Pastor Apologizes To Rep. Burlison Over UFO Claim
- Cristina Gomez
- May 7
- 2 min read
Two UFO stories broke on the same news cycle this week and pulled the disclosure conversation in opposite directions. Larry Ragland, senior pastor of Solid Rock Church in Birmingham, Alabama, issued a public apology to Republican Congressman Eric Burlison of Missouri after a viral video appeared to suggest the lawmaker had warned a private meeting of pastors that the United States government is preparing to claim aliens seeded humanity and invented Christianity.
Ragland recorded a follow-up video on May 6, 2026, stating clearly that Burlison did not say those words. Those were his words, and he wanted to own it. Burlison, who sits on the House Oversight subcommittee investigating UAPs, posted on X that he does not know what the strange objects in the skies are or where they come from. He confirmed he was asked to call in by phone to a meeting of theologians but said he was not present for most of the discussion. His only message, in reference to his X post, was a reminder for Christians to stick to what the Bible actually says.
The wider context goes beyond Ragland. Joseph Z of the Red Church, Bishop Alan DiDio, and Tennessee evangelist Perry Stone have all described private gatherings, including one in an Airbnb in the mountains of Tennessee, where pastors were reportedly told to prepare their congregations for what is coming. Analysis from Religious Liberty TV, published this week, raises the possibility that the meetings functioned more as a rehearsal of public messaging than a briefing.
While that was unfolding online, former President Barack Obama sat down with Stephen Colbert on The Late Show. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Obama said one of the things you learn as president is that the government is terrible at keeping secrets. He told Colbert that if alien craft were under U.S. control, someone would have already taken a selfie and leaked it. Notably, Obama said he saw no evidence during his presidency that anything has visited Earth. The keyword being during his presidency. Trump, by contrast, has continued to tease an imminent release of UFO files, with FBI Director Kash Patel confirming on Sean Hannity’s podcast that an interagency process is already underway with the Department of War in the lead. Vice President JD Vance has gone on the record stating he believes the objects are demons rather than aliens. The split is now public, and the question of who is telling the truth has been forced into the open.
Sources
Hibberd, J. (2026, May 6). Obama Says UFO Disclosure Won’t Happen: “Government Is Terrible at Keeping Secrets” The Hollywood Reporter. https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/general-news/obama-alien-ufo-disclosure-day-1236588129/
Joseph Z. (2026, March 7). WHAT ARE THEY? UFO BOMBSHELL — Sightings, psyops, FALSE RELIGION!! Alan Didio & Tony Merkel [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NK8PcQuUSNg
Loftus, A. (2026, May 6). Church pastor warns Trump’s “alien files” are going to shatter the Christian world. Daily Express US. https://www.the-express.com/news/us-news/206608/church-pastor-warns-trumps-alien
Perry Stone. (2026, April 27). Beware of deceptive government reports about to be released! | Perry Stone [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=37FQQdqvgCE
ReligiousLibertyTv, R., & ReligiousLibertyTv, R. (2026, May 7). Perry Stone, Larry Ragland, and the Closed-Door UFO briefing nobody will name. ReligiousLiberty.TV. https://religiousliberty.tv/perry-stone-larry-ragland-and-the-closed-door-ufo-briefing-nobody-will-name/
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