[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 160 (Wednesday, December 12, 2012)]
[House]
[Page H6711]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
WELCOMING REVEREND JEROME R. MILTON
The SPEAKER. Without objection, the gentleman from Texas (Mr.
Gohmert) is recognized for 1 minute.
There was no objection.
Mr. GOHMERT. Mr. Speaker, our visiting chaplain today is Reverend
Jerome R. Milton, pastor of the Greater New Pleasant Hill Missionary
Baptist Church in Tyler, Texas.
As a small child, he was left with his brother and sister in a
rundown motel in San Diego to die. They were placed in a horrific
orphanage, where despicable abuses were inflicted, ultimately resulting
in the suicide of his siblings.
Jerome was eventually placed in the home of Dadie Florence Brown, the
14th foster home. This uneducated but strong-willed lady told young
Jerome that, despite all he'd been through, ``Don't allow your abuse to
be your excuse.'' She knew God would make him something special, and
she prayed for him every day.
Jerome could run fast and play football well and got a scholarship to
do both at UCLA. As he says, God moved him from foster care to people
care. He and his wife, Charlene, have nine children, six of them
adopted.
In addition to being a pastor, he's the head track coach at Gorman
Catholic High School, leading his teams to 10 State championships, and
has been Tyler's Citizen of the Year with the T.B. Butler Award. His
work has spanned race, religion, all types of barriers, and he has
blessed so many lives, including mine.
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