Obama’s church choice remains a mystery
By Dave Cook | 04.12.09
Easter Sunday provided no answer to one of the mysteries that puzzles Washington’s chattering class: which church will President and Mrs. Obama select as their permanent home for worship?
The President and his family made the brief trip to St John’s Episcopal Church on Sunday for Easter services.
The yellow and white structure sits on a corner just across Lafayette Park from the White House and can be reached by presidential motorcade in less than five minutes.
A return to St. John’s
The Obamas attended St. John’s on inauguration day but have not been back since. Mr. Obama’s predecessor, George Bush, often went to St. John’s when he was in town. Mr. Bush also worshipped at the chapel at Camp David, the presidential retreat in the Maryland mountains.
St John’s is sometimes known as the “church of the President” since every chief executive since James Madison has attended services there. But the Obamas are believed to be considering churches elsewhere in the city, including some with historically black congregations.
A number of the President’s aides, including Melody Barnes, cirector of the White House Domestic Policy Council, have been asked for recommendations, according to published reports.
On the Sunday before his inauguration, Mr. Obama attended the Nineteenth Street Baptist Church. He has not been back since he took office.
Looking for a church home
Mr. Obama has not had a formal church home since he broke with Rev. Jeremiah Wright Jr. during the presidential campaign.
In March, the New York Times reported that the President has had private prayer sessions on the telephone with a handful of evangelical pastors since he moved into the White House.
White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs said at Thursday’s briefing that the church the Obamas attended for Easter would not necessarily be their final choice.
“I think the President is looking for a new church, but I don’t think necessarily that the one that he attends this weekend will necessarily be the one he continues to attend,” Gibbs said.
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