U.S. President Trump Appoints Billy Graham's Granddaughter Cissie Lynch and Bishop Robert Barron to International Religious Freedom Commission
President Donald J. Trump has officially appointed Bishop Robert Barron to the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF). The appointments coincided with Trump naming Cissie Graham Lynch—granddaughter of Billy Graham—as the U.S. ambassador-at-large for international religious freedom.
This marks a transition for Bishop Barron, who previously served on the White House's domestic-focused Religious Liberty Commission created by Trump in May 2025.
Key Details of the Appointment
The Role: Bishop Barron, who leads the Roman Catholic Diocese of Winona-Rochester and founded Word on Fire Catholic Ministries, joins the independent, bipartisan legislative agency tasked with monitoring global religious liberty violations.
Other Appointees: Alongside Bishop Barron, President Trump also appointed Andrew Brunson (a pastor and former missionary who was wrongfully detained in Turkey) and Joe Grogan (former director of the U.S. Domestic Policy Council) to the commission. [1]
In a public statement, Bishop Barron noted that he feels "privileged to join their company," pointing out that USCIRF is strictly bipartisan and has historically included numerous prominent Catholic figures.
Other Appointees: Alongside Bishop Barron, President Trump also appointed Andrew Brunson (a pastor and former missionary who was wrongfully detained in Turkey) and Joe Grogan (former director of the U.S. Domestic Policy Council) to the commission. [1]
In a public statement, Bishop Barron noted that he feels "privileged to join their company," pointing out that USCIRF is strictly bipartisan and has historically included numerous prominent Catholic figures.
Government release: President Donald J. Trump Makes Critical IRF Appointments
Washington, DC – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) welcomes President Donald J. Trump’s nominations of Jane “Cissie” Lynch to be the Ambassador at Large for International Religious Freedom (IRF) and the appointments of Andrew Brunson, Robert Barron, and Joe Grogan to be Commissioners on the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom. Beyond leading the International Religious Freedom Office at the State Department, Ambassador-Designate Lynch would also serve as an ex-officio member of the Commission.
“President Trump’s announcement is a vital step in advancing the human right of freedom of religion or belief (FoRB) abroad. USCIRF calls for a swift confirmation process for IRF Ambassador-Designate Lynch,” said Chair Asif Mahmood. “Filling these roles demonstrates the ongoing commitment of the United States to international religious freedom as a priority in foreign policy.”
The Ambassador at Large and Commissioner roles are established in the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 (IRFA), as amended. Beyond the status as an ex-officio member of the Commission, IRFA stipulates that the Ambassador also serves as the principal executive branch official working on FoRB. The Commission, an independent legislative branch agency, has members that are appointed on a bipartisan basis, three from the President, three from U.S. Senate leadership, and three from leadership in the U.S. House of Representatives. With President Donald J. Trump’s appointment of three new USCIRF Commissioners, USCIRF now has the requisite complement of bipartisan Commissioners as outlined in IRFA.
“In addition to the announcement of the nomination of Ambassador-Designate Lynch, we welcome the three new USCIRF Commissioners: Robert Barron, Andrew Brunson, and Joe Grogan,” said Vice Chair CeCe Heil. “With these appointments, USCIRF’s full bipartisan composition further supports our efforts to advance religious freedom abroad for all. We look forward to working together.”
Robert Barron was appointed to USCIRF by President Donald J. Trump. He serves as the Roman Catholic bishop of the Diocese of Winona-Rochester. He hosted the PBS documentary series Catholicism, and he is the founder of Word on Fire Catholic Ministries. He formerly served on the domestic policy focused Religious Liberty Commission. In 2015, Pope Francis appointed Barron an auxiliary bishop in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles.
Andrew Brunson was appointed to USCIRF by President Donald J. Trump. He is a pastor and former missionary in Turkey for 23 years. In 2016, he was arrested on false charges and kept in detention for two years. Released after diplomatic pressure, he authored the memoir God’s Hostage and leads WaveStarters, a ministry focused on persecuted Christians globally.
Joe Grogan was appointed to USCIRF by President Donald J. Trump. He is the former director of the U.S. Domestic Policy Council and assistant to President Trump. As a public policy and healthcare expert, he has worked across sectors from Wall Street, Life Sciences and Emerging Technologies. He is a Visiting Senior Scholar at the University of Southern California's Schaeffer Institute.
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The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) is an independent, bipartisan federal government entity established by the U.S. Congress to monitor, analyze and report on religious freedom abroad. USCIRF makes foreign policy recommendations to the President, the Secretary of State and Congress intended to deter religious persecution and promote freedom of religion or belief. To interview a Commissioner, please contact USCIRF at media@USCIRF.gov.
Washington, DC – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) welcomes President Donald J. Trump’s nominations of Jane “Cissie” Lynch to be the Ambassador at Large for International Religious Freedom (IRF) and the appointments of Andrew Brunson, Robert Barron, and Joe Grogan to be Commissioners on the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom. Beyond leading the International Religious Freedom Office at the State Department, Ambassador-Designate Lynch would also serve as an ex-officio member of the Commission.
“President Trump’s announcement is a vital step in advancing the human right of freedom of religion or belief (FoRB) abroad. USCIRF calls for a swift confirmation process for IRF Ambassador-Designate Lynch,” said Chair Asif Mahmood. “Filling these roles demonstrates the ongoing commitment of the United States to international religious freedom as a priority in foreign policy.”
The Ambassador at Large and Commissioner roles are established in the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 (IRFA), as amended. Beyond the status as an ex-officio member of the Commission, IRFA stipulates that the Ambassador also serves as the principal executive branch official working on FoRB. The Commission, an independent legislative branch agency, has members that are appointed on a bipartisan basis, three from the President, three from U.S. Senate leadership, and three from leadership in the U.S. House of Representatives. With President Donald J. Trump’s appointment of three new USCIRF Commissioners, USCIRF now has the requisite complement of bipartisan Commissioners as outlined in IRFA.
“In addition to the announcement of the nomination of Ambassador-Designate Lynch, we welcome the three new USCIRF Commissioners: Robert Barron, Andrew Brunson, and Joe Grogan,” said Vice Chair CeCe Heil. “With these appointments, USCIRF’s full bipartisan composition further supports our efforts to advance religious freedom abroad for all. We look forward to working together.”
Robert Barron was appointed to USCIRF by President Donald J. Trump. He serves as the Roman Catholic bishop of the Diocese of Winona-Rochester. He hosted the PBS documentary series Catholicism, and he is the founder of Word on Fire Catholic Ministries. He formerly served on the domestic policy focused Religious Liberty Commission. In 2015, Pope Francis appointed Barron an auxiliary bishop in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles.
Andrew Brunson was appointed to USCIRF by President Donald J. Trump. He is a pastor and former missionary in Turkey for 23 years. In 2016, he was arrested on false charges and kept in detention for two years. Released after diplomatic pressure, he authored the memoir God’s Hostage and leads WaveStarters, a ministry focused on persecuted Christians globally.
Joe Grogan was appointed to USCIRF by President Donald J. Trump. He is the former director of the U.S. Domestic Policy Council and assistant to President Trump. As a public policy and healthcare expert, he has worked across sectors from Wall Street, Life Sciences and Emerging Technologies. He is a Visiting Senior Scholar at the University of Southern California's Schaeffer Institute.
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The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) is an independent, bipartisan federal government entity established by the U.S. Congress to monitor, analyze and report on religious freedom abroad. USCIRF makes foreign policy recommendations to the President, the Secretary of State and Congress intended to deter religious persecution and promote freedom of religion or belief. To interview a Commissioner, please contact USCIRF at media@USCIRF.gov.
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