Las Vegas-Based International Pastor Tapped as Ben Carson's Nevada Presidential Campaign Chair

Dec 02, 2015 11:51 AM EST

Republican presidential candidate Ben Carson announced on Dec. 1 a Las Vegas pastor and author will be his Nevada campaign chairman. Carson's campaign said Rev. Paul Marc Goulet was appointed to the top state post, according to an Associated Press article published in the Las Vegas Sun Wednesday. Goulet and his wife Denise are the senior pastors of the International Church of Las Vegas (ICLV), a large, non-denominational Christian congregation where Carson spoke last month.

ICLV is one church in four physical locations in the Las Vegas valley, and an online campus streaming around the world, according to the church's website. It is considered a "multicultural, healing, prophetic church."

Paul Goulet called Carson a "candidate of the people," and said he has widespread grassroots support in Nevada.

Carson's campaign manager described Goulet as a prominent figure in Nevada whose ability to communicate Carson's story would be critical to the campaign's success in Nevada, stated the AP article.

Paul Goulet travels extensively to an established international network of churches, Bible schools, and pastors, with the ultimate goal of building 2,000 churches by the year 2020. He is the senior pastor of ICLV and the author of many books. Denise also travels to speak primarily about women's issues.

The Goulets' publicly stated desire is "to see people in Las Vegas and around the world partner with Heaven for radical change in their communities."

A poster going by the name Sandria Dossi on social media offered a reaction to this news:  "Ben Carson is both honest and trustworthy.  While other candidates have been throwing mud at each other, Dr. Carson has refused to join the fray and has not said a harsh word against any of them, even when he was their target. However, he has never hesitated strongly criticizing Obama or Hillary. He has conducted himself with dignity, intelligence, sincerity, and initiative, but it is Ben Carson's strong faith in God that I find to be his most appealing quality."