Reverend Dr. William Smith
Memorial Baptist Church
Arlington, VA
Sponsor: Rep. John Culberson, (R-TX)
Date of Prayer: 05/19/2010
One Minute Speech Given in Recognition of the Guest Chaplain:
Mr. CULBERSON. Mr. Speaker and Members, born in Kentucky, Dr. William H. Smith has pastored Memorial Baptist Church in Arlington, Virginia, for the past 19 years. He preached his first sermon there on Father's Day, 1991, which was appropriate as he and his wife, Judy Bracewell Smith , who hails from my hometown of Houston, Texas, are the proud parents of Justin, a physician; Luke, a pastor; and Jason, a surgeon. His family also includes Justin's wife, Mairin, and their precious daughter, Adelaide, Bill and Judy's first grandchild. Bill's parents, Anna and Henry Smith , were powerful models of a Christian home for Bill and his brother, Andre. The students at the Leland Center for Theological Studies where he teaches biblical studies call him Professor. His granddaughter, Adelaide, calls him Pal. And I am proud to call him my teacher and friend.
May God bless you always, Bill and Judy.
Opening Prayer Given by the Guest Chaplain:
Almighty God
We acknowledge and give thanks for the divine order of creation; we are grateful for natural law. We are grateful for revealed law. We are grateful for this nation in which we live by the rule of law to establish justice for all our people.
Bless this Congress and all the lawmakers who serve our nation. We pray, too, for those who have the responsibility to enforce law and those charged with the duty of adjudication of law. May all of them, working together, make us a more perfect union.
We offer ourselves and our work to you. We confess that even at our best we need your gracious Providence. Guide us. Forgive us. Sustain us.
For yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever.
To learn more about Members who have sponsored a Guest Chaplain, please visit the Congressional Biographical Directory