[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 153 (2007), Part 19]
[Senate]
[Page 26693]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                           THE GUEST CHAPLAIN

  Mr. NELSON of Florida. Mr. President, it is my privilege to start off 
this session by making some comments about our guest Chaplain, who has 
been a personal friend of mine in Orlando for the last three decades. 
He has pastored over those three decades the very significant and very 
dynamic First Baptist Church of Orlando, just recently handing over the 
reins to his successor after a transition period of some number of 
years which have seen that particular church become one of the dominant 
institutions in the State of Florida; among spiritual institutions, one 
of the giants.
  Jim Henry is, indeed, a great leader in the church, not only among 
his flock, which was Orlando, but having risen to the position as the 
head of the Southern Baptist Convention. All of us in this political 
realm know the enormous tensions that have been raised in the religious 
community over various doctrines, the interpretation of the Scriptures, 
differences that arise and cause strife. As the leader of the Southern 
Baptist Convention, Jim Henry was the great healer, the great 
reconciler, bringing together the various sides to, in effect, emulate 
what Jesus of Nazareth taught.
  It is interesting, in Jim's prayer this morning, he asked that we all 
become servant leaders. Isn't that true about the role model that was 
set by Jesus of Nazareth, a servant leader who said that if you want to 
be first, you should be last; if you want to be the master, you should 
be the servant? That principle, laid out in the Scriptures, is one of 
the greatest principles for us to follow as public servants. What is 
our obligation? To serve as servants of the public we represent.
  It is with great privilege that I welcome my dear friend and one of 
the great spiritual leaders of America, Pastor Jim Henry, and thank him 
for his service as the Chaplain in the Senate for the day.

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