President Trump Nominates Cissie Graham Lynch as Religious Freedom Ambassador

President Donald Trump has officially nominated Cissie Graham Lynch to serve as the U.S. ambassador-at-large for international religious freedom. Lynch, the daughter of Samaritan’s Purse CEO Franklin Graham and granddaughter of the late evangelist Billy Graham, was included in a list of nominations sent to the U.S. Senate on Monday. If confirmed, she will lead the State Department’s Office of International Religious Freedom and serve as a primary adviser to the president and secretary of state regarding religious liberty issues abroad.

Lynch expressed gratitude for the nomination on social media, requesting prayers for wisdom and the opportunity to protect religious freedom globally. Her father, Franklin Graham, publicly endorsed the selection, citing her extensive international experience and understanding of the challenges facing religious communities today. The nomination follows the unsuccessful confirmation process of former Representative Mark Walker, who was previously nominated for the role but has since been appointed as the State Department’s principal adviser for global religious freedom. The position of ambassador-at-large was established by the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998.