Praise God — especially when you're facing federal charges.
Mayor Eric Adams asked the city's faithful for prayers during back-to-back church visits Sunday, defiantly vowing not to resign and instead insisting “I will govern” — a move he has made extensively. It was two days after he was indicted on federal corruption charges.
Speaking for about 30 minutes to the congregation at Emanuel Presbyterian Reformed Church in the Bronx, the lively Adams first spoke passionately about his love for Jesus, but then refused to answer reporters' questions.
“God put me in this moment and put it in my heart to continue to move this city forward,” he said.
“So you'll hear a few vocal people saying, 'But he should resign.' No, I'm going to step up. I'm not going to resign. I'm not going to resign. I’m going to rule.”
Adams then flew to Staten Island, where a group of clergymen gathered with him inside the United Church of Christ at Mount Sinai.
The group huddled together to pray for Adams, but Adams told the few believers there that he had been warned by a clergyman that there would be a storm during the journey.
“The question is, how true is your faith?” he said.
“I ask the people of this city, please let us continue this work,” he said.
Adams' schedule after Friday's arraignment included a prayerful visit to a senior center, a stop at a church in Queens where he touted the “power of prayer,” and a gospel concert in the Bronx.
But some New Yorkers have criticized Adams for defrauding taxpayers of $10 million in campaign funds and accepting bribes from Turkish government officials and citizens. I didn't agree with acting as if it were.
Immediately after Mr. Adams' arraignment, he visited a birthday celebration at the ARC A. Philip Randolph Senior Center in Harlem, where many seniors prayed with Mr. Adams. This drew some skepticism from a 68-year-old woman visiting the site.
“They were there praying and praying,” said a Harlem resident. “That prayer won't work for the devil.
“I saw the look on his face and I liked this,” she said, holding up two middle fingers.
Alice Dividou, 70, who also met Adams at the senior center, was more cooperative, up to a point.
She told Adams, “Good luck,” and smiled, the retired childcare worker told the Post. But then she expressed doubts about voting for him again.
“The charges are valid,” she said. “That sounds legit. What was he doing? … It’s a sad situation. They come after him.
“He acted as if nothing had happened. [on]…I saw him on the news. I said, 'Oh my god, he came straight here from court,'” she said.
Adams' approval ratings hit an all-time low for a Big Apple mayor in the months before his historic federal criminal indictment.
But he maintains the support of many prominent religious and black leaders, who stood with him on Thursday just before five charges against him were dismissed and who have continued to do so from the pulpit and since. She continued to vocally support him on television.
The Rev. Al Sharpton, an ally of Mr. Adams, appealed to Gov. Kathy Hochul not to remove the mayor at Saturday's National Action Network rally.
Adams, who claims God gave him a divine message nearly 30 years ago that predicted exactly when he would become mayor, is happy to be surrounded by the support of his followers. I can only see it.
“I ask you to keep moving the demonic energy that has engulfed not only our city but the entire planet,” he said Saturday during a visit to a gospel concert in the Bronx.
“I don’t know who came before me, but there is a man of God who is now mayor of New York City, and always will be. So I will lift you up in prayer and I will also lift you up. Lift me up in prayer.”
