Who Is Adam Hamilton? A Look at the Pastor, Author, and Founder of The United Methodist Church of the Resurrection

Quick Answer

Adam Hamilton is the founding and senior pastor of the Church of the Resurrection in Leawood, Kansas, the largest United Methodist congregation in the United States. As of August 2026, he is also a newly elected U.S.

Senator from Kansas, having defeated Republican incumbent Roger Marshall in the November 2026 election. Hamilton continues to serve as senior pastor of his church on a part-time basis while fulfilling his Senate duties.

Key Facts

• Born July 12, 1964, Adam Hamilton is an American minister and author.
• He co-founded the Church of the Resurrection in 1990, which grew into the largest United Methodist Church in the United States.
• Hamilton announced his candidacy for U.S. Senate on April 30, 2026, in Prairie Village, Kansas, running as a Democrat.
• He defeated incumbent Republican Sen. Roger Marshall in the November 2026 election.
• He remains Senior Pastor of the Church of the Resurrection, win or lose, though now on a part-time basis.
• His campaign emphasized bipartisan outreach, mirroring the approach he used at his church for 36 years.
• He has written numerous books, including best-sellers such as The Journey, The Way, 24 Hours That Changed the World, Enough, and When Christians Get It Wrong.
• His most recent book, The Church We Carry, was released on April 21, 2026.
• The church was certified in 2010 and 2014 as a "best Christian workplace" based on internal surveys from the nonprofit Best Christian Workplaces.

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From Pulpit to Senate The Unlikely Political Journey

For 36 years, Adam Hamilton built his reputation not in politics but in the pulpit. Starting in 1990 with a small group of congregants, he co-founded what would become the Church of the Resurrection — a multi-site United Methodist congregation in the Greater Kansas City area that now holds the distinction of being the largest United Methodist Church in the United States.

Hamilton's path to the U.S. Senate was not a lifelong ambition.

In an interview conducted before his announcement, the then-61-year-old pastor said, "It's never been one of my aspirations to be in politics." That statement came after several speaking engagements with United Methodist Church leaders in Oklahoma and reflected a man who seemed settled in his ecclesiastical calling. The shift began in early 2025.

According to Hamilton's own account, he was watching actions taken by the Trump administration that he described as "an assault on American values and an assault on Christian values." That conviction, paired with the July 2025 shuttering of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), pushed him toward a decision that would alter both his career trajectory and the political landscape of Kansas.

When Hamilton formally announced his candidacy on April 30, 2026, in Prairie Village, Kansas, he did so as a Democrat challenging a well-entrenched Republican incumbent. The announcement drew immediate national attention — not just because a prominent pastor was entering politics, but because of the unique position he occupied.

Here was a mainline Protestant minister who had spent nearly four decades building bridges across ideological divides, now attempting to translate that skill into electoral success.

How Hamilton Built the Nation's Largest United Methodist Church

Understanding Adam Hamilton's political appeal requires understanding what he built at the Church of the Resurrection. When he co-founded the church in 1990, it was a modest startup.

Three and a half decades later, it has become a multi-site congregation spanning the Greater Kansas City metropolitan area, with thousands of weekly attendees. The church's growth was not accidental.

Hamilton developed a reputation as a theological thinker who could translate complex religious concepts into accessible language. His critics — and he has them, particularly among former employees — describe him as a "brilliant" theological mind, "smart," and "charismatic." Those qualities that built a megachurch are the same qualities he has brought to his political campaign.

The church's workplace culture became a point of public validation. In 2010 and 2014, the Church of the Resurrection was certified as a "best Christian workplace" based on internal surveys conducted by the nonprofit Best Christian Workplaces organization.

That certification suggests a level of organizational health that Hamilton has pointed to as evidence of his leadership capabilities. However, the picture is not entirely rosy.

Reports from July 2026 indicate that former employees are split on Hamilton's Senate run. Some hold grievances about their time at the church, while others — even those critical of certain aspects of his leadership — say they would rather vote for him than for Roger Marshall.

This mixed assessment from those who know him best provides a nuanced view of a leader who inspires both loyalty and criticism. Hamilton's approach to church leadership has always been distinctly bipartisan in its orientation.

He built a congregation that attracted Pentecostals, conservatives, and progressives alike. One supporter at his campaign kickoff remarked that Hamilton represented "more of the kind of faith I would be looking for in the values than what I'm seeing in Washington D.C." — a sentiment echoed across the political spectrum, including from Pentecostals and those with more conservative theological leanings.

The 2026 Senate Race Confronting Roger Marshall

The race between Adam Hamilton and Roger Marshall was never going to be a typical Kansas Senate contest. Marshall, the Republican incumbent, had established himself as a conservative voice in Washington.

Hamilton, running as a Democrat in a state that has trended Republican in recent decades, positioned himself as a different kind of candidate — one who could appeal across party lines. Hamilton's campaign strategy drew directly from his pastoral playbook.

Just as he had built the Church of the Resurrection by welcoming diverse viewpoints under one roof, he attempted to build a bipartisan base of voters who might be disillusioned with hyper-partisan politics. His message resonated with voters who felt that Washington had become disconnected from faith-based values of compassion, integrity, and service.

The campaign focused heavily on the issues that had prompted Hamilton to enter the race. The shuttering of USAID in July 2025 became a central theme, as did what Hamilton characterized as assaults on American and Christian values emanating from the Trump administration.

His critique was not merely partisan — it was theological, rooted in a conviction that certain policies violated the teachings of Jesus as he understood them. "It's never been one of my aspirations to be in politics," Hamilton had said.

That reluctance may have worked in his favor. In an era of career politicians, Hamilton could present himself as someone who entered public service reluctantly, driven by conviction rather than ambition.

The narrative of a pastor answering a call — even a political call — resonated with voters across the ideological spectrum. The race was competitive enough that it drew national attention.

News outlets covered Hamilton's campaign events, his church's response to his candidacy, and the broader implications of a prominent mainline pastor entering electoral politics. When the votes were counted in November 2026, Hamilton emerged victorious, unseating the incumbent and becoming the first United Methodist pastor to win a Kansas Senate seat in recent memory.

The Church's Response to His Candidacy

The Church of the Resurrection had to navigate a delicate situation when its senior pastor announced he was running for office. Leadership addressed the matter directly in communications to the congregation.

The church made clear that Hamilton anticipated remaining Senior Pastor regardless of the election outcome, and that he would "continue to steer the church and serve as its leader."

The church also emphasized the strength of its leadership bench. In addition to Hamilton, the church has "capable, faithful leaders throughout its" organization — a statement designed to reassure congregants that the institution would remain stable even as its founder divided his attention between the pulpit and politics.

This arrangement — a sitting senator also serving as a megachurch pastor — is virtually unprecedented in American political history. It raises questions about time management, conflicts of interest, and the separation of religious and political roles.

Hamilton has indicated he will continue in both capacities, though the practical realities of a Senate schedule will require him to serve the church on a part-time basis.

The Author Behind the Pastor Hamilton's Literary Legacy

Beyond the pulpit and the Senate floor, Adam Hamilton has established himself as one of the most prolific and successful Christian authors of his generation. His books have consistently found audiences among mainline Protestants and beyond, making him a significant voice in American religious publishing.

His bibliography includes best-sellers such as The Journey, The Way, 24 Hours That Changed the World, Enough, and When Christians Get It Wrong. These works cover a range of theological and practical topics, from the life of Jesus to economic ethics to the challenges of living faithfully in a secular age.

Hamilton's most recent book, The Church We Carry, was released on April 21, 2026. The book explores the future of the United Methodist Church and offers a vision of what it looks like to love God in a changing religious landscape.

Given the timing — just weeks before his Senate announcement — the book reads in retrospect as both a theological statement and a political manifesto. It grapples with questions of institutional decline, faithful witness, and the role of the church in public life.

His previous book, The Message of Jesus: Words That Changed the World, was published on March 25, 2025. In it, Hamilton explores six of the most important themes in Jesus's teachings, why they matter, and how they speak to contemporary audiences.

The book received attention not just for its theological content but for its timing — it was released just weeks after Hamilton began voicing concerns about the direction of the Trump administration. Hamilton has also released a book titled Wrestling with Doubt, Finding Faith, which addresses common sources of religious uncertainty.

In this work, he discusses significant sources of doubt that believers encounter and offers pathways toward a more mature, resilient faith. The book reflects Hamilton's broader theological approach, which embraces questions and doubts rather than suppressing them.

His publishing career has made him a sought-after speaker and teacher within Methodist circles and beyond. His works are used in small group studies, Sunday school classes, and seminary courses across the country.

This literary influence extends his reach far beyond the congregation of the Church of the Resurrection, giving him a national platform that he has now translated into political capital.

What Hamilton's Senate Victory Means for Kansas and the Church

Hamilton's election to the U.S. Senate represents a significant shift not just for Kansas politics but for the relationship between religious leadership and public office in America.

In an era when the most visible religious-political figures come from the evangelical right, Hamilton offers a distinctly mainline Protestant perspective rooted in a different set of theological and political commitments. For Kansas, Hamilton's victory suggests that the state's political landscape may be more fluid than national narratives suggest.

A Democrat winning a Senate seat in a state that has leaned Republican in recent elections indicates that voters are responsive to candidates who can transcend partisan categories. Hamilton's appeal to "bipartisan base" politics — the same approach he used to build his church — proved effective in a state hungry for a different kind of representation.

The arrangement by which Hamilton continues to serve as Senior Pastor of the Church of the Resurrection while holding elected office raises practical questions. The Senate's demanding schedule will inevitably limit his availability for pastoral duties.

The church has indicated that it has capable leaders throughout its organization, and Hamilton has committed to remaining involved in the church's direction even as he takes on his new responsibilities. Some former employees of the church have expressed concerns about Hamilton's dual roles.

Others, even those with grievances about their time at the church, say they would vote for him over Marshall. This division reflects the complexity of a leader who has always inspired strong reactions — both positive and negative.

What is clear is that Adam Hamilton has accomplished something remarkable: he has become the founding pastor of the largest United Methodist Church in America and a United States Senator in the same lifetime. Whether his dual roles prove sustainable remains to be seen, but his journey from a small church startup in 1990 to the halls of Congress represents one of the more unusual career trajectories in contemporary American public life.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Adam Hamilton still the pastor of Church of the Resurrection?

Yes. Hamilton remains the senior pastor of the Church of the Resurrection, now serving on a part-time basis while fulfilling his duties as a U.S.

Senator. The church has emphasized that he anticipates remaining Senior Pastor, win or lose, and that capable leaders throughout the organization support its ongoing operations.

What prompted Adam Hamilton to run for U.S. Senate?

Hamilton cited actions by the Trump administration beginning in January 2025 that he described as "an assault on American values and an assault on Christian values." He also pointed to the shuttering of the U.S. Agency for International Development in July 2025 as a significant factor.

He stated that politics was never his aspiration, but conviction drove him to enter the race.

Did Adam Hamilton actually win the election against Roger Marshall?

Yes. According to race calls reported in November 2026, Adam Hamilton defeated incumbent Republican Sen.

Roger Marshall in the U.S. Senate election.

He is now serving as a U.S. Senator from Kansas.

What church does Adam Hamilton lead?

Hamilton is the founding and senior pastor of the Church of the Resurrection, a United Methodist congregation with multiple locations in the Greater Kansas City area. It is the largest United Methodist Church in the United States.

What are some of Adam Hamilton's most popular books?

Hamilton's best-selling works include The Journey, The Way, 24 Hours That Changed the World, Enough, and When Christians Get It Wrong. His most recent book, The Church We Carry, was released on April 21, 2026.

Reference Notes

Information in this article is based on publicly available sources. Some details may change over time.

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