Religion

Obama's 10 Most Important Faith Leaders

The Rev. Kirbyjon Caldwell
Senior Pastor of Windsor Village United Methodist Church in Houston
Senior Pastor of Windsor Village United Methodist Church in Houston
(Stephen Jaffe/AFP/Getty Images)

The Rev. Kirbyjon Caldwell was a confidant of President George W. Bush, presiding over his daughter Jenna's wedding last year. By that time, though, he had already endorsed Barack Obama for president. Caldwell, whose Houston-based church is the largest United Methodist congregation in the country, says Obama and Bush share many personal qualities: "They are both Christians. They both love their wives intensely. They’re both very good dads." Caldwell keeps a low media profile and, despite his friendship with Bush, usually steers clear of politics; his donation to Obama's campaign was his first ever to a candidate. But Caldwell has served as an occasional spiritual adviser to the president since Obama resigned from his longtime Chicago church over the Rev. Jeremiah Wright controversy last year.

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