[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 101 (Thursday, July 19, 2001)]
[House]
[Page H4222]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   THE REVEREND WILLIAM VANDERBLOEMEN

  (Mr. BURR of North Carolina asked and was given permission to address 
the House for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. BURR of North Carolina. Mr. Speaker, today I rise to welcome the 
Reverend William Vanderbloemen to the House Chamber. I have known 
William's family since my football-playing days at Wake Forest, and it 
is a pleasure to have such a fine young man here to lead us in prayer 
as we begin this day's work.
  William is a native of Lenoir, North Carolina, and attended Wake 
Forest University and graduated in 1992 with a degree in history. He 
then attended seminary at Princeton where he received his Masters in 
Divinity in 1995, with the goal of becoming a professor or scholarly 
author; but as his studies intensified, it became clear to him that he 
would call the pulpit his home.
  Mr. Speaker, the Presbyterian faith is better because of his choice. 
Upon graduating Princeton, William took an associate pastorship at 
First Presbyterian Church in Hendersonville, North Carolina. After a 
successful campaign in the mountains of North Carolina, William 
received a call from Memorial Presbyterian Church in Montgomery, 
Alabama, to be its head minister.
  Memorial Presbyterian Church is a church with a place in the history 
of the civil rights movement of the last half of the 20th century. 
Opening shortly after World War II, in the middle of the 1950s, it was 
the first church in Montgomery to desegregate by offering open seating 
to members of both races. During the last 5 decades, Memorial has seen 
many changes, some causing divisions within the church family. In fact, 
when Reverend Vanderbloemen took over Memorial in 1998, they were 
meeting in a local YMCA, and 150 members in attendance was a good 
Sunday. Since 1998, membership has tripled and Memorial Presbyterian 
opened the first building on its new location on the east side of 
Montgomery. William founded the InStep Ministries, a series of 
syndicated radio spots aired daily and on secular stations; and one of 
the radio pieces prevented a suicide and that person is now a member of 
Memorial Presbyterian.
  William serves on the board of the Presbyterian Coalition, a national 
gathering of leaders within the Presbyterian Church U.S.A., as well as 
the Ministerial Board of Advisors to the Reformed Theological Seminary. 
He and his wife, Melissa, have three children, Matthew who is here with 
us today, as are Mary and Sarah Catherine.
  Mr. Speaker, I know all my colleagues join me in welcoming Reverend 
Vanderbloemen and thanking him for offering this morning's prayer.

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