Doctor Lance Watson
St. Paul's Baptist Church
Richmond, VA
Sponsor: Rep. Abigail Spanberger, (D-VA)
Date of Prayer: 02/12/2020
One Minute Speech Given in Recognition of the Guest Chaplain:
Ms. SPANBERGER. Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank Reverend Lance
Watson for his houghtful opening prayer this morning. His service to
central Virginia and his accomplishments as a spiritual and community
leader are an example to all of us.
For more than 30 years, Reverend Watson has served as the senior
pastor of St. Paul's Baptist Church in the Richmond area. Dr. Watson has been honored as an outstanding community leader, outstanding contributor to education, and Minister of the Year by multiple organizations, and he leads a congregation of nearly 12,000 people.
While Reverend Watson has focused on the spiritual development of the community through his ministry, he has also supported the social and economic development of the community in a variety of ways. Under his
leadership, St. Paul's Baptist Church has initiated a bold plan to
build housing, a park, an urban farm, and community gardens to improve the central Virginia community.
Mr. Speaker, I thank Reverend Watson; his wife, first lady Rose
Watson, herself an accomplished singer; and the entire Watson family
for their service to the St. Paul's community in central Virginia.
I also thank Reverend Watson for being here today to offer us
inspiration through the opening prayer.
Opening Prayer Given by the Guest Chaplain:
Gracious God, we gather today in this House of Representatives, in the people's House, to acknowledge that You alone are sovereign. Thank
You that we share in a nation where life, liberty, and happiness are inalienable rights, rights which we hold as self–evident.
We praise You for the responsibility we have to do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with You. Give us the power to find needs and meet them, find problems and solve them, find hurts and heal them.
For every elected official, we ask the blessings of civility, truth, wisdom, and grace. Even amid diversity, enable us to embrace unity. Open our hearts in courage and imagination that we might envision a better tomorrow where Your purpose will prevail on Earth as in Heaven.
Let Your grace and favor rest upon us. In the matchless, marvelous, magnificent, majestic name that is above every name, we pray and give thanks.
Amen.
To learn more about Members who have sponsored a Guest Chaplain, please visit the Congressional Biographical Directory