The Rev. Harold D. Lewis Sr. preached on "The Church That Jesus Built." The congregation shouted "Hallelujah," "Amen," and "Yes, Lord!" And by the end of the one-hour, 45-minute service, President George W. Bush and his wife Laura were swaying and clapping to the music along with the rest of the 150 worshippers attending the 8 a.m. service.
On Sunday, January 28, Bush, the First Lady, and his parents, all attended Lincoln Park United Methodist Church, a predominantly African-American congregation located in northeast Washington D.C. In opening prayers, worship leader Norma Belt prayed that God would "put your hand around him [President Bush] and his family."
The music began with a 25-member youth choir processing down the aisle, singing "This is the Day." Bush, who describes himself as a "terrible dancer," could be seen bobbing his head only slightly to the tune. By the end of the service, Bush and his family were moving along with the rest of the congregation to a song whose refrain went: "I've got a feeling everything's going to be all right."
At the start of his sermon, the Rev. Lewis took a few moments to introduce the visitors, referring to the elder Bush as "president" and the younger as "president-elect." Members of the congregation shouted out corrections, while Lewis smiled and innocently said, "Did I miss something?"
According to news reports, Lewis went on to preach on the true purpose of the church: "The church is not only an organization, it is an organism!" he said. "The first purpose of the church is to magnify the Lord!"
The Rev. Lewis is known for his exuberant and animated preaching, which often deals with personal redemption and issues of Biblical truth. Less than a week before the President's attendance at Lincoln Park, Lewis preached a pro-life sermon in the United Methodist Building on Capitol Hill at a service to mourn the 28th anniversary of the Roe vs. Wade Supreme Court ruling that legalized abortion-on-demand. The service was sponsored by Lifewatch, the unofficial pro-life ministry within the UM Church. (The United Methodist building is owned and operated by the denomination's Board of Church and Society, which is a traditional defender of abortion rights.)
During the service at Lincoln Park, the Bush family received two standing ovations from the congregation. Although he voted for former Vice President Al Gore, Lewis told the Washington Post, now Bush is "our president..My team lost. But I'm a team player."
Across the nation, Gore was the favorite among black voters, with a 9-1 margin in November. Since then, Bush has sought to reach out to the community. Although Lincoln Park's membership is predominately black, a Bush aide said that was not one of the considerations as the President selected the church.
Mark Tooley, director of UM Action, a United Methodist committee of the Institute for Religion and Democracy, wrote a column for the Wall Street Journal and a personal letter to President Bush suggesting that he attend services at a predominantly black United Methodist church in the District and named Lincoln Park as one of them.
"To my knowledge, most of the predominantly white churches.tended to be more theologically liberal than churches in Texas that the Bushes are used to," Tooley told the Washington Post. "So I suggested that if they are looking for a more theologically conservative church, they would have to go to a black church."
Tooley told Good News that he had received a thank-you note from Bush himself. The President wrote, "Lincoln Park sounds very interesting. I may just surprise Rev. Lewis and worship with his church."
Bush grew up in Episcopalian and Presbyterian churches, but then began attending Methodist churches after he got married. One reporter asked Bush why he had picked Lincoln Park, and the President simply responded, "It's a good one."
When asked about the service as they exited the church, former President Bush offered a thumbs-up and said, "Beautiful, beautiful."
Although the Bushs have not yet settled on a church that they will attend regularly, Lewis said that "if he feels any Sunday he wants to come, he is welcome."
Nina Williams is the editorial assistant at Good News magazine.