Bishop Harry Jackson Jr., a well-known supporter of President Donald Trump, has passed away aged 66.
Bishop Jackson's church, Hope Christian Church in Beltsville, Maryland, announced the sad news with a statement on its website.
"It is with a heavy heart that we notify you that our beloved Bishop Harry R. Jackson, Jr. has transitioned to be with the Lord on November 9, 2020,” it read. “Please pray for the Jackson family’s comfort and respect their right to privacy at this time.”
Speculation has been circulating about Jackson's potential exposure to Covid-19 at a prior "superspreader" event held at the White House last month - however, he previously told Religion News Service that he had tested negative following the event.
A cause of death has not yet been confirmed.
Jackson also attended large prayer march organised on Capitol Hill back in September, alongside several other evangelical leaders including Rev Franklin Graham.
On social media, Graham said Jackson "was a true friend of the Gospel of Jesus Christ".
"He was with us in Washington on September 26 for Prayer March 2020 where he led in prayer for Vice President Mike Pence and our nation, and then joined me as we went to the Oval Office to pray for President Donald J. Trump," he added. "I was privileged to see Bishop Jackson again in the Rose Garden for the announcement of Amy Coney Barrett as Supreme Court Justice. He was a man who stood for truth and was a great supporter of the Lord’s work around the world. His voice will be missed. Join me in praying for Bishop Jackson’s wife, family, and loved ones."
Graham also shared footage of Bishop Jackson's prayer at the march:
Author and broadcaster Eric Metaxas said on Twitter that he was "stunned and saddened" to hear of Jackson's death. "It was he whom my wife and I were squiring through the Antifa mob outside the White House just two months ago to find his Über," Metaxas added. "May the Lord comfort and bless his family."
At a gathering in the Oval Office back in April during which Jackson issued prayers, President Trump introduced the minister as a "highly respected gentleman who is a member of our faith and a person that we have tremendous respect for".
Jackson held a BA degree in English from Williams College and a Masters of Business Administration from Harvard Business School. He had only recently remarried after his wife, Vivian M. Jackson, died in 2018.