NEWS STORY: Clinton’s nephew baptized in ceremony at White House

c. 1997 Religion News Service WASHINGTON _ The Blue Room of the White House is traditionally used for high-powered political chats, tourist visits and Christmas parties. But on Easter Sunday _ perhaps for the first time _ it was reserved for a more sacred purpose: the baptism of President Clinton’s 2-year-old nephew, Tyler Cassidy Clinton. […]

c. 1997 Religion News Service

WASHINGTON _ The Blue Room of the White House is traditionally used for high-powered political chats, tourist visits and Christmas parties.

But on Easter Sunday _ perhaps for the first time _ it was reserved for a more sacred purpose: the baptism of President Clinton’s 2-year-old nephew, Tyler Cassidy Clinton.


The young man, who will turn 3 on May 12, was baptized in a private gathering after Clinton and his family returned from services at Foundry United Methodist Church here.

Tyler is the son of Roger Cassidy Clinton, the president’s half-brother, and Molly D’Ann Martin Clinton. The president and Nancy Martin Reeves, Molly Clinton’s sister, are the boy’s godparents.”It was a … private, family event,”said Patricia Lewis, a White House spokeswoman.

The Rev. John P. Miles, a longtime Clinton family friend and retired United Methodist minister from Hot Springs, Ark., performed the ceremony. He said the president, first lady, and their daughter Chelsea were joined by about 20 family members and friends for the occasion.”I took the water in my hand and placed it on his head and baptized him in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit,”said Miles.”Chelsea was holding the little basin.” Miles said before sprinkling Tyler with the water, he spoke to the president and Reeves about their obligation as godparents to attend to the spiritual welfare of the child.”I really didn’t need to tell the president this,”said Miles.”The president loves Roger so much and loves that little baby, adores him. … He’s always watched over his brother spiritually, tried to help him.” Why the unusual location for the baptism? Scheduling, Miles explained.”Roger’s been trying to arrange it for a year,”he said.

The president, a Southern Baptist, and the first lady, a United Methodist, have busy schedules as does Miles. Hillary and Chelsea Clinton had just returned from a two-week trip to Africa, and Miles and his wife JoAnn have spent much of the last two years driving around North America in their motor home.”It’s easier to do it where (the president) was,”Miles said.

Miles, 67, has known the Clinton family since Bill and Roger were boys. Their mother, the late Virginia Kelley, attended the church he served as pastor in the 1960s.”Roger and the president have a relationship that’s beautiful,”Miles said.”He (Roger) calls him big brother and he is the big brother that loves him and feels a deep responsibility toward him. It couldn’t have been as meaningful without the president there.” Since the president, the pastor and Roger Clinton are all from Arkansas, Miles said he thought it was appropriate to bring some”good Hot Springs mineral water”from a downtown fountain for the ceremony.”As far as we’re concerned, that’s … holy water,”he joked.

Miles, who also performed Roger and Molly Clinton’s marriage ceremony, said he believed it was the first time a child’s baptism had occurred in the White House.

People familiar with White House history could not say with certainty that Tyler’s ceremony marked the first baptism in the White House, but two experts were unaware of any similar events.”As far as I know there has never been a baptism,”said Mike Melton, administrative officer of the White House Historical Association.


Cheryl Heckler-Feltz, author of”Heart and Soul of the Nation: How the Spirituality of Our First Ladies Changed America”(Doubleday) also was unaware of any baptisms at the White House.

Over the years, religious events at the presidential home have included weddings, the administration of last rites and worship services.”The religious ceremonies were certainly present and they were significant,”said Heckler-Feltz.

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Miles said he and his wife spent Saturday and Sunday nights at the White House, sleeping in a room often reserved for heads of state, across the hall from the now-notorious Lincoln Bedroom, where many big-giving Democratic donors have stayed.”We had the Lincoln last time _ got my name in the paper,”Miles said, referring to lists of White House overnight guests that have been published in connection with the fund-raising scandal.

This time, he said,”Roger and Molly and Tyler stayed in that room.”

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