Lansing pastor visits with future congregation in D.C.

Washington – Sunday morning, before heading out into the crazy crowds of Washington, D.C., we decided to head over to Peoples Congregational United Church of Christ in northwestern D.C., to catch up with the Rev. Michael Murphy.

Murphy, the founding pastor of St. Stephen’s, in Lansing, will become the ninth pastor of the 118-year-old church in February.

One of his goals is to continue doing work in the community, he said, which is something he is known for at St. Stephen’s.

The church is also one of President-elect Barack Obama’s choices to worship at, according to the Nov. 14 issue of TIME magazine.

The Rev. Rubin Tendai, the interim minister at Peoples Church, said that the congregation is taking the announcement in stride, although there are a number of members who definitely hope that he will come.

Melanie Barnes, Obama’s domestic policy advisor, attends the church’s 8:30 a.m. service, Tendai said.

We watched Murphy socialize with the congregation, and with his easygoing demeanor and apparent passion for his work, it appears he will easily make the adjustment to the new church.

Visit statenews.com/multimedia for a video of Murphy.