The Deacon's Bench
When Lester Holt took over for Brian Williams on the NBC Nightly News last week, little was said about his personal life—or one aspect of it that plays a prominent role: his faith.
I was curious about what his religious background might be, so did a little Googling and came upon this interview from a few years back. I have to say: I’m impressed. This sort of unabashed piety and public profession of faith is rare in journalism—and, I think, almost unprecedented for the anchor of a network news cast.
From The Christian Chronicle in 2010:
For the longest time, Lester Holt would finish the Sunday edition of NBC’s “Today” show at 9 a.m., just when services began at the Manhattan Church of Christ.
When the elders moved the start time to 9:30, no one was happier than Holt.
“I don’t know if it was a personal favor to me, but it really has helped,” a chuckling Holt told The Christian Chronicle in an interview at the “Today” studios. “For a long time, I’d get off at 9, and then I’d have to bugaloo over there and get there about the third or fourth song before communion.
“I was the guy kind of sneaking in. Now, I have a little more time.”
For Holt, 50, who also is weekend anchor of “NBC Nightly News,” Sunday worship has been a part of his life as long as he can recall.
“Lester is a humble and loving Christian — a faithful member of our congregation who doesn’t seek attention to himself,” said Dave Swearingen, an elder at the 400-member Manhattan church. “He often helps to lead our worship, and his remarks are always an inspiration to us.”
The youngest of four children, Holt grew up in Alaska and California as the son of a career Air Force noncommissioned officer.
His mother, June Holt, a member of the Cordova Church of Christ in Rancho Cordova, Calif., near Sacramento, said the family always attended services together.
“We discussed the sermons and Bible class topics following services, so Lester is well-grounded in the Word,” June Holt said.
“I have heard him mention on more than one occasion on Sunday ‘Today’ that he would be attending church when he gets off the air,” she added. “That shows me he is not ashamed of the gospel of Christ.”
And he had this to say about the news business:
Often, Holt is asked whether it’s hard to be a person of faith in his profession.
Whenever that question is posed, he said, the implication seems to be that “this business is not for people of faith.”
“I think there’s a connotation that we’re the liberal, atheist media,” Holt said. “And I know a lot of people in this business who are people of faith — maybe not this specific faith that I share, but people who believe in God and follow their faith. So I don’t find it hard.
“In fact, I find in many ways that this job is a blessing, in that as a journalist, I really get to see life in all its permutations. … I see death. I see people going through the depth of tragedy, and I see people going through the highest of things. It just reminds you of how short life is … and I think it’s the kind of thing that in many ways is faith-affirming.”
The difficulty in terms of faith is not his profession but the time it requires, said Holt, who married his wife, Carol, in 1982, and has two adult sons.
But that stress is no different than if he were a doctor or a stockbroker, he said.
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