Chaplain Gregory Schannep
Faith Fellowship
Fort Hood, TX
Sponsor: Rep. John Carter, (R-TX)
Date of Prayer: 10/06/2009
One Minute Speech Given in Recognition of the Guest Chaplain:
Mr. CARTER. Madam Speaker, I rise today to talk about my friend and the leader of the prayer here in the House of Representatives today, Greg Schannep. Greg Schannep actually works for me as my regional director and my liaison to Fort Hood. He retired from the United States Army as chief of chaplains at Fort Hood, Texas, which is the largest military installation on Earth. He had over 90 chaplains that worked under him.
He started off his life in the Army as an enlisted man, ended up his career after 2 years in the Army as a Special Forces sergeant. Then the Lord called him, and after going back to school and becoming a minister, he served 28 years in the United States Army as a chaplain. That totals 30 years of active duty as a soldier for the United States.
He's worked for me almost 5 years – it will be 5 years in January – as my liaison to the military and as a regional director on our behalf.
Greg is a family man. He's got a beautiful wife and wonderful kids: Melissa, Sarah, Alison, Amy, James and Samantha. His hobbies are golf and grandchildren, of which he has four. And he has just recently – in fact, within the last 6 weeks – he has decided to start another church and come out of retirement and become a full–time builder of a church, and he started a church in Bell County known as Faith Fellowship. I went to the first service that Chaplain Schannep performed as Pastor Schannep, and he did a pretty darn good job.
He is a loved member of our community, and I am proud to call him my friend.
Opening Prayer Given by the Guest Chaplain:
President Abraham Lincoln said, "I have been driven many times upon my knees by the overwhelming conviction that I had nowhere else to go. My own wisdom, and that of all about me, seemed insufficient for that day."
Dear God, we pray for our President today and for his wisdom and for the wisdom of those about him. May they know your grace is sufficient for this day.
We pray for the Members of the House of Representatives, their staffs and their families.
We ask that they be men and women of strong character with sound morality, and people of principle who share a strong vision of godly nation with a bright future.
We pray that our leaders will lead with compassion and love, and be forever aware of their huge responsibility to the people of this nation and of their greater responsibility to you.
We ask your watchful care over our men and women in uniform – especially those in harm’s way and their families.
And, please God, bless America. Amen!
To learn more about Members who have sponsored a Guest Chaplain, please visit the Congressional Biographical Directory