[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 30 (Thursday, February 15, 2024)]
[House]
[Page H647]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      WELCOMING PASTOR ZACH TERRY

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Without objection, the gentleman from 
Florida (Mr. Bean) is recognized for 1 minute.
  There was no objection.
  Mr. BEAN of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor First Baptist 
Church of Fernandina Beach, Florida, and our bold spiritual leader, 
Pastor Zach Terry.
  My wife and I have discovered that First Baptist is a place to find 
strength and hope in times of adversity and to feel God's love. It is 
an incredibly welcoming place, and I challenge anyone to make it from 
the parking lot into the sanctuary without getting welcomed at least 
twice.
  First Baptist is a cornerstone of our community, having reached and 
transformed countless lives, both in northeast Florida and, really, all 
over the world. Through its outreach programs and compassionate 
ministries, the church has been a steadfast advocate for the greater 
community, serving neighbors and sharing God's grace.
  On October 7, Hamas had its attack in Israel. There were 54 members 
of the First Baptist Church of Fernandina Beach who found themselves 
stuck in Israel. Airports closed. Roads shut down. There was limited 
travel. It was indeed a scary time for getting these pilgrims out of 
that country safely.

  Every day, we would text or communicate with the group, including 
Pastor Terry, about options, how we do it, what we could do. There was 
a lot of hunkering down. After a very, very long bus trip to Jordan 
over a week later, the team made it out.
  During that time of chaos, Pastor Zach made several videos saying: We 
are calm. We are good.
  Being a spiritual, dedicated shepherd, he reminded everyone what Mark 
11:22 says: ``Have faith in God.'' By faith and hope in a God who never 
fails, our congregation did make it safely back home.
  Mr. Speaker, I am proud to welcome Pastor Zach Terry; his wife, 
Julie; their children, Cole, Caitlyn, and Carly; and Pastor Zach's 
mother, Ms. Teresa Terry.
  There are dozens of members of the congregation here in our Nation's 
Capital. It is a big day for everybody from the small town of 
Fernandina Beach.

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