10 Times Barack Obama Pleased Evangelicals

By Michael Gryboski, Mainline Church Editor Saturday, January 14, 2017

In this Aug. 16, 2008 file photo, then Democratic presidential candidate, Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., left, joins Pastor Rick Warren of Saddleback Church, for a discussion on moral issues. Aretha Franklin will sing, Warren will pray and more than 11,000 U.S. troops will be watching over the ceremonies in case of a terrorist attack during President-elect Barack Obama's Inauguration. — In this Aug. 16, 2008 file photo, then Democratic presidential candidate, Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., left, joins Pastor Rick Warren of Saddleback Church, for a discussion on moral issues. Aretha Franklin will sing, Warren will pray and more than 11,000 U.S. troops will be watching over the ceremonies in case of a terrorist attack during President-elect Barack Obama's Inauguration. | (Photo: AP Images / Richard Vogel, File)

1. Inviting Rick Warren to Give 2009 Inaugural Benediction

Fresh off of a presidential campaign that stressed bringing the country together, Obama opted to select Saddleback Church lead pastor Rick Warren to give the benediction prayer at the 2009 inauguration.

While the move garnered criticism from various leftwing groups and pundits, Warren gave the prayer as planned and without incident.

"We're not going to agree on every single issue, but what we have to do is to be able to create an atmosphere when we — where we can disagree without being disagreeable and then focus on those things that we hold in common as Americans," explained Obama in December 2008.

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