Nonetheless, it’s not sheer speculation for observers to observe about a picture that the skin looks darker than what is normally thought of as “white”.
That raises all kinds of speculation, but as you say, wild speculation isn’t worth listening to.
As for it being a church, that’s why I think the Senator is also important. It was a known time and place for the Senator to be. It being a church could be incidental to that.
Which Senator are you referencing?