Pastor Kenneth Codner
Grace Baptist Church
Bellefonte, PA
Sponsor: Rep. Glenn "G.T." Thompson, (R-PA)
Date of Prayer: 11/02/2017
One Minute Speech Given in Recognition of the Guest Chaplain:
Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to welcome Pastor Kenneth Codner to the House of Representatives as today's guest chaplain.
Pastor Codner is a native of Owego, New York, and he graduated from Alfred Agricultural and Technical College in 1973.
A couple of years later, through the help of a coworker, he trusted the Lord Jesus Christ as his personal savior. And he had a desire to make his life count for God.
In 1976, he enrolled in the Bible program at Tennessee Temple University. Two years later, he transferred to North Star Bible Institute in Rochester, New York, graduating in 1983, with a degree in
theology.
In June 1983, he moved to Kansas to be the pastor of the Gove Bible
Baptist Church, serving there for 17 years.
He is married to Eileen Garrison, and God blessed their union with
five wonderful children.
In September of 2000, they moved to Bellefonte, Pennsylvania. In 2002, he founded the Grace Baptist Church, where he has served as pastor ever since.
Mr. Speaker, it is an honor to have Pastor Codner and his family here today.
Opening Prayer Given by the Guest Chaplain:
Heavenly Father, I am humbled to be able to stand before You on behalf of this assembly here today.
Lord, we are sinners, deserving none of Your favor. But, Father, I come to You on the merit of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, who washed me from my sins in His shed blood.
Father, we are aware, more than any, of the bitter divisiveness throughout this room and across this Nation of ours. I know that this grieves Your heart, Father. I pray that we would repent of our sins, that You might forgive them and heal this land of ours.
Father, I pray that You will work in the hearts of the Members of Congress, that they be willing to put aside their political expedience and partisan politics and personal agendas, that they would strive to do what is best for our Nation as a whole and uphold the Constitution which they avowed to uphold, that they would seek to do what is pleasing in Your sight, that they would seek Your will and wisdom for the decisions of this day and each and every day.
I ask these things in the precious name of Jesus Christ, my Savior. Amen.
To learn more about Members who have sponsored a Guest Chaplain, please visit the Congressional Biographical Directory