The “Christian” President

by Whit Sasser

James Garfield was the only minister elected as President. He was a preacher, even having, as a young man, once preached in a meeting with an elderly Alexander Campbell. It is claimed that he said upon his election as our 20th president, "'I now step down from being an elder of the Lord's church to serve as president." Others say he said, "I resigned from the highest office known to man to be president," thereby implying the eldership. Either way, it seems likely he was unique in this regard.

President Garfield was baptized into the Lord's church on March 4, 1849, at the age of 17. He was planning to take a riverboat trip with friends. He recalled, “But two days before we intended to leave, I injured my foot while chopping wood. It was only a small cut, but the blue dye in the homemade socks I wore poisoned the wound, and I was compelled to stay at home. While my friends were on their journey, a powerful preacher came to our town to hold revival meetings. I was invited, and since I didn’t have anything else to do, I decided to attend. The message touched me deeply, and as a result, I surrendered my heart to the Lord and was baptized into his kingdom.”

He had acquired his spiritual mindedness from his mother, and when he left home, she asked him to remember that each evening at sunset she would be reading from the Bible. It became his practice throughout life to pause at that time of day to do likewise. She likewise had taught him to pray, so much so that while in the army, he was often referred to as the "praying colonel."

Moreover, he was always faithful to meet with the brethren. Even as President of the United States, he attended every service of the small congregation in Washington, D.C. Truly, he practiced his religion. He said, "'There is nothing that can make youth so shapely, manhood so strong, and old age so beautiful, as the religion of Jesus Christ.”

The first week after his inauguration as President of the United States, a member of his cabinet insisted on an urgent meeting at 10:00 Sunday morning to handle a threatened national crisis. Garfield refused to attend because he had a more important appointment. The cabinet member demanded to know what it was. The President replied, “I will be as frank as you are. My engagement is with the Lord to meet Him in His house at His table at 10:00 tomorrow, and I shall be there.”

Sadly, he was shot on July 2, 1881, and subsequently died on September 19th.