Less than 48 hours after declaring only “the Lord almighty” could persuade him to exit the US presidential race, Joe Biden described his reliance on faith “in good times and tough times” at a predominantly Black church in north-west Philadelphia.
Times are certainly tough for the president right now. But in the Mount Airy church of God in Christ on Sunday morning, you could be forgiven for not noticing. Biden was greeted by rapturous applause, and departed to chants of “four more years”.
Biden, 81 – facing questions about his age, acuity and ability – was not the oldest man in the room. Alongside him sat the church’s founder, Ernest Morris Sr, 91.
“Since you are only an octogenarian, sitting next to a nonagenarian, don’t let anyone talk about your age,” declared Bishop Louis Felton, the church’s senior pastor. “You’re a young whippersnapper.”
Before the whippersnapper even approached the microphone, as members of his own party cool on his ability to win re-election as the Democratic nominee, he received the warmest of welcomes.
Outside church, a handful of signs highlighted the division stretching the Democratic coalition. “Thank U Joe but time to go,” read one. Another urged Biden to “pass the torch”.
But inside, before an overwhelmingly supportive audience, he did not touch on the growing calls for him to stand aside. In a brief seven-minute address, Biden focused on hope, the need for unity, and his administration’s achievements for Black Americans.
“I’ve been doing this a long time,” he acknowledged. “And I’ve honest to God never felt more optimistic about America’s future.”
After the service, congregants were quick to praise him. Sure, a few conceded, last month’s TV debate, in which Biden had a dire performance against Republican presumptive nominee Donald Trump, had sparked concerns about his viability as a candidate, but they stood behind Biden.
Kim Speedwell, 57, was unbothered by Biden’s missteps. “I think his experience speaks for itself,” she said. “Even though he is in his ages … We need four more years of his experience.”
While doubts appear to mount among donors and senior party figures around the prospects of Biden’s campaign, those in church this weekend were confident he would prevail in November. “This country needs him,” said Mike Johnson, 69. “Democracy needs him.”
The president’s age is “a difficult issue”, granted Paul Johansen, a teacher from Massachusetts. But “he has a lifetime of service that I respect and appreciate,” said Johansen, 58. “That is not undone by a bad night.
“Having said that, I appreciate the fact that the federal government is a big entity and he’ll have a lot of people helping him.”
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Roz, a 69-year-old retiree who preferred not to use her last name, praised Biden’s Christian faith.
“I just love the fact he does love God,” she said.
She added: “Not just selling Bibles, when he probably hasn’t read one” as a swipe against Trump, who has not only wielded a Bible at a highly-controversial 2020 photo op but also began selling them during this election campaign.
“I don’t care how much he slips … I slip more than him,” she added. “Anyone who got good sense is gonna vote for Biden. Who wants a criminal, a liar, an adulterer, a racist man, as president?”
Felton, the pastor, noted that Biden had not originally been scheduled to appear at church on Sunday. The event was only arranged when the National Education Association’s union announced a strike on Friday, forcing his campaign to cancel a scheduled speech at one of its conferences.
“God knew Biden needs some love,” said Felton. He found it in the pews of a carefully-selected church in Philadelphia. What about the ranks of his own party?