Pastor Dennis Jokela
Kalamazoo County Sheriff's Department
Kalamazoo, MI
Sponsor: Rep. Fred Upton, (R-MI)
Date of Prayer: 09/27/2017
One Minute Speech Given in Recognition of the Guest Chaplain:
Mr. UPTON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize a proud son of
Portage, Michigan, Pastor Dennis Jokela of the Kalamazoo County
Sheriff's Department.
He has been a pillar of our community through his work as a small–
business owner, a judge for the Michigan Vocational Education Society, and as a corporal and chaplain at the Kalamazoo County Sheriff's Department as well.
I know I speak for many as we thank, in particular, our first
responders all across the country, sheriffs, and police officers, and
pray to keep them and their families safe.
Pastor Jokela's dedication to public service runs deep as a seven–time decorated veteran of Vietnam and Cambodia––overdue medals my team was able to help him obtain––a pastor with the Michigan Boot Camp for Troubled Teens at Fort Custer, and his work with the homeless. His commitment to community and country are unquestionable.
Mr. Speaker, I thank Pastor Jokela for his service here and at home. We are all so honored to be with him today. I thank him for his kind words.
Opening Prayer Given by the Guest Chaplain:
Father God, we are grateful to be able to come into Your presence in a free country such as ours.
I ask that You bless this great Nation.
I ask You to pour out Your wisdom and revelation knowledge into everyone hearing the sound of my voice.
I ask You to let Your glory shine like a light emanating from this place, filling our entire country.
I speak unification of our country in our original, can–do, American spirit.
I speak life into those dead and dying places in our land, Lord.
For those places that are in need of Your restoration power, I ask that You pour it out on them.
I ask that You bless these proceedings today and bless the work of our hands.
I ask all of this in Jesus' mighty name. Amen.
To learn more about Members who have sponsored a Guest Chaplain, please visit the Congressional Biographical Directory