President Donald Trump has nominated Cissie Graham Lynch, daughter of Franklin Graham, to serve as U.S. Ambassador at Large for International Religious Freedom, a role centered on leading U.S. diplomatic efforts to promote and protect global religious liberty.
Lynch posted the announcement on social media Tuesday morning.
“President Donald J. Trump has asked me to serve as the U.S. Ambassador at Large for International Religious Freedom. I would consider it a great honor and privilege to do so,” she said.
Lynch served on the Executive Evangelical Advisory Board of Trump’s Faith Advisory Council during Trump’s first term and spoke at the 2020 Republican National Convention to deliver a prime-time address. In May, Lynch also spoke at the National Mall in Washington, D.C., during a national prayer meeting centered on the 250th year of U.S. independence. The event delivered video addresses from Trump and Vice President J.D. Vance.
“If confirmed by the Senate, please pray that I would serve with excellence and make the most of every opportunity to protect our most precious and fundamental right—and one that far too many people around the world still live without—freedom of religion,” she said in her official statement.
Franklin Graham asked Christians to pray “that God would give her wisdom and strength.”
“Cissie is uniquely qualified for this—she has traveled the world and been a student of this issue for many years,” he posted on Facebook. “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.”
David Trimble, president of the Religious Freedom Institute (RFI), applauded her nomination in a RFI statement.
“Our world is afflicted by an unprecedented scourge of religious persecution today,” Trimble said. “We at RFI understand the vital role the International Religious Freedom Ambassador can and should play in U.S. foreign policy, and we stand ready to support Jane Lynch as she prepares, with the Senate’s approval, to assume the responsibilities of America’s chief diplomat for religious freedom. The Senate should enter into the forthcoming confirmation process for Ms. Lynch’s nomination with due diligence and expediency.”
Sen. Ted Budd, R-N.C., congratulated Lynch in a Facebook post.
“She will do an incredible job combatting the war on faith around the world & championing our first & most fundamental right—freedom of religion,” he said.
Often referred to as the IRF Ambassador, the role was birthed from the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 (IRFA). The IRF Ambassador heads the Office of International Religious Freedom at the State Department while serving as the principal adviser to the president and secretary of state on irreligious freedom issues worldwide. The IRF ambassador also represents the U.S. diplomatically in IRF issues.
Isaac Six has served as the acting/senior official capacity for the role since July 2025. Mark Walker had been nominated for the role in April 2025, but the nomination stalled and expired in Congress.
Under the Biden administration, Rashad Hussain served as the IRF ambassador, and during Trump’s first term as president, former U.S. Sen. Sam Brownback of Kansas served in the role from 2018 to 2021.
