Where Will the Obamas Attend Church in Washington?

When President Barack Obama resigned his membership at Trinity United Church of Christ in May of 2008, he told the press he would wait until January to find a new church. Well, it's January now and some of you have been asking, "Where will the Obama family worship in Washington?"

TIME Magazine suggested that Obama may want to attend the Church of the Epiphany, a multiracial congregation just three blocks from the White House where several members of Abraham Lincoln's cabinet worshiped. The Wall Street Journal proposed New York Avenue Presbyterian as a possible choice for the Obamas' place of worship. There he might even decide to sit in the original pew where Abraham Lincoln worshiped. Both of these congregations now profess a liberal, socially progressive faith, seemingly a good fit for the Obamas.

It's unlikely that the first family will settle in a church as controversial as their former congregation in Chicago, Trinity United Church of Christ where the Rev. Jeremiah Wright Jr. preached his provocative and racially charged sermons. However, Obama's 20-year membership in the UCC and his inclination toward social liberalism may lead him to one of the seven churches in that denomination located in Washington D.C., two of which are predominately black.

On the Sunday just before he was sworn in, Obama and his family attended services at Nineteenth Street Baptist Church, one of the oldest black churches in Washington. And on his first full day in office, he began the day with an interdenominational prayer service at the National Cathedral. However, exactly which church the Obamas will call their "church home" is yet to be learned. Of course, plenty of invitations have been sent to the first family and lots of speculation from media outlets is already in print, but for now we can only guess at the particular church and denomination they will choose. For practical purposes, we can count on the likelihood of the church being very close to the White House with a relatively short service format.

In the mean time, I'll keep an eye on the Obamas' Sunday morning outings and let you know if a new church home seems to be winning their approval.

More:

• Barack Obama's Faith Profile
• How to Find a Church
• What Does the Bible Say About Church Attendance?