Washington, Nov 22 : Churches in the capital city of United States are putting their best foot forward in a bid to woo the most sought after Christians in the world today— the Obama family.

Ever since Barack Obama won the US Presidential election, all the churches, ranging from Methodist, Baptist, United Church of Christ, Presbyterian, Episcopal, are courting the Obamas to be regulars in their pews on Sunday mornings.

In fact, Amy Butler, pastor of Calvary Baptist in Northwest Washington said that when she decided to woo the Obamas, a friend in the local faith community told her to join the line.

"He just laughed and told me that I should get in line,” The Washington Post quoted her as saying.

And her pitch to Obamas has words that say: We''re diverse and multigenerational, we''re 10 blocks from the White House, the pastor (Butler) is from Hawaii and attended Obama''s rival high school, and "the sermons rock!"

And similar attempts are being made by all churches in Washington DC as they try to manifest themselves as the ideal place of worship for the nation''s first African American president and his family.

They are waging a "quiet but intense campaign . . . to put their best foot forward," said Terry Lynch, executive director of the Downtown Cluster of Congregations.

In fact, a few churches started their campaign even before Obama won the election.

Many presidential historians are taken aback by such excitement amongst churches to woo the President and his family.

"I can''t recall another situation where there is this kind of interest before the president even takes office in terms of where he is going to go to church, and churches campaigning for his attendance. This is unique in American political history," said Gary Scott Smith, author of "Faith and the Presidency" and a history professor at Grove City College in Pennsylvania.

"I don''t remember that kind of excitement," said Mary Finch Hoyt, former press secretary for Rosalynn Carter. (ANI)