[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 163 (2017), Part 7]
[Senate]
[Page 10266]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




               TRIBUTE TO REVEREND RICHARD LEE BUCKINGHAM

 Mr. VAN HOLLEN. Mr. President, today I wish to pay tribute to 
an exceptional faith leader in my own neighborhood in Kensington, MD. 
After 32 years of gifted service to St. Paul's United Methodist Church 
in Kensington, the Reverend Richard Lee Buckingham will retire at the 
end of July and it is an occasion that deserves recognition and 
celebration.
  My own family worships at St. Paul's, and my children have been the 
beneficiaries of Rick Buckingham's wise counsel and leadership. He has 
long directed programs at St. Paul's for the benefit of young people, 
and he is recognized throughout many faith communities as a leader in 
Christian education and the spiritual nourishment of teens and young 
adults.
  Reverend Buckingham has served in ministry to the local church for 43 
years and arrived at St. Paul's United Methodist Church in 1985. He has 
worked with nine different senior pastors, offering counsel and wisdom 
to each in his role as minister of education and youth.
  Reverend Buckingham has instructed over 350 young people during 
confirmation classes and watched proudly as they took their vows of 
faith. He has led eight different trips to witness the realities of 
faith and conflict in the Holy Land; he escorted young leaders to eight 
different international gatherings of United Methodist Youth leaders; 
he organized 20 different youth mission trips to Appalachia, Puerto 
Rico, and places beyond; he has leveraged his own interest in church 
history to take students to places where they will learn about their 
faith and will conclude that work with a trip to Germany later this 
year to celebrate the 500th anniversary of Martin Luther's launch of 
the Protestant Reformation.
  Rick Buckingham has always been on the go; always introducing young 
people to a wider world, mindful of the observation of John Wesley, the 
founder of Methodism, that ``the world is our parish.'' He visits 
recent graduates of St. Paul's UMC at their colleges, conducts their 
weddings--34 to date--and takes them to annual rock-faith events in 
Ocean City, although I suspect he uses an occasional earplug.
  The reverend is also recognized for his leadership as a deacon of the 
United Methodist Church, a designation with specific responsibilities, 
and he has given to his wider denomination as much as he has given to 
his own local congregation.
  Rick Buckingham teaches us all how to be a ``humble servant'' in 
accordance with our faith and at a time when we need examples of what 
true community service, faith, and civility looks like in the public 
square. It is a personal honor for me to recognize this leader in my 
own church and a leader in the wider community beyond.

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