The Office of the Chaplain United States House of Representatives

Reverend Brondon Reems

Center of Hope Community Church
Oakland, CA

Sponsor: Rep. Barbara Lee, (D-CA)
Date of Prayer: 09/17/2015

One Minute Speech Given in Recognition of the Guest Chaplain:

Ms. LEE. Mr. Speaker, I am so pleased to welcome Pastor Brondon Reems to the House floor this morning after delivering such a powerful prayer .

Pastor Reems is the senior pastor of the Center of Hope Community Church in Oakland, California, a church founded by his mother––a great woman of faith, who has broken so many glass ceilings for women, especially for African American women––Bishop Ernestine Reems.

His wife, Pastor Maria, who is also here with us today, is his partner in ministry and has helped to grow the church into a vibrant and strong pillar of faith and community in the East Bay.

Pastor Reems accepted his call to ministry at 10 years old, and he has flourished into a strong spiritual leader.

From ministering youth in juvenile hall to assisting families coping with substance abuse and emotional disabilities, Pastor Reems serves the East Bay community with a genuine heart and compassion.

He is the cofounder of the Oakland's Potters House for Young Men, a 24–hour residential care facility for young teens who have become wards of the State.

I thank Pastor Reems for his spiritual leadership, his wisdom, and his service. He embodies and exemplifies a living faith. He is a wonderful pastor, a great mentor, and a committed and powerful civic leader.

Opening Prayer Given by the Guest Chaplain:

Reverend Brondon Reems, Center of Hope Community Church, Oakland, California, offered the following prayer :

O Lord, our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the Earth. We honor You. We beseech thee in behalf of these, our United States and Congress.

Heavenly Father, we depend on You for skillful and Godly wisdom, to enter into the hearts and minds of those in authority. Only You know the rightness of their cause, their purpose, and their plans.

To thee, do they now look up, realizing that their help comes from You. They look to You for Your approval and for Your support. They look to You for favor that only You can give.

We thank You, Heavenly Father, for Your mercy as we seek peace in all of these United States and the world. We give thanks for the leaders You have given to us. We thank You for Your love and protection that surrounds them.

We ask that You continue to bless, strengthen, and preserve those they represent. We believe in Your Word that declares blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord.

Amen.

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