President Trump has named Bishop Robert Barron of Winona-Rochester, Minnesota, to the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom, adding a prominent Catholic voice to the bipartisan federal panel that monitors persecution abroad.
The commission announced September 16 that Trump nominated Barron alongside Andrew Brunson, an evangelical pastor who was imprisoned in Turkey for his ministry work, and Joe Grogan, who served as a top domestic policy adviser during Trump's first term. Trump also nominated Jane "Cissie" Lynch, daughter of the Rev. Franklin Graham and granddaughter of the late Rev. Billy Graham, as ambassador-at-large for international religious freedom, a State Department post that requires Senate confirmation.
The three USCIRF picks fill seats left open after several commissioners' terms expired in May. The commission, created by Congress more than thirty years ago, operates as an independent, bipartisan body that advises the president and Congress on religious liberty conditions worldwide. Members are chosen by leaders of both major parties.
Barron, one of the most widely recognized Catholic bishops in the country, posted a statement on X accepting the nomination. He framed the role in terms of the commission's bipartisan history and the Catholics who preceded him on it.
As OSV News reported, Barron wrote:
"I was honored to accept President Trump's invitation to serve on the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom. This agency, formed by act of Congress over thirty years ago, is designed to advise both the President and Congress on matters pertaining to the defense and enhancement of religious liberty around the world."
Barron listed several prominent Catholics who have served on the commission before him, including Professor Robert George, Ambassador Mary Ann Glendon, Fr. Thomas Reese, Archbishop Charles Chaput, and Bishop William Murphy.
"The Commission, by intention, is strictly bi-partisan, its members chosen by leaders of both major political parties. Distinguished Catholics who have served on this body over the years include Professor Robert George, Ambassador Mary Ann Glendon, Fr. Thomas Reese, S.J., Archbishop Charles Chaput, and Bishop William Murphy. I feel privileged to join their company."
The appointment is not Barron's first role in the Trump administration's religious liberty infrastructure. Trump previously named Barron to the Department of Justice's Religious Liberty Commission. That body has presented a draft of its final report to the president, though a final meeting to approve the document is still outstanding, per the DOJ website.
Commission chair Asif Mahmood welcomed the nominations and urged the Senate to move fast on Lynch's confirmation. In a statement, Mahmood said Trump's announcement was "a vital step in advancing the human right of freedom of religion or belief abroad."
"USCIRF calls for a swift confirmation process for IRF Ambassador-Designate Lynch. Filling these roles demonstrates the ongoing commitment of the United States to international religious freedom as a priority in foreign policy."
Vice chair CeCe Heil struck a similar tone, emphasizing the panel's bipartisan makeup. "With these appointments, USCIRF's full bipartisan composition further supports our efforts to advance religious freedom abroad for all," Heil said. "We look forward to working together."
Brunson's nomination carries particular weight. The evangelical pastor conducted ministry in Turkey before Turkish authorities imprisoned him, a case that drew international attention and direct intervention from the Trump White House during the president's first term. His presence on the commission puts someone with firsthand experience of state-sponsored religious persecution in a seat designed to confront it.
Lynch, meanwhile, comes from American evangelicalism's most prominent family. Her father, Franklin Graham, and her late grandfather, Billy Graham, are among the most recognized evangelical leaders in modern American history. If confirmed by the Senate, she would serve as the State Department's top diplomat for international religious freedom.
Grogan rounds out the trio of USCIRF nominees. His background is in domestic policy rather than international religious liberty, having served as one of Trump's senior domestic policy advisers during the first term.
Religious freedom abroad is not an abstraction. Christians, Uyghur Muslims, and other faith communities face imprisonment, forced labor, and worse in countries the United States trades with and negotiates alongside every day. A commission that takes that mandate seriously, and an administration willing to staff it, is the bare minimum a nation founded on religious liberty owes the persecuted.