Obama's Next Church

Joseph Williams of the Boston Globe recently wrote an article about the next church to be attended by the presidential family. President Obama and his aids are currently searching around the D.C. area for a fitting church home for the president, Michelle, and their two children. The search for the new church home of the presidential family comes right after the controversy of Obama’s now former church and church minister, Reverend Jeremiah Wright of the Trinity Church of Christ in Chicago. This was a significant issue for the Democratic presidential candidate and was a large blow for his campaign in many American’s minds. While I personally though little of this fiasco, it is no surprise that many Americans are concerned about what church the most powerful person in America attends.

Joshua DuBois is in charge of all the presidential faith-based initiatives and is the lead director on the search for the Obama’s new church. Many different churches, including Asbury United Methodist Church, Mount Cavalry Baptist Church, Foundary United Methodist Church, and Metropolitan African Methodist Episcopal Church and Shiloh Baptist Church have contacted DuBois about being able to accommodate the presidential family. There is a concern from both the churches and the Obama family about the chosen congregation being able to adjust to the increased security, popularity, etc.

This is a very interesting dilemma for the Obama family especially considering the symbolism surrounding this next administration and ‘change’. With religion’s role in politics still on the forefront of social issues (see the aforementioned Rev Wright issue), the selection by President Obama for where to worship will be closely observed by the American public. When all is said and done, there is little the American public can really say about the Obama’s decision. Whether it is a conservative Baptist church or a more liberal Church of Christ, the decision comes from a religious family in search of a Christian congregation, not a political figure promoting the views of one denominational faith. It is important for us to separate the political side of our president from his religious side and realize that a man of faith lies underneath his job. President Obama’s decision about where he attends church should reflect little on his ole as our national leader.