[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 162 (2016), Part 12]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 16778]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




   OPENING PRAYER BY REV. DAN CUMMINS--HONORING BISHOP GEORGE DAVID 
                                CUMMINS

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                           HON. PETE SESSIONS

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, December 13, 2016

  Mr. SESSIONS. Mr. Speaker, today's opening prayer is dedicated to 
Bishop George David Cummins, D.D., Rector of Trinity Episcopal Church, 
of Washington, DC, from 1855 through 1858. Bishop Cummins on this date, 
Sunday, December 13, 1857, preached the first sermon in the inaugural 
event of the House Chamber. The House of Representatives held its first 
sessions three days later on Wednesday, December 16, 1857.
  The present House Chamber was used as a place of Christian worship on 
Sundays from 1857 through 1869, as were the original Senate, Supreme 
Court and House Chambers from 1800 through 1857.
  Rev. Dan Cummins, D.D., an associate pastor of Skyline Church, San 
Diego, is a descendant of Bishop George David Cummins, and gave 
recognition to the significance of this historic day in his opening 
prayer. Pastor Cummins and his wife JoAnn, along with Dr. James Garlow, 
Senior Pastor of Skyline Church, and Steve Amerson, ``America's 
Tenor,'' are responsible for the restoration of those traditional 
Sabbath worship services in the U.S. Capitol with the weekly Jefferson 
Gathering worship services for members of Congress and staff on July 
30, 2014.

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