First Family in waiting starts Inauguration Day at church

President-elect Donald Trump's first public appearance of his packed Inauguration Day was attending the traditional church services at St. John's church.
The Republican, sporting a red tie, was spotted leaving Blair House shortly after 8:30 a.m., with wife Melania, wearing a powder blue Ralph Lauren ensemble, by his side.
Leading church services this morning is Texas-based pastor Robert Jeffress, a Southern Baptist, who campaigned for the president-elect and is a member of Trump's evangelical advisory board.

In advance of the service Jeffress announced the theme of his sermon was 'When God Chooses a Leader.'
While the church is just up the street from the Blair House, all within a block from the White House, Trump took a short motorcade trip to the services.
His incoming White House counselor Kellyanne Conway, who managed Trump's successful presidential campaign, and Hope Hicks, the campaign press secretary who will become the White House director of strategic communication, were spotted alongside the first family.

While a transition team official called Jeffress 'a unifying figure representing a diverse spectrum of Americans' the pastor has had a history of making controversial remarks.
The Salt Lake City Tribune reported that Jeffress has said Mormons 'worship a false God' and suggested their church was a 'cult.'
In his book, 'Not All Roads Lead to Heaven, Jeffress wrote that Joseph Smith, the founder of Mormonism and Prophet Muhammad, the founder of Islam were 'servants of Satan.'
He also said that gay people live a 'miserable' and 'filthy' lifestyle.
'Any attempt to vilify this religious leader is deeply disappointing and misplaced,' said the unnamed transition official to CNN.