Nancy Reagan’s Religion: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know

What religion was Nancy Reagan? The former First Lady and beloved wife of former President Ronald Reagan was a Christian with strong religious beliefs, but what exactly did she believe? And do her children have the same faith? Her religion will no doubt influence her funeral service on Friday. The woman who loved her husband, her family, and her country so deeply also had a deep love and respect for her God.

Here’s what you need to know.

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1. Nancy and Ronald Reagan Were Presbyterians

Nancy and Ronald Reagan were Presbyterians, a Christian denomination. After they left the White House, they regularly attended Bel Air Presbyterian Church. The church has about 1,500 who attend every weekend. Dr. Donn D. Mommaw,a former senior pastor at the church, gave the invocation at Ronald Reagan’s first inauguration in 1981. Rev. Dr. Wenning, another former senior pastor, gave the invocation at Ronald Reagan’s state funeral.

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2. Her Faith Carried Her Through the Illness and Death of the Love of Her Life

Nancy Reagan and Ronald Reagan were absolutely inseparable. Even when he was President, they hated being apart. Alzheimer’s was devastating; it was a 10-year-long goodbye for a couple who had been so very much in love. Michael Reagan said that Nancy’s faith helped pull her through. After his father passed, he said that there was consolation in knowing that Reagan’s last earthly look was at his wife and his next look was at the face of God, NBC News reported.

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3. After the Assassination Attempt on Her Husband, She Turned to Astrology

After the assassination attempt on Ronald Reagan, Nancy began turning to astrology for comfort and to help with her growing anxiety. She consulted an astrologer to help her figure out days when it might be hazardous for her husband to be in public, WTOP reported. Nancy was a Protestant who believed in God, but also had a “mystical side.”

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4. She and Ronald Often Talked About Seeing God at Work Around Them

Ronald and Nancy Reagan were avowed Christians who believed strongly in God’s plan for their lives, American Experience reported. Regarding religion and what it meant to her and her husband, Nancy said: “Well he has a deep belief in God and that everything happens for a reason, which we may not understand at the time it happens.” She added that their were times they could really tell someone was looking out for them.

In Sacramento, when he was first sworn in it was a gray day and as he stepped up to the podium to give his speech, the clouds parted and the sun shone. When he finished, the clouds went back together. The same thing happened in Washington. And after the shooting, the next morning, there was a rainbow over the White House… He said to Cardinal Cook, ‘I know that God was sitting on my shoulder…'”

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5. Her Son, Ron Reagan, Is an Atheist, but Michael Reagan Is a Christian

As far as the Reagans’ children, their faiths vary widely. Nancy and Ronald’s son, Ron Reagan, is an outspoken atheist who has even appeared in commercials talking about his beliefs and how he’s not afraid of hell. Meanwhile, Michael Reagan – Ronald’s adopted son with his first wife, Jane Wyman – is a born-again Christian. After his father’s death, Michael said that his dad spoke to him about his love of God and his love of Christ his Savior, and Michael couldn’t imagine a greater gift that a dad could give his son, Baptist Press reported.