Claim: President George W. Bush has sponsored the creation of a Presidential Prayer Team.
Status: False.
Example: [Collected on the Internet, 2001]
The Office of the Presidential Prayer Team has asked that I relay this information to my friends and colleagues so that it will reach its goal of enlisting To sign up, go to https://www.PresidentialPrayerTeam.org. |
Origins: After
the events of September 11, President Bush declared Friday,
- A title and logo designed to imitate the name and official seal of a government agency.
- Messages inviting prospective members to join sent from "The Office of the Presidential Prayer Team" with a subject line of "The President of the United States needs you!"
- The lack of any information on the site informing visitors that the organization is not sponsored or funded by the President or any agency of the federal government.
The Presidential Prayer Team is not sponsored by the Office of President of the United States or the federal government; it is a private foundation whose promotion is being handled by
The Envoy Group, a self-described "new kind of Christian advertising agency."
Update: Finally, in mid-October, the Presidential Prayer Team placed a disclaimer on its site stating that it "is an independent, nonprofit, non-partisan effort designed to encourage a national outpouring of daily prayer for the President" and that it "was not formed by an agency of the government, nor does it receive funding from the government." Nonetheless, we continue to receive mail from readers who are confused by the site's appearance and title.
Last updated: 14 April 2008
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