[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 157 (Friday, September 11, 2020)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E826-E827]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      TRIBUTE TO DR. FRENCH HARMON

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. HAROLD ROGERS

                              of kentucky

                    in the house of representatives

                       Friday, September 11, 2020

  Mr. ROGERS of Kentucky. Madam Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to 
my long-time friend and pastor, Dr. French Harmon, who has been elected 
to lead the Kentucky Baptist Foundation.
  During a time of great unrest in our nation, the church remains our 
guiding light as an invisible enemy attacks the health of Americans, 
our economy, and our way of life. It is spiritual leaders like Dr. 
Harmon who will ensure that our sovereign God is still recognized as 
the cornerstone of our blessed and sovereign nation.
  His servant's heart has never been resigned to ministry inside a 
building. Rather, Dr. Harmon has embodied the love of Christ through 
his outreach in every community where he has resided, and through 
mission work in foreign countries, including Brazil, Israel, Kenya, and 
South Africa. Successful ministries are often defined by congregation 
size, tithing growth and doctoral achievements; to that end, Dr. Harmon 
is among the elite as a Doctor of Philosophy, a Doctor of Ministry, a 
Master of Theology, a Master of Divinity and upwards of

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200% growth in church membership and giving throughout his pastoral 
assignments. However, it is with great humility that Dr. Harmon would 
suggest that there is no greater success in ministry than simply 
sharing the gospel of Christ to a lost world in need of a Savior. As a 
member of his congregation at First Baptist Church in Somerset, 
Kentucky, I can personally attest that countless lives have changed as 
a result of his dedication to Christ's Great Commission.
  In recent years, Dr. Harmon has been a consummate advocate for the 
needs of the people of southern and eastern Kentucky. He organized an 
anti-drug abuse march and rally in partnership with Operation UNITE to 
combat the opioid abuse epidemic in our Appalachian region. I recruited 
him to share his wisdom and expertise as a board member, and now Vice 
Chair, of SOAR--Shaping Our Appalachian Region, an initiative to 
revitalize and diversify our coal-producing region. I deeply appreciate 
his ingenuity and guidance as we collectively work to inspire and 
generate new economic development opportunities in the mountains.
  In addition to serving as my pastor, I count Dr. Harmon as a true 
friend and trusted advisor. In fact, I invited him to lead prayer on 
Capitol Hill for the U.S. House of Representatives and to join me 
during meetings with prominent leaders over the years, including 
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. He has been a tremendous 
ambassador for the United States, the Commonwealth of Kentucky and the 
City of Somerset.
  For those reasons, I find it bittersweet to congratulate Dr. Harmon 
as he begins a new chapter as President of the Kentucky Baptist 
Foundation. My prayer for Dr. Harmon and his family is written in 
Numbers 6:24-26, ``The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his 
face shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn his face 
toward you and give you peace.''

                          ____________________