On hiatus until September, or soon thereafter.

6/29 White House Briefing on President Obama and Church

From Monday’s briefing, in response to the time.com article:

THE WHITE HOUSE

Office of the Press Secretary
_________________________________________________________________
For Immediate Release                                           June 29, 2009

PRESS BRIEFING
BY
PRESS SECRETARY ROBERT GIBBS

James S. Brady Press Briefing Room

2:48 P.M.

Q    Is the Time Magazine report correct that the President has told his staff that he intends to not search for a church in Washington, but he will worship at Camp David instead?

MR. GIBBS:  No.  There have been no formal decisions about joining a church.  I think I’ve mentioned in here in the past couple of weeks that when he goes to Camp David he has attended services at the chapel there, he enjoys the pastor there.  They’re not formally joining that church and there have been no formal decisions on joining a church in this area.

I will say I think one aspect of the article that is true, as I mentioned here in that same discussion, was the concern that the President continues to have about the disruptive nature of his presence on any particular Sunday in some churches around the area.  I think that was discussed in the article.  And I know he is — I think obviously he shares the strong belief that there’s a very personal nature to one’s spirituality.  And for it to be — for his presence to be disruptive, I think he believes that takes away from the experience that others might get and he certainly doesn’t want to do that.

Q    So for a while, he is not going to be searching for a —

MR. GIBBS:  Well, no.  I think they will continue to look for a formal church home.  I think when he’s at Camp David, he’ll continue to go to the chapel there.  He has told us that he greatly enjoys that.