WASHINGTON, D.C. — President Donald Trump has nominated Mark Walker, a former congressman and pastor from North Carolina, as the new U.S. ambassador-at-large for international religious freedom.

Trump made the announcement on his social media platform Truth Social on Thursday, April 10.

“A former pastor, Mark was elected unanimously to House Leadership, and did an incredible job as Ranking Member on the House Homeland Security’s Counterterrorism and Intelligence Subcommittee,” Trump wrote in the social media post. “As Chairman of the Republican Study Committee, Mark helped us secure many Victories. In his new role, Mark will work incredibly hard to expose Human Rights Violations, champion Faith, and help us secure Life Saving Results.”

The U.S. ambassador-at-large heads the Office of International Religious Freedom in the U.S. Department of State. The ambassador-at-large is nominated by the president and confirmed by the U.S. Senate. The position was created by the International Religious Freedom Act of 1988, which promotes religious freedom as a foreign policy objective of the United States.

Part of the Office of International Religious Freedom’s mission, according to the U.S. State Department’s website, is to “monitor religiously motivated abuses, harassment, and discrimination worldwide, and recommend, develop, and implement policies and programs to address those concerns.”

In his own social media post, Walker thanked Trump and said he is honored by the nomination, adding that “I’m open-eyed to the bad actors and regions committing these atrocities against people of faith.”

Walker said religious freedom is a foundational human right.

“Religious expression is the foundation of human rights and, whether it’s a college campus in New York or Sub-Saharan Africa, I’ll be relentless in fighting for those targeted who dare to live out their faith,” Walker wrote. “I’m grateful to my beautiful wife and family for their support. May God provide the path and may we have the courage to follow.”

Brent Leatherwood, president of the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention, praised Walker’s nomination in a social media post on X.

“A significant addition to the Administration in a key area,” Leatherwood wrote. “Congressman Walker spent a significant amount of time with our pastors on a recent trip to DC. I’m thankful for this appointment and delighted to see a fellow Southern Baptist leading our IRF efforts.”

Walker, a Republican, was a member of the U.S. House of Representatives from North Carolina’s 6th Congressional District from 2015-2021. While in Congress, Walker was elected chairman of the Republican Study Committee for 2017-2019, and he was vice chair of the House Republican Conference from 2019-2021.

Walker, 55, was born in Alabama and grew up in the Florida panhandle in the home of a Baptist minister. Walker moved to North Carolina in 1991 and worked in business and finance before sensing a call to ministry.

Before entering politics, Walker served in a variety of pastoral roles at churches in Florida and North Carolina for 16 years. He served on staff at Calvary Baptist Church in Winston-Salem, and his most recent pastoral position was as worship pastor at Lawndale Baptist Church in Greensboro from 2008 to 2013.

Walker and his wife Kelly reside in Guilford County, and the couple has three children.