Two months ago, the Obamas had narrowed down their choices for places to worship in the District to three: Foundry United Methodist, Asbury United Methodist and Calvary Baptist, according to a Washington Post article.
Other possibilities include Metropolitan A.M.E., Nineteenth Street Baptist and Shiloh Baptist.
All of the churches are within six blocks of the White House with the exception of Nineteenth Street and Shiloh. Of them, all are predominantly Black except Foundry and Calvary, which have congregations of various races.
The White House Office of Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships, led by Joshua DuBois, conducted the search on behalf of the Obamas. Calls and e-mails to Corey Ealons, the White House press officer who deals with the African-American press were not returned by AFRO press time.
None of the churches contacted above have heard from the White House other than initial contacts made in March.
"We have not gotten any type of word from the White House and frankly, if we had we would not discuss it publicly," said Dean Synder, senior minister at Foundry. The Clintons worshipped at Foundry regularly when they lived in the White House and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is a certified lay speaker in the United Methodist Church.
The Rev. Louis Shockley, senior pastor at Asbury, said he had not heard anything from the White House but "a lot of speculation and excitement since the Post article came out."
"There are some reporters in some news media outlets who are angry with me because they think I am holding back something," Shockley said, laughing.
Asbury, founded in 1836, is one of the oldest Black churches in the District and was considered the most prestigious Black church in Methodism for many years. Famous patrons included educator and presidential advisor Mary McLeod Bethune and former Health and Human Services Secretary Patricia Roberts Harris.
Asbury's Church Historian Lonise Robinson said that every president, regardless of political affiliation, has received a letter from the senior pastor offering a chance to attend services.
A spokesman for Calvary Baptist said that they had not received "any type of communication from the White House."
First Lady Michelle Obama recently volunteered in the church's food bank, giving out food baskets to the city's homeless.
Metropolitan A.M.E. hosted services during the 1997 Clinton inauguration, which the president and the first lady attended. The Obamas attended Nineteenth Street's Sunday service before the president was sworn-in.
While the Obamas have not been actively involved with Shiloh, its prominence in Black religious circles led to speculation that it was being considered. However, a spokeswoman for the church said that "we havent' heard anything about Obama coming here."
The only time the Obamas attended church in the District was during Easter when they attended the "church of presidents," St. Johns Episcopal Church in Lafayette Park.
SOURCE: Afro News
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I'm curious.
Please allow me to pose a question to the good readers of BCNN: Would your church, "just automatically accept" anyone into your membership who you knew had been "out of church for six months," without requiring that candidate making some kind of acknowledgment of repentance for forsaking the House of God for so long?
Would a "letter of recommendation" be requested from said candidate's former church? And what kind of recommendation would one expect when it is known to the public that the candidate has forsaken public worship for six months--and seems to be nonchalant about it?
In other words, are membership requirements "set aside" for a candidate just because they are a public figure--even the President of the Untied States? Or should the local church hold the standard high, regardless?
It just seems to me that there is an lackadaisical attitude by our President toward the local church. Couple that with an over-emphasis of the spirit of "vetting a church for the President." It is as if he is going to be "the prize catch" among several competing churches vying for his membership, while it seems no conditions are mentioned as to whether or not the President qualifies to be a member in good standing of any of the churches, or not. It is just taken for granted that whatever church our President chooses, it is an automatic acceptance by that congregation. Is that how readers of BCNN (you) were accepted into their (your) local churches (church)?
Just one, of many, questions I'd like answered. Here's another one: "Has the President been a steady and faithful tither all these months? And if so, to what church has he given his financial support?"
I'd appreciate any feedback from the good readers of, and contributors to, BCNN.
Blessings!
BCNN1 Fan
AS Christians our relationship is with the Amighty who forgives sins. The Bible teaches, "fail not to assemble " but does not place a time frame to the assembling. The President's personal relationship with God is more important than his relationship with the physical church. The President's paying of tithes is not anyones business; that is a act between him aband his Maker.
Being a public figure does not mean your entire personal life has to be on display for the world to examine. From the events that have been occuring lately there is a lot of moral talking with and less moral walking. CSIL