Cissie Graham Lynch, senior advisor for Samaritan’s Purse and daughter of evangelist Franklin Graham, has taken the first step to become Donald Trump’s ambassador at large for international religious freedom.
Lynch has been nominated for the role by the president to lead on US diplomatic efforts to protect and promote religious liberty around the world.
Appearing before the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee for a confirmation hearing on Tuesday, Lynch committed “to advocate, to defend and fight for all who are persecuted for their faith.”
Lynch, who has also worked for the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association over the past 16 years, said the experiences that have shaped her most deeply has come from “sitting with mothers who’ve lost sons and daughters to persecution, listening to pastors who’ve rebuilt their congregations after their churches have been burned, and meeting families driven from their homes because of their beliefs.”
She added: “I’ve stood in mass graveyards in northern Iraq. I've spoken with displaced women in Sudan hiding in the mountains. I've met with family members of the 21 Coptic Christians who have been beheaded by ISIS on the shores of Libya. They are not statistics; they have faces, names, and families, and I will carry their stories with me into this role.”
Senator Tim Kaine, Democrat from Virginia, questioned Lynch on whether she would help those who do not share an evangelical Christian outlook and “work to protect… LGBTQ folks from persecution”. He referenced previous comments where she said pro-LGBT laws can conflict with Christian religious freedom.
Whilst reiterating US Supreme Court cases where she states this has happened, Lynch reiterated that she would “represent people of all faiths”. She added that she does not agree with laws seen in nations like Uganda, where same-sex consensual sex is illegal and the death penalty can be imposed for “aggravated homosexuality”.
Lynch told the committee her belief that religious freedom is a “bipartisan mission” where where people “can find common ground”. She shared experience of working with people of other beliefs.
The committee, made up of 12 Republicans and 10 Democrats, will vote on whether to advance her nomination. It will then go to the full Senate, which currently has 53 Republicans and 47 Democrats until January.
The ambassador position has been vacant throughout President Trump’s second term, with a previous nomination having fallen as the Senate did not agree on it before the end of 2025, although a senior State Department official has taken on responsibilities.
Reacting to her nomination in September, Franklin Graham posted on Facebook: “Cissie is uniquely qualified for this—she has traveled the world and been a student of this issue for many years. She has a broad worldview and knowledge of the issues facing religious freedom today. If confirmed by the Senate, she will bring a passion for defending religious freedom to this office. I couldn’t be more proud of her, and I ask you to pray that God would give her wisdom and strength.”