Reverend Dr. Paul Powell
First Baptist Church
Tyler, TX
Sponsor: Rep. Louie Gohmert, (R-TX)
Date of Prayer: 06/29/2010
One Minute Speech Given in Recognition of the Guest Chaplain:
Mr. GOHMERT. Madam Speaker, our guest chaplain today has been Reverend Dr. Paul W. Powell . He is retired dean of Baylor University's Truett Theological Seminary and is a distinguished graduate of both Baylor and Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. He has also been the president of the Southern Baptist Annuity Board and Baptist General Convention of Texas, along with a vast array of offices with many charitable institutions too numerous to mention.
He is an author of 36 books and has been pastor of churches all over Texas and spanned two decades as pastor of Green Acres Baptist Church in Tyler, Texas, leading our church from about 700 members to over 7,000, where it fed and clothed the poor through founding the Good Samaritan Outreach Center and People Attempting to Help. Under his direction, our church began Hispanic church ministries, a Korean church ministry, dental and medical outreach ministries, as well as churches in Mexico, Belize, and many other places. Green Acres became the largest single donor to missions in the entire Southern Baptist Convention.
He and his wife, Cathy, have three children: Kent, Mike, and Lori; and three grandchildren: Jordan, Katie, and Matthew.
He is now the interim pastor of First Baptist Church in Tyler. He brings wisdom, accountability, growth, life, and light wherever he serves and truly has a heart after God's own. Seeking always to serve, he has been pastor, dean, president, chairman, director, officer, trustee of so many entities, but of most importance to me, he has been a friend, mentor, confidant, encourager, and inspiration.
May God bless Paul Powell and his family.
Opening Prayer Given by the Guest Chaplain:
Our Father in Heaven,
We bow our heads and hearts before you today to recognize you as the maker of heaven and earth, and the author of our liberty. We thank you for the freedom we enjoy.
Grant that these we have chosen to lead us may have the courage and the convictions to preserve what is good from the past and lead us wisely into the future. And may they ever be worthy of the trust we and you have placed in them.
We believe that righteousness exalts a nation so may justice, mercy and truth prevail throughout the land. Cause us to always look to you, bow before you, and humbly follow you is my prayer in Jesus name. Amen.
To learn more about Members who have sponsored a Guest Chaplain, please visit the Congressional Biographical Directory