[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 145 (1999), Part 5]
[House]
[Page 7541]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



                    WELCOME TO PASTOR CHARLIE MARTIN

  (Mr. YOUNG of Florida asked and was given permission to address the 
House for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. YOUNG of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I am very proud to introduce today 
the chaplain who delivered our opening prayer. Pastor Charlie Martin is 
the pastor of the First Baptist Church of Indian Rocks, which is in 
Largo, Florida, which is right in the heart of the Tenth Congressional 
District that I have the privilege to represent.
  Like many of my colleagues, I have an opportunity to visit with many 
churches throughout the district and throughout our State, and I must 
say that I have found no one who is more inspiring in their message and 
delivery of the Bible than Pastor Charlie Martin. He is a dynamic 
religious leader, and he makes going to church a lot of fun.
  He delivers his messages in such an entertaining way that people 
clamor to come to the church to the effect that he has to have at least 
three services every Sunday morning. He is respected and loved in our 
community. His ministry is very unique. He reaches out to everyone. He 
has a community outreach program that goes far beyond the county limits 
of our county back home. It is worldwide, in effect.
  Mr. Speaker, I would just like to mention an example of the worldwide 
outreach. Many of us know the problems of the people in Bosnia, the 
refugees and orphans that are housed with very little clothing, very 
little supplies. We called this to the attention of Pastor Charlie and 
he and the members of the church turned out in large numbers, collected 
an airplane full of shoes and sweaters and supplies for babies, and we 
had it delivered to Bosnia to the orphanages. That is just one example 
of many, many more.
  As I said, Pastor Charlie is the pastor of our people, he is our 
pastor at home, and wherever I go throughout my congressional district, 
people are approaching me constantly saying, ``Congressman, it is nice 
to see you in Pastor Charlie's church,'' or ``Congressman, I am a 
member of Pastor Charlie's church,'' and everyone knows who Pastor 
Charlie is.
  Now my colleagues have had an opportunity to meet him and have him 
here today. I am very proud to have him as our guest here today, Pastor 
Charlie Martin of the Indian Rocks Baptist Church in Largo, Florida.

                          ____________________