[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 124 (Wednesday, September 11, 1996)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1584]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




[[Page E1584]]



                    TRIBUTE TO REV. DAVID A. MUELLER

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. ILEANA ROS-LEHTINEN

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                     Wednesday, September 11, 1996

  Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, Rev. David Mueller has devoted the 
past 32 years of his life to parish ministry, including 15 years of 
service at Concordia Lutheran Church in south Dade County.
  This Sunday, September 15, Reverend Mueller will retire from his 
full-time parish ministry and this will be marked by a special service 
at Concordia. Along with his wife Cassie, his children, Paul and Becky, 
and his brother and sister, the congregation will be joined by his 
former classmate Rev. Ronald Schuette in recognizing Reverend Mueller's 
contributions.
  Reverend Mueller has provided leadership based on faith and 
compassion throughout the past three decades. He has served as a 
chaplain to the men and women of three branches of our armed services, 
the Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard. He ministered to our troops in 
Vietnam, where he was present during the Tet offensive, and later to 
those who serve in the U.S. Coast Guard. As a reservist, Reverend 
Mueller pioneered the circuit-riding ministry with the 7th District 
Coast Guard cutters and was awarded the Coast Guard Achievement Medal 
in 1989 for this work. The Lutheran Church also recognized his work 
with the Bronze Saint Martin of Tours Medal.
  South Florida has been the primary beneficiary of Reverend Mueller's 
labors. His first assignment, following graduation from Concordia 
Seminary in 1964, was to develop congregations in the Florida Keys. 
After serving as an active-duty chaplain, he returned to south Florida 
in 1975 as pastor of Concordia in Kendall.
  Reverend Mueller has also been active in the field of human care 
ministry. In addition to his theological education, he was awarded a 
master's degree in counseling from the University of Miami. Reverend 
Mueller has served as director of Christian counseling for the 
Christian Community Service Agency in Miami.
  He has lent his background and leadership to a number of community 
efforts, including the Lutheran Disaster Response which worked to ease 
the suffering inflicted by Hurricane Andrew.
  As he lays down the burdens of full-time parish ministry, Reverend 
Mueller will now devote himself to pastoral counseling, as well as 
temporarily serving as a vacancy pastor at Mount Olive Lutheran Church 
and School in Perrine. While all the members of his congregation will 
miss him, the example he has set will continue to be felt in the years 
to come. Reverend Mueller can look back over his years of work and say, 
in the words of Saint Paul, ``I have fought the good fight, I have 
finished my course, I have kept the faith.''

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