Photo by Kwaku AlstonWaPo: The church, founded in 1839, has some rich history. It is 3 miles from the White House and D.C. Mayor Adrian Fenty sometimes attends services there.
President-elect Barack Obama and his family are attending services this morning at one of the oldest historically black churches in Washington.
It was supposed to be a surprise visit at Nineteenth Street Baptist Church, but it seemed anything but. Hundreds of parishioners began lining up early this morning, hoping to get a spot in the pews.
Obama arrived at 10:55 a.m. joined by his wife, Michelle, and their daughters, Malia and Sasha. Earlier in the morning, he and Vice President-elect Joseph R. Biden Jr. participated in a wreath-laying ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknowns at Arlington National Cemetery.
At Nineteenth Street Baptist, parishioners have been buzzing for a week about a possible visit from the man who soon will be sworn in as the nation's first African American president. During last Sunday's service, their pastor, the Rev. Derrick Harkins, reportedly told them that today's would be "special" and would start at a "special time," 11 a.m. instead of 10 a.m. "You don't want to be late," he said. Read more at WaPo.
