Earlier this month, Mike Huckabee was voted as the U.S. Ambassador to Israel following a 53-46 vote by the U.S. Senate.
All Republican Senators voted in favor of Huckabee, including Democrat Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa, while the rest of Democrats voted against him, according to The Christian Post.
Huckabee has served in both political and church capacities before his current position, including being a pastor and former governor of Arkansas. He was also a talk show host and a musician who played in a band.
With that introduction, here are five things Christians need to know about Huckabee leading up to his role as ambassador to Israel.
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2. He previously served as a pastor and president of the Arkansas Baptist Convention.
2. He previously served as a pastor and president of the Arkansas Baptist Convention.
Huckabee graduated from Ouachita Baptist University at 19 and later attended Southwest Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas, for four years. He first led Immanuel Baptist Church in Pine Bluff, Arkansas, from 1980 to 1986 before moving to Beech Street First Baptist Church in Texarkana, Arkansas, where he served as pastor from 1986-1992.
"In both towns, he started a 24-hour television station, where he produced documentaries and hosted a program called Positive Alternatives," The Almanac of American Politics, published in 2000, stated.
In addition to the pastorate, Huckabee served as president of the Arkansas Baptist Convention, which has had a membership of nearly 500,000 people since 2000.
The almanac also noted that Huckabee had a "profound spiritual experience" when attending a two-week youth fellowship program at Cape Kennedy at the age of 15.
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4. He hosted his own talk show on television.
4. He hosted his own talk show on television.
Huckabee hosted his own talk show, "Huckabee," which broadcast from the Fox News Channel from 2008 to 2015, following his first unsuccessful presidential run. The show later moved to Trinity Broadcasting Network (TBN) in 2017 after Huckabee's second unsuccessful presidential bid.
In January of this year, TBN announced that Huckabee would air its last episode on January 11.
"After seven successful years on the Trinity Broadcasting Network (TBN), Huckabee will air its final tribute episode on January 11, 2025," the network stated. "Hosted by former Arkansas Governor and popular conservative commentator Mike Huckabee, the hour-long program has become America's favorite "front porch" talk show, offering an insightful blend of patriotic, God-honoring values and family-friendly entertainment."
"Since the show's debut in 2017, Huckabee has become a staple in TBN's programming, welcoming national and international newsmakers, iconic celebrities, music legends, inspiring everyday heroes, and many more. Governor Huckabee's legendary take on the happenings in Washington, D.C., paired with his witty charm, has resonated with millions of viewers worldwide."
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5. He plays bass and was part of a band called 'Capitol Offense.'
5. He plays bass and was part of a band called 'Capitol Offense.'
Huckabee, who is a bassist, was part of a '50s rock band called Capitol Offense.
"We ended up forming a band, and we decided to give it an appropriate name since most of us worked on the governor's staff in the capitol. So we named it 'Capitol Offense'", he told CBN News in an interview when he was governor of Arkansas.
"So now we've played at inauguration events of George Bush, we've opened for Dionne Warwick in a concert, we've played in a lot of festivals, in a number of cities, things like the Council of State Governments, Southern Governor's Association Conferences, and we really have a lot of fun."
"I got to play with Grand Funk Railroad," he continued. "That was a trip."
Originally published May 01, 2025.
