On this historic day when the Supreme Court of the United States overturned Roe v. Wade, I remember the open letter I wrote on January 14, 2009 to then President-elect Barack Obama when I was serving a church in the Washington DC area. Friends delivered my letter to the Hay-Adams Hotel near the White House, where the Obamas were staying until the inauguration. 

January 14, 2009

The Honorable Barack Obama
President-Elect of the United States
Hay-Adams Hotel
800 16th Street NW
Washington, D.C. 20006

Dear Mr. President-Elect,

As the leader of a church with more than 5,000 attendees located just a short drive from the White House, I join millions of Americans in honoring your inauguration as our forty-fourth President.

All Americans celebrate the arrival of a new President and the peaceful transfer of power as more evidence of our great democracy. This occasion also marks a monumental civil rights achievement for our nation. I rejoice in the fact that an African-American has been elected, a true affirmation of our nation’s fundamental premise that all persons are created equal by the hand of God.

Holy Scripture exhorts us to pray for kings and all those who are in authority (1 Timothy 2:1-2). Please know, we the people of Immanuel Bible Church pledge to pray for you, your family and your Administration. These are difficult times to lead our nation. No President has ever done so without acknowledging the need for divine guidance.

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“Every detail in our lives of love for God is worked into something good.”

Romans 8:28 MSG