The Office of the Chaplain United States House of Representatives

Reverend Dr. Stan Ballard

Nettleton Baptist Church
Jonesboro, AR

Sponsor: Rep. Rick Crawford, (R-AR)
Date of Prayer: 07/18/2012

One Minute Speech Given in Recognition of the Guest Chaplain:

Mr. CRAWFORD. Mr. Speaker, it is an honor for me to introduce our guest pastor this morning, Dr. Stan Ballard .

For the past 30 years, Brother Stan has pastored numerous congregations, and today he serves as a pastor of my family's church, Nettleton Baptist in Jonesboro, Arkansas.

Brother Stan is a native Mississippian and earned his undergraduate degree from Mississippi State University. After graduating from Mississippi State, he earned a bachelor's degree from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary in New Orleans and a doctorate degree from Luther Rice Theological Seminary in Atlanta. During his career in ministry, Brother Stan has pastored churches in Louisiana, Mississippi, Ohio, and Arkansas.

The pride and joy of Brother Stan's life are his wife, Beth, and their children and grandchildren. During their 42 years of marriage, Stan and Beth have been blessed with three sons and, more recently, four grandchildren.

On a personal level, I can say that Brother Stan has been a constant source of support and guidance for the entire Nettleton Baptist congregation. Any time a member of our congregation is in need, we can rely on Brother Stan.

It's an honor to introduce Pastor Stan Ballard and welcome him to the U.S. House of Representatives.

Opening Prayer Given by the Guest Chaplain:

Father in Heaven, thank You for this unique privilege You have given me today to pray and to ask Your blessings on the Congress of the United States. I pray for Your wisdom and guidance to be given to each Member of Congress. I pray for Your protection for them and their families.

Please reveal to each of them that they have a great responsibility to vote and conduct themselves according to Your divine will and purpose. Show them that they are accountable not only to the voters, but to You, Almighty God.

Thank You for the United States and the freedom and opportunities we enjoy as Americans. Thank You for allowing us to be blessed by Your omnipotent hand for over 236 years. Your purpose is for us to share Your blessings of love and grace to all people. We pray for a strong economy and for national unity. We are blessed because You are our God.

In Jesus' name, Amen.

To learn more about Members who have sponsored a Guest Chaplain, please visit the Congressional Biographical Directory