Obamas’ church choice will be closely watched

CHICAGO – His name was invoked at church services nationwide on Sunday, but President-elect Obama didn’t attend any of them. He went to the gym instead.

Obama hasn’t had a church in Chicago since he severed ties in April with his longtime pastor, the Rev. Jeremiah Wright Jr. And his decision on which church to attend when he moves to Washington will undoubtedly be closely watched.

When he left Trinity United Church of Christ in May, Obama said his family would look for a new congregation. Obama spokeswoman Jen Psaki said Sunday the president-elect hadn’t yet picked a church.

He knows the stakes when choosing one. Wright’s fiery sermons from the pulpit caused Obama problems during his campaign. One video showed Wright saying, “God damn America.”

Obama later denounced Wright for “divisive and destructive” remarks after the pastor delivered an eyebrow-raising speech praising Nation of Islam minister Louis Farrakhan and suggesting Obama distanced himself from Wright for political reasons.

Since the election, Wright has claimed the media used him to attack Obama. Wright has said that some of his statements, especially from the pulpit, had been taken out of context.