Dr. John Cross
First Sarasota Baptist Church
Sarasota, FL
Sponsor: Rep. Vern Buchanan , (R-TX)
Date of Prayer: 05/15/2025
One Minute Speech Given in Recognition of the Guest Chaplain:
Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize Dr. John Cross, who just delivered this morning's opening prayer.
John is the senior pastor of First Baptist Church of Sarasota and has been the pastor for many, many years. John committed his life to Christ in his childhood and ultimately decided to pursue a career in the ministry.
He is a proud graduate of Mercy University and Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, where he earned his master of divinity degree and his doctor of ministry.
His leadership has extended beyond the local church, having served as the president of the Florida Baptist Convention Pastors' Conference and president of the Florida Baptist State Convention.
John is married to Dawn, and together they have been blessed with 5 children, 3 sons–in–law, a daughter–in–law, and 10 grandkids.
I deeply value his faith leadership in my life, my family's life, and our community. I am grateful for his presence here today.
Opening Prayer Given by the Guest Chaplain:
Heavenly Father, we thank You for Your love, mercy, and grace in our lives. You have blessed us far beyond our ability to understand. Thank You for the gift of our great Nation. We are appreciative of the freedoms we enjoy. We pray for the men and women who are serving to protect and preserve our freedom.
We pray for all of our elected officials and all those in authority. Please give them Your wisdom as they make decisions that impact so very many lives.
We desperately need You. We know that our help is from the Lord, the maker of Heaven and Earth. We cling to You and every promise in Your Word.
Help us to walk in Your ways, to obey Your Word. May we act justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with our God. We pray this in the name of Jesus Christ, our living hope. Amen.
To learn more about Members who have sponsored a Guest Chaplain, please visit the Congressional Biographical Directory