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"Are you kidding?"
That was the response that the Washington Post got from one church when it asked 16 Presbyterian churches in the nation's capital on whether they would invite U.S. President-elect Donald Trump for worship.
When the Post reporter assured that the question was made in earnest, the unnamed church minister then said, yes, he would send Trump a letter of invitation.
The Post made the query in line with the tradition in the U.S. capital where churches send worship invitations to an incoming president.
Bill Clinton received such invitations in 1993, and he and Hillary picked Foundry United Methodist Church on 16th Street NW to be the church they would go to.
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George W. Bush, like Ronald Reagan before him, selected St. John's Episcopal Church, just across from the White House.
However, Barack Obama did not pick one church but visited many churches instead over the course of his eight years in the White House, according to the Post.
Thus, the Post wanted to know what church will Trump likely go to in Washington D.C., if he is willing to do so.
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The business magnate turned president-elect has previously been affiliated with the Presbyterian Church, although he admits he is not a regular churchgoer.
The Post noted that the Presbyterian Church is a liberal-leaning denomination that has embraced same-sex marriage. Some of its churches in D.C. are led by female clergy, while others have black clergy and congregants from black communities and other racial minorities.
Most of the churches asked by the Post said Trump will be very welcome to join them in worship.
"I think Mr. Trump would be welcome at any Presbyterian Church USA in the city," said Fifteenth Street Presbyterian's Rev. Robert Bell.
However, Bell added that Trump "doesn't seem like the type of guy that finds the gospel challenging and meaningful or likes to rub elbows with a diverse group, not all [of whom] are materially successful."
Nevertheless, he said he's not ruling out a visit by Trump since, according to him, "God works in mysterious ways."
One church said they would not send a worship invitation to the incoming president. "Of course, anytime you can have the president come to your church that would be wonderful. But, in this case, well, no," said Sixth Presbyterian's Rev. Edward Taylor.
