[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 56 (Wednesday, May 10, 2006)]
[House]
[Page H2341]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    WELCOMING REVEREND ROSS THOMSON

  (Mr. POE asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. POE. Mr. Speaker, Ross Thomson was born in Scotland in 1956. At 
the age of 4, his family moved to Toowoomba, Australia, where he was 
raised. While there, he became a Christian. In 1975, faith took his 
family to Salisbury, Rhodesia for mission work among the Shona tribe. 
He worked with his father, and would devote the rest of his life to 
saving souls.
  Having lived the ministry for years, Ross moved to the United States 
to study. He obtained his bachelor and master's degree in theology from 
Harding University. He did further post-graduate work at Rice 
University.
  In 1989 he married Christine, who is with us today, and moved his 
family to southeast Texas, Alice, Texas, where he preached for the 
Morningside Drive congregation.
  He has preached for the Brooks Avenue Church of Christ in Raleigh, 
North Carolina, and Northlake Church of Christ in Atlanta, Georgia. 
Currently he is the pulpit minister for the 1,200 member Bammel Church 
of Christ in Houston.
  Christine and Ross are blessed with three children, Joshua, Savannah 
and Justin.
  It is clear Ross, with his proper Scottish background, was not born 
in Texas, but he got there as fast as he could. He became a U.S. 
citizen in 2002.
  One of my favorite stories about Ross was his first trip to an 
American grocery story. The first place he went was a southern grocery 
store called Piggly Wiggly. Puzzled, he didn't quite understand that 
concept.
  He has done much to preach the gospel of Jesus in Texas, and spends 
time in the people business. So today we welcome Ross here to the 
United States Congress, and appreciate his determination to practice 
and live the freedom of religion under the first amendment of the U.S. 
Constitution.

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