive administration are poised to take over leadership of the country.

“As Christians, we believe God is in control, no matter who wins the election,” said Jim Daly, president of Focus on the Family, a Colorado Springs-headquartered evangelical organization that provides a daily radio broadcast to some 7 million listeners and other services.

In accepting the defeat of President Donald Trump, conservative Christians, who historically have supported Republican candidates, say they are not losing the faith, as they vow to continue opposing abortion, speaking out about same-sex relationships and promoting traditional values in society.

“We believe God allows for things to occur for circumstances we don’t always understand,” Daly said. “We have to take comfort in the fact that when we pray, we don’t always have the answer we want.

“We then pray for patience and understanding. A lot of my friends are praying for the revelation of truth, that those obfuscating the truth — whether in politics or the church — would be revealed.”

A degree of skepticism remains among many voters who backed Trump over whether the election was fair and that the results are accurate, Daly said.

With Democrat Joe Biden prevailing, “It makes our job more difficult but it doesn’t deter us from protecting human life, the importance of marriage, helping foster kids find forever homes and other work,” he said. “We’ll continue to speak on the culture and those who need assistance.”

The Truth & Liberty Coalition, a social welfare arm of Andrew Wommack Ministries headquartered in Woodland Park, which can lobby lawmakers and accept political contributions, also questions the outcome of the Nov. 3 election, which Trump and his allies have claimed was fraudulent, but have not been able to provide proof to convince courts, including the Supreme Court, to overturn the result.

“It appears that many conservatives are deeply concerned about the mounting evidence of voter fraud in this election,” Executive Director Richard Harris said in an email. “We are praying fervently for justice and truth to prevail.”

Courts at every level have rejected Trump and Republican-led lawsuits alleging election fraud.

If Biden is sworn in as president, the vast majority of Christians will support him, Harris said, “to the extent he pursues policies that protect biblical values and oppose his policies which do not.”

People should be prepared for negative repercussions arising from policies that do not follow biblical teachings, he said.

“God loves all nations and has given us the ability to choose our leaders,” Harris said. “When we choose leaders who plan to implement policies that contradict God’s word, we are forfeiting God’s blessings and can anticipate the harmful consequences that will come from those policies.”

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Religious groups more divided

But not all who claim a faith persuasion, including some evangelical Christians, favor conservative candidates.

Different religious factions have become more split, with groups such as Catholics for Biden eschewing abortion law as the top deciding factor in selecting a candidate, a position conservative Christians have long held. Instead, for this year’s election, they said they preferred Biden’s focus on healing the nation, building empathy, being a president for all and frequently quoting the Bible.

With Trump formally recognizing Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and moving the American embassy there, historically Democratic Jewish communities now represent a broader political range.

Post-election, “We have to tread very carefully,” said Daniel Schnee, who has a leadership role at a Colorado Springs synagogue but spoke personally about response to the election.

“Some of our congregants feel Mr. Trump was pro-Israel, and they’ll give him a pass on everything else,” he said. “A significant portion feel he’s been corrosive to the civil rights of all people in America, especially the Jews.”

Some Jews think the topics of religion, ethics and morals cannot be talked about without politics entering the discussion, Schnee said, while others believe religion and politics have no connection.

“It’s a very complicated situation,” he said. “Feelings run high on both sides in the Jewish community.”

Regardless of the election results, Catholics must remain united in their faith and beliefs, Bishop Michael Sheridan, who leads the Diocese of Colorado Springs, said in a recent column he wrote to 180,000 local members.

“Let me be one of the first to remind you that we are Catholics first, families second, Americans third and members of a political party much further down the road,” Sheridan said. “Remember, no politician or statesman is our savior.”

While Biden is a lifelong Catholic, he supports abortion rights, a position that contradicts church teachings.

Sheridan said he’s praying that even if division remains in the nation, Christians come together as one, “demonstrating to the world that we can disagree on many things, provided we keep our eyes firmly fixed on … Christ’s love for us all.”

Religious liberties a top concern

Safeguarding religious freedoms would be a major focus of conservative Christians under a liberal administration.

Because, Focus’ Daly said, regardless of whether people disliked Trump’s demeanor and were chagrined by some of his behavior, such as his tweeting, he stood strongly for values Christians espouse.

“It’s hard to argue we had anybody better in the White House than President Trump, when it came to pro-life issues and religious liberty,” Daly said.

“It doesn’t make sense to me when certain people who come to power oppose life for a preborn baby,” he said. “But we have to remember, governments come and go.”

Wommack’s Truth & Liberty Coalition supporters are being encouraged to pray, remain involved in public life and look for ways to make a positive difference in their communities and states, Harris said.

The principles of the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution are rooted in biblical concepts, he said.

“Christians need to stand strong for the sacred, unalienable rights of freedom of speech, religion and association that are embedded in our constitution,” Harris said. “We need to continue to resist encroachment by progressive ideology and judges who use their positions to express their activism on political issues.”

He also emphasizes the need for a united front in looking toward the next four years.

“To be effective, unity and engagement among believers will be critical,” Harris said.

Mormons, who in 2016 strongly backed Trump for president, according to Pew Research Center, also will continue working to uphold religious freedoms, said David McConkie, president of the Colorado Springs East Stake of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, which has about 3,200 members.

While the church of nearly 17 million followers worldwide is “politically neutral,” he said, members are urged to become engaged in the political process.

“Our first freedom is the freedom of religion,” McConkie said. “We are very sensitive to any encroachment on that vital aspect of life, so people all over the world can worship how, why and where they may be.”