BOB ABERNETHY (anchor): With the election decided at last, religious leaders have appealed for reconciliation, to heal the divisions of the campaign and [the] recount. At the same time, many of the same leaders -- across the theological and political spectrum -- are looking ahead to what the Bush administration might mean for them and their agendas. Kim Lawton has our special report.

George Bush: I have faith that with God's help, we as a nation will move forward together.

KIM LAWTON: With electoral questions finally settled, the religious community, like the rest of the nation, is making plans for the administration of George W. Bush.

Many, though not all, religious leaders say, Bill Clinton set a high bar in relationships with faith communities. There were regular prayer breakfasts, appointments to presidential commissions, and policy meetings that included input from religious representatives on issues from racial reconciliation to debt relief.

RABBI DAVID SAPERSTEIN (Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism): The past eight years have been remarkable for the religious communities. President Clinton really went out of his way to cultivate close relations with a wide segment of the religious community.

LAWTON: Rabbi David Saperstein was a frequent participant at White House gatherings.

RABBI SAPERSTEIN: There's less of a track record with George [W.] Bush than there was with Al Gore and Bill Clinton on these issues, and it will be interesting to see whether he is open to and is as eager to engage in dialogue and discussion and cooperative endeavors with the religious community.

LAWTON: Some conservative clergy believe they did not receive the same welcome mat at the Clinton White House. They are looking forward to a change.

REV. RICH CIZIK (National Association of Evangelicals): I think that most Evangelicals expect to have good access into the new administration. In fact, Evangelicals feel that they've been at the back of the bus the last eight years. And we don't want special access. We'd simply like equal access.

LAWTON: American Muslims are also hoping for closer relations. As part of a new political activism strategy, a coalition of Muslim groups endorsed George W. Bush this fall. They now expect his ear in return.

SALAM AL-MARAYATI (Muslim Public Affairs Council): We hope that our messages to the president will be heard and it will be an open channel. My understanding is that President Bush will actually consider a liaison to the Muslim community, specifically for Muslims.

LAWTON: In Texas, Bush cultivated relationships with several religious leaders. He also has spoken frequently of his special relationship with Evangelist Billy Graham.

Perhaps his greatest interaction with the religious community has come in his push for faith-based organizations to partner with the government to address social problems, particularly under the program known as "charitable choice." Some leaders are excited about the possibilities.

REV. CIZIK: We expect him to take a lead on this issue, that is, empowering the church faith-based organizations to meet needs particularly in the urban areas, in a way that the previous administration and in ways that, frankly, Al Gore would never have done.

LAWTON: Others worry Bush may be expecting too much from the religious community.

REVEREND BOB EDGAR (Nat'l Council of Churches): I think sometimes in his rhetoric, he thinks the church can do it all, and we will have to have some of our members, particularly [some] of our moderate Republican members, remind President Bush that it has to be a partnership between the church, private sector, and government, that one of those sectors can't solve all of the social ills of our society.