The Obamas Find a Church Home — Away from Home [Southern Baptists]

[SedesDomi]

Now, in an unexpected move, Obama has told White House aides that instead of joining a congregation in Washington, D.C., he will follow in George W. Bush’s footsteps and make his primary place of worship Evergreen Chapel, the nondenominational church at Camp David…

Camp David’s current chaplain, Lieut. Carey Cash, leads the services at Evergreen. If the White House had custom-ordered a pastor to be the polar opposite of Jeremiah Wright, they could not have come as close as Cash. (As it is, the White House had no hand in selecting Cash. The Navy rotates chaplains through Camp David every three years; Cash began his tour this past January.) The 38-year-old Memphis native is a graduate of the Citadel and the great-nephew of Johnny Cash. He served a tour as chaplain with a Marine battalion in Iraq and baptized nearly 60 Marines during that time. Cash earned his theology degree from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth — and, yes, that means Obama’s new pastor is a Southern Baptist.

I know the Southern Baptists are decreasing in numbers and are looking for ways to attract new members, but come on.

 

[MrS]

I know the Southern Baptists are decreasing in numbers and are looking for ways to attract new members, but come on.

Well, I don’t think anyone expected him to choose a Catholic Church.

Can you imagine a priest talking about abortion and hell, and Obama sitting there with his “smile”.

By the way… we know where the names come from for the Catholic Churches. Saints and other important events in salvation history are chosen and approved for the names. Often the ethnicity of the parishioners helps select the saint’s name

BUT…

how are the names of the non-Catholic churches selected. Granted, many Lutherans and a small portion of other denoms use saints names too (Catholic Saints, cuz that’s all there are).

What determines whether a building is called “1st” or “Street Name”, or “Location”. And is that determination an insight to the choice of theology of the hired pastor?

As I have stated in many other forums, my understanding is that the proper use of the word Jesus chose - “Church” - applies only to the Church He founded - the Catholic Church. All others simply usurp the name “church” when they are at best only a faith community founded by a man or a woman.

Obama, like many, has chosen his “church”, based on security perhaps, or based on privacy most likely. In any case he can go if and when he wants to. And he might even tithe cool. But he has nicely eliminated making any waves for a while.

Bottom line… this fits… non-denominational. Having it both ways.

.

 

[Eucharisted]

Obama probably chose the church for several reasons:
He dosen’t want fame
He used to be a member of the United Church of Christ
He can best identify with Baptists

 

[Jesus_123]

• :clapping: I am reminded of **. . . *Mother Angelica’s *. . . ** wonder and love of the many Southern Baptists . . . ***who are among the group of God’s many children whom the wonderful Pope John XXIII called the . . . *“Separated Brethren” . . . *** * and among whom God guided and placed ***. . . Mother . . . *** when she was led to establishment of the **Eternal Word Television Network (EWTN) **in Irondale, Alabama . . . and the Our Lady of the Angels Shrine in Hanceville, Alabama . . . and among whom all her nuns and priests and brothers serve our Lord in the full light and glory of our Most Holy Catholic Faith . . .

The orthodox Southern Baptist’s deep love of our Lord and of the ***Holy Word :bible1: of God ***. . . the Holy Bible . . . with the Blessed Christ . . . Jesus . . . our Wonderful Lord and Saviour . . . and theirs . . . being the center of their worship as the Second Person of the Holy Trinity . . . and the Sacred Scripture being their profound focus for their spiritual growth and development . . . ***this may very well be an answer to our prayers for the beginning of the salvation of the President’s and his family’s souls . . . ***despite himself . . . and despite of the unholy advisors that have surrounded him . . . *it certainly is a vast improvement over their last church affiliation . . .*but as far away as it is from Washington, D.C. . . . where he is most of the time . . . since he hasn’t chosen a church there . . . his contact . . . and his family’s contact . . . with our Lord and His servants will be certainly be greatly limited . . . and his excuse appears to be just rationalization and certainly seems to show his lack of much of any kind of faith . . . or interest . . . in God . . . and His Holy Ways . . .

We need to all pray that God will guide this dear Southern Baptist Military Chaplain in his ministry for our Lord . . . who has now become the new . . . and evidently only . . . *Godly shepherd . . . of the souls of the president and his family . . . and thank our Wonderful God for the full light of our Apostolic Holy Roman Catholic Church . . . which He has now planted down south in the Bible Belt of the United States . . . and through which He opened up to the entire world . . . the Wonderful Holy Mystery . . . ******of the Holy Eucharist . . . as the . . . Body and Blood . . . Soul and Divinity . . . of our’s and their Lord Jesus Christ . . . God Incarnate . . . alive and among us in the Blessed Holy Eucharist . . . *** as our Lord brings even more of his Wonderful Holy Presence and Light to dear children of our God who have been denied the Holy Wonder of the fullness of Truth as revealed in and through our Holy Catholic Church . . .

**"How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed?
and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard?
and how shall they hear without a preacher?
and how shall they preach except they be sent?


**as it is written,
****How beautiful are the feet of them
that preach the gospel of peace,
and bring glad tidings of good things!

So then faith cometh by hearing,
and hearing by the Word of God."
Romans 10:14-15, 17
:bible1:

A gentle correction . . . the church chosen is Evergreen Chapel . . . a nondenominational church at Camp David. . . . a Military Chaplain is assigned as pastor there . . . for a three year term . . . and he is the Southern Baptist connection . . . not the church itself . . .

. . . all for Jesus+
. . . thank You Blessed Lord+
. . . please . . . +
. . . keep us faithful in prayer+
. . . for the Military Chaplain+
. . . and for the president and his family+
​

 

[bpbasilphx]

\Cash earned his theology degree from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth — and, yes, that means Obama’s new pastor is a Southern Baptist.\

Non sequitur.

Many non-Southern Baptists go to (and teach at) Southern Baptist seminaries.

 

[mkingdomlvr]

I would think that attending weekly church services like the rest of us do would be very difficult for any President and would put a severe strain on whatever local church they chose because of all the security and the press coverage.

 

[SedesDomi]

\Cash earned his theology degree from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth — and, yes, that means Obama’s new pastor is a Southern Baptist.\

Non sequitur.

Many non-Southern Baptists go to (and teach at) Southern Baptist seminaries.

True, but he’s really Baptist, as he wrote in his book on the war in Iraq.

From an interview on his experiences at war:

ROBERTSON: Did they see the angels or did they just know they were there?

CASH: I didn’t talk to any Marines who said they saw an angel. But what they did share was that rocket-propelled grenades would come at them, and literally curve in mid-air and go around them. Untold Marines shared with me that rockets would come and literally dive down as if batted by some unseen hand. We had one rocket go through a Humvee passenger-side window, and explode in the compartment. Without a doubt, it should have killed every man in that vehicle. And yet when the explosion came through, it blew out the front of the windshield, and so it exploded out instead of in, and not a single man was injured. And over and over, the accounts of that day were so tremendous, that I realized I had stumbled upon something amazing.

 

[Eleve]

I would think that attending weekly church services like the rest of us do would be very difficult for any President and would put a severe strain on whatever local church they chose because of all the security and the press coverage.

Considering that the church is at Camp David, I assume they’ll be used to handling Presidents. Doesn’t the article imply that Bush also went to this church?

Anyway, Obama doesn’t really have the option to not attend church given some of the accusations thrown at him during and after the election. Besides, he probably wants to go himself. Was Kennedy exempted from Holy Days of Obligation simply because he was President?

 

[mkingdomlvr]

Considering that the church is at Camp David, I assume they’ll be used to handling Presidents. Doesn’t the article imply that Bush also went to this church?

Anyway, Obama doesn’t really have the option to not attend church given some of the accusations thrown at him during and after the election. Besides, he probably wants to go himself. Was Kennedy exempted from Holy Days of Obligation simply because he was President?

That’s what I mean-Presidents likely use that church rather than go to a local parish because of security concerns and the general uproar a President going anywhere causes.

I wonder if they had a Priest come into the WH during JFK’s day. We used to summer in the same town that Grace Kelly’s family did-not on the same street mind you-but I remember hearing that their family had a Priest go to the house on the weekends for Mass so they didn’t have to attend with the rest of the great unwashed.

 

[ConstanceElaine]

:flowers:Let’s all be thankful He and his family have gotten away from the “Rev. Wright” and his type!!! At least when they go to church they will hear the Holy Word of Our Precious God." I believe the Bible is read quite a bit in these types of churches and remember. . . we increase out faith by “Hearing the Word.”

Let’s also pray that the Holy Spirit will ‘soften the hearts’ of this family. I must admit I seem to get so upset with the various immoral and ‘social’ bills that seem to be getting passed and then I remember to pray because ‘Nothing is Impossible with God!’ It seems like the USA needs alot of miricles. . . So Let Us Pray with Thanksgiving!:harp:

 

[Contarini]

:flowers:Let’s all be thankful He and his family have gotten away from the “Rev. Wright” and his type!!! At least when they go to church they will hear the Holy Word of Our Precious God." I believe the Bible is read quite a bit in these types of churches

Are you suggesting that the Bible is not read at Trinity UCC? How do you know this?

Actually Southern Baptists don’t read a lot of Scripture liturgically–pastors are expected to quote from Scripture in their sermons and base their sermons on thorough Biblical exegesis, but consecutive reading of Scripture in the Baptist tradition tends to be relegated primarily to the home (and to Bible study groups, Sunday School classes, etc.).

Edwin

 

[4Squarebaby]

Well, I don’t think anyone expected him to choose a Catholic Church.

Can you imagine a priest talking about abortion and hell, and Obama sitting there with his “smile”.

I imagine that it would have been the same had it been President Kerry or most other publically Catholic politicians in America.

By the way… we know where the names come from for the Catholic Churches. Saints and other important events in salvation history are chosen and approved for the names. Often the ethnicity of the parishioners helps select the saint’s name

BUT…

how are the names of the non-Catholic churches selected. Granted, many Lutherans and a small portion of other denoms use saints names too (Catholic Saints, cuz that’s all there are).

What determines whether a building is called “1st” or “Street Name”, or “Location”. And is that determination an insight to the choice of theology of the hired pastor?

In the Foursquare Church churches will have the official name, the Foursquare Church of (name of the community) then a theme name normally chosen by the founding Pastor and the church council. Sometimes a few years down the line a local council may change the theme name of a local church. I imagine the “First” churches were the first planted church of any specific denomination in a political community, city or county.

Obama, like many, has chosen his “church”, based on security perhaps, or based on privacy most likely. In any case he can go if and when he wants to. And he might even tithe cool. But he has nicely eliminated making any waves for a while.

Bottom line… this fits… non-denominational. Having it both ways.

.

I agree he had a political problem. If President Obama did not choose a majority black church with black leadership he risked alienating his base. Yet few black churches are like Trinity in that they support gay marriage and abortion as the President does politically. So he also faced the possiblity of having his Pastor say he was a bad man. In the end he did not join a church, he just announced that he would worship at the base chapel, no matter what the denomination of the assigned Chaplin.

 

[SedesDomi]

Update:
politico.com/news/stories/0609/24323.html

 

[mark_a]

I know the Southern Baptists are decreasing in numbers and are looking for ways to attract new members, but come on.

Oh the times they are a changin’!!

When I was a kid, the Southern Baptists wouldn’t let Black folks in their churches.

 

[Dale_M]

Update:
politico.com/news/stories/0609/24323.html

To explain a bit further, White House deputy press secretary Jen Psaki released an email today saying that the Time Magazine story is erroneous and that Obama continues to search for a church.

The author of the Time article, however, stands by her reporting:

…the White House has released a statement: “The President and First Family continue to look for a church home. They have enjoyed worshipping at Camp David and several other congregations over the months, and will choose a church at the time that is best for their family.” Though nothing in the statement contradicts my reporting, David Brody over at the Christian Broadcasting Network reads it as saying that my article “IS NOT ACCURATE.” [hyperbolic all-caps his]

If the White House had wanted to call into question my reporting, it certainly could have. The reason it didn’t is that the plan for the foreseeable future is for the First Family to attend services at the nondenominational Evergreen Chapel when they’re at Camp David. It’s not a membership congregation, so as Robert Gibbs carefully noted in this afternoon’s briefing, they won’t be “joining” the chapel. The Obamas have not ruled out becoming members of another church down the road — what churchgoer would? — but neither are there any plans for them to pursue that option right now.

time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1907767,00.html

 

[SedesDomi]

Oh the times they are a changin’!!

When I was a kid, the Southern Baptists wouldn’t let Black folks in their churches.

I think they have mended their ways a bit:

NASHVILLE (AP) — It might seem odd for an African American to join a faith that once supported slavery, but black pastors of the Southern Baptist Convention say much has changed since the issue split Baptists in America nearly 200 years ago.

“Yesterday and today, they are different days,” said Robert Anderson, president of the African American Fellowship of the Southern Baptist Convention and pastor of Colonial Baptist Church in Randallstown, Md. “The convention as a whole has come a long way, obviously from the days of slavery and Jim Crow. We have a lot more African Americans involved in the convention than ever before…”

During the 1830s tensions among Baptists in the North and South began to mount, mainly over slavery. It was a major economic resource in the South and was embraced by Baptists there. But those in the North opposed it, contending God doesn’t condone treating one race superior to the other.

The bickering came to a head in May of 1845 when Baptists in the South met and organized the Southern Baptist Convention.

But since then, Anderson said, Southern Baptists have taken steps to repair their tarnished past. One of the biggest moves came about 10 years ago when the convention issued a resolution apologizing for slavery.

 

[ahollars]

That’s what I mean-Presidents likely use that church rather than go to a local parish because of security concerns and the general uproar a President going anywhere causes.

I wonder if they had a Priest come into the WH during JFK’s day. We used to summer in the same town that Grace Kelly’s family did-not on the same street mind you-but I remember hearing that their family had a Priest go to the house on the weekends for Mass so they didn’t have to attend with the rest of the great unwashed.

In case you are wondering, there is Mass, led by a Catholic Chaplin, inside one of the spaces of the Pentagon. Every military installation also has a military priest. Security solved. We need another Catholic President to see how that works, since they probably weren’t paying attention last time.

 

[Jesus_123]

Are you suggesting that the Bible is not read at Trinity UCC? How do you know this?

Actually Southern Baptists don’t read a lot of Scripture liturgically–pastors are expected to quote from Scripture in their sermons and base their sermons on thorough Biblical exegesis, but consecutive reading of Scripture in the Baptist tradition tends to be relegated primarily to the home (and to Bible study groups, Sunday School classes, etc.).

Edwin

A gentle correction . . . the Southern Baptists Biblical strength lies not only in their worship services . . . but in a strong . . . extremely well attended . . . mostly Sunday School Biblical catechetical/teaching ministry . . . which holds classes for all ages . . . adults down through the nursery . . . and as Mother Angelica has . . . often . . . shared . . . their Biblical knowledge far outsurpasses that of Catholics . . . due to their rigorous Biblical training . . .

One of our closest friends is a Southern Baptist minister . . . and the success of his Christ centered . . . Biblically oriented . . . ministry is phenomenal . . . to God be the Glory . . .

. . . all for Jesus +​

 

[Lujack]

I wonder if they had a Priest come into the WH during JFK’s day. We used to summer in the same town that Grace Kelly’s family did-not on the same street mind you-but I remember hearing that their family had a Priest go to the house on the weekends for Mass so they didn’t have to attend with the rest of the great unwashed.

I think Kennedy went to a regular church at least some of the time; there are records of him going to Sunday Mass in a Washington parish during the Cuban Missile Crisis, and I once read an old article doing research for one paper or another that “the President attended Good Friday services at such-and-such a church in Florida, where he was vacationing with family…”

 

[tcm22]

Are you suggesting that the Bible is not read at Trinity UCC? How do you know this?

Actually Southern Baptists don’t read a lot of Scripture liturgically–pastors are expected to quote from Scripture in their sermons and base their sermons on thorough Biblical exegesis, but consecutive reading of Scripture in the Baptist tradition tends to be relegated primarily to the home (and to Bible study groups, Sunday School classes, etc.).

Edwin

Whether they read the Bible at Trinity UCC is not relevant. What he will no longer get is the steady dose of hate and race-baiting that seems to be at the core of Jeremiah Wright’s “theology.”