The Office of the Chaplain United States House of Representatives

Reverend Earl J. Wright, Sr.

Greater Miller Memorial Church of God in Christ
Warren, MI

Sponsor: Rep. John Conyers, (D-MI)
Date of Prayer: 12/12/2007

One Minute Speech Given in Recognition of the Guest Chaplain:

The SPEAKER. Without objection, the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Conyers) is recognized for 1 minute.

There was no objection.

Mr. CONYERS. Thank you, Madam Speaker.

It is with great pleasure that I introduce Bishop Earl J. Wright , Sr. as the guest chaplain for the day. The bishop is very well known in Detroit, and we have known each other since the 1950s, even before Coleman Young became the first African American mayor of our great city.

He has a number of responsibilities, but the one that I enjoy bringing to the membership's attention is that he is a founding and supporting pastor of Miller Memorial Church of God in Christ Number 2, located in Haiti. And, of course, we are honored to have his lovely and gracious wife, Dr. Robin L. Wright , who is the senior supervisor of the Church of God in Christ's Japanese Jurisdiction. In addition to being an evangelist, she is also a writer and a great help to the bishop.

We have known each other across the years, and I remember coming to him the first time I ran for Congress, and with the late Bishop Bailey, I was able to prevail in my very first election.

The bishop has shown himself as a true disciple of Christ, relying heavily on his favorite scripture, Romans 4:21: ‘‘And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform.'' He exemplifies service to his fellow man, allowing his words to always bring grace to the hearer. He constantly speaks words of hope, spreading the good news to all. He practices evangelism that reflects Christ–like compassion to reach the world with the gospel.

Bishop Earl Wright , Sr. is a wonderful man of God, and I'm happy to know him and to welcome him to the floor of the House of Representatives today as guest chaplain.

Opening Prayer Given by the Guest Chaplain:

Almighty God, Who hath so lavishly blessed this land, keep us ever aware that the good things we enjoy come from Thee. We recognize Thee as Lord of our nation. We thank Thee for a beautiful and bountiful America, for its people of all classes, colors and creeds. We are grateful for workers in industry, for farmers, doctors, nurses, teachers, and ministers. We thank Thee for soldiers, sailors and airmen who guard and protect us day and night. We thank Thee for all forms and levels of government, local, state and national, and most especially for this, our United States Congress. We now pray that Thou will give them courage and strength to provide honest government for our nation, abundant provisions to meet our needs, love towards each other and peace for one another. Forgive us our sins and accept our gratitude through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

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