[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 109 (Thursday, June 28, 2018)]
[Senate]
[Page S4727]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]





                    TRIBUTE TO PASTOR ARTHUR ARNETT

 Mrs. ERNST. Mr. President, today I wish to honor Pastor Arthur 
Arnett as he retires from Aurora Avenue Bible Church after decades of 
faithful service to his congregation and community.
  Pastor Arnett spent many of the early years of his life in Des 
Moines, IA, where his father served as the pastor of Bethel Bible 
Church, later to be renamed Aurora Avenue Bible Church. Even at a young 
age, Pastor Arnett demonstrated his passion for service by volunteering 
for any needed tasks around the church. After graduating from high 
school, Pastor Arnett studied at the Prairie Bible Institute and worked 
in a variety of jobs, including truckdriving, mechanical contracting, 
and cooking. While holding these positions, Pastor Arnett's love of 
ministry shone through as he discussed and shared his knowledge of the 
Bible with many. In 1968, Pastor Arnett was called to military service 
and trained in aviation. Shortly before leaving for a year of service 
in Vietnam, Pastor Arnett married his wife, Connie Ray, in Tipton, IA. 
After returning from Vietnam, Pastor Arnett once again devoted his life 
to ministry and served congregations in Colorado and Kansas. In 1976, 
Pastor Arnett joined the Seaman's International Christian Association, 
where he was able to minister to thousands of seamen from all over the 
world over the course of 12 years.
  Pastor Arnett was then called back to his home church in Des Moines, 
IA, where he began ministering on July 8, 1988. And on July 8, 2018--
exactly 30 years later--Pastor Arnett will retire from the pastorate at 
Aurora Avenue Bible Church. After three decades as a pastor and many 
more years as a volunteer, Pastor Arnett has been able to deliver 
thousands of messages and touch countless lives through his faithful 
service to his community and congregation.
  I ask my colleagues to join me as I proudly recognize Pastor Arthur 
Arnett, an Iowan whose lifelong devotion to service epitomizes the 
great American ideals of hard work, duty, and dedication.

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