Reverend Edward Schreiber
Brookhaven Cumberland Presbyterian Church
Farmville, VA
Sponsor: Rep. Rep. Frank Wolf, (R-VA)
Date of Prayer: 02/28/2001
One Minute Speech Given in Recognition of the Guest Chaplain:
Mr. WOLF. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to welcome Reverend Ed Schreiber and thank him for delivering our opening prayer this morning. At 96 years of age, Pastor Schreiber recently became the oldest person ever to graduate from Memphis Theological Seminary.
Although Reverend Schreiber is not from my congressional district, I read about him in the Winchester Star, a newspaper from my district, and I was extremely impressed by his courage and determination of this man to seek a seminary degree in his 90s.
Reverend Schreiber spent his childhood in Augusta, Georgia, and his adult life in Nashville where he worked as a schoolteacher and as municipal planner. After more than 20 years into his retirement and after a painful death of his wife in 1991, Reverend Schreiber felt called to pursue a seminary degree.
He began his studies at the age of 92 and did not let much of anything slow him down. The Reverend was ordained as a pastor in the Cumberland Presbyterian denomination last June. He is also the chaplain of the Prime Timers, an active senior citizen group based out of his own church, Brookhaven Cumberland Presbyterian Church.
He attributes love for living, friends, a sense of purpose, a sense of humor, faith in God for his continuing energy. He believes that now, at his age of 96, at 96, he is being called to be a more credible witness for God. His tenacity and heeding to a calling is, quite frankly, I think, an inspiration to us all.
I welcome him to the Chamber today.
Opening Prayer Given by the Guest Chaplain:
Almighty God, Father of all,
from the House of Representatives of the Congress of the United States of America, we offer this prayer of praise and thanks;
also our intercessory prayer for our leaders
in education, religion, government and industry
throughout the world.
We implore thy blessings upon our President George W. Bush, his family and members of his administration.
Likewise, Heavenly Father, bestow thy abundant blessings on the Members of the 107th Congress.
In a broken and fearful world, give us courage to pray and to act for the well being of all thy creation.
To learn more about Members who have sponsored a Guest Chaplain, please visit the Congressional Biographical Directory