[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 84 (Tuesday, June 10, 2003)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1187]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




      IN RECOGNITION OF THE RIGHT REVEREND CLAUDE E. PAYNE, BISHOP

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. CHRIS BELL

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, June 10, 2003

  Mr. BELL. Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor the Right Reverend Claude E. 
Payne, bishop of Texas on the occasion of his retirement from the 
Episcopal Church. He will be celebrating his retirement June 27, 2003.
  For many years, Bishop Payne has been a pillar of the Texas 
community. After graduating with a chemical engineering degree from 
Rice University, Bishop Payne went on to earn a Masters and Doctor of 
Divinity from the Church Divinity School of the Pacific. Prior to his 
election as seventh bishop of Texas, Bishop Payne was rector of one of 
the largest churches in the Texas diocese, St. Martin's in Houston. He 
has also served at St. Mark's in Beaumont as well as St. Mark's in 
Houston. In June of 1993, the Right Reverend Payne was elected to 
bishop of the Episcopal Church. In 1995, he became a diocesan bishop 
for Texas.
  Since that time Bishop Payne has worked unceasingly to reach people 
without a church home. His vision of doubling the size of the diocese 
to 200,000 parishioners by 2005 is truly a miraculous goal; hence the 
diocese views itself as ``a community of miraculous expectations.''
  During Bishop Payne's episcopacy, the diocese built the first new 
church for a Spanish-speaking congregation in the United States, built 
seven new churches in Houston and Austin and restarted numerous others. 
Membership has increased by 10,000 and more importantly, average Sunday 
attendance has increased by more than 18.7 percent.
  Under the bishop's leadership, approximately $50 million has been 
granted by the Episcopal Health Charities for community outreach 
programs. These grants helped to provide fully equipped mobile clinics: 
one for at-risk youth living on the streets of Houston and another for 
Matagorda County, an area profoundly under-served in health care.
  Bishop Payne was also instrumental in the expansion and renovation of 
Camp Allen, a camp and conference center. The renovation includes a new 
1200 seat chapel and a 70-acre lake. Camp Allen provides recreational 
facilities for church members as well as secular groups from the 
surrounding area.
  Mr. Speaker, I would like to congratulate Bishop Payne on his many 
years of exceptional service to the Episcopal Church and the diocese of 
Texas. I applaud his leadership in the development and enhancement of 
his community.

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