[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 68 (Friday, May 14, 2004)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E844]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                IN RECOGNITION OF REV. DR. LARRY PICKENS

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. J. DENNIS HASTERT

                              of illinois

                    in the house of representatives

                         Thursday, May 13, 2004

  Mr. HASTERT. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor our guest chaplain, 
Rev. Dr. Larry D. Pickens, a well-known pastor in my Congressional 
district. Currently senior pastor at First United Methodist Church in 
Elgin, Illinois, Rev. Pickens recently was named top staff executive of 
the United Methodist Commission on Christian Unity and Interreligious 
Affairs. In this role, Rev. Pickens will direct the Methodists' 
relations with other churches and work to build unity among the 
denomination's 8.3 million members.
  A former pastor in inner-city congregations in Chicago for fifteen 
years, Rev. Pickens has also served as a delegate to a ``people-to-
people'' seminar on the legal system of South Africa. Within the 
church, Rev. Pickens has spent the last four years as a member of the 
Judicial Council, giving him a better understanding of church 
governance.
  Admitted to both the Illinois Bar and the South Carolina Bar, Rev. 
Pickens holds a J.D. degree from DePaul University College of Law. He 
also holds degrees from Chicago Theological Seminary, Garrett-
Evangelical Theological Seminary, and North Park University.
  We are honored to have Rev. Pickens with us this morning. His 
involvement in his community and his new role in seeking unity among 
all denominations underscores his devotion to doing God's work for the 
betterment of humanity.
  Thank you, Rev. Pickens, for being here this morning to open the 
United States House of Representatives and for your continued service 
and dedication.

                          ____________________