Rev. Dr. William J. Barber II
Greenleaf Christian Church
Goldsboro, NC
Sponsor: Rep. Speaker Nancy Pelosi, (D-CA)
Date of Prayer: 12/15/2022
One Minute Speech Given in Recognition of the Guest Chaplain:
The SPEAKER. Without objection, the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Butterfield) is recognized for 1 minute.
Mr. BUTTERFIELD. Madam Speaker, the House is honored today to welcome a great theologian and humanitarian, my friend and constituent, the distinguished William J. Barber, II.
I have known Bishop Barber since he was a college student. A native of Roper, North Carolina, Bishop Barber has dedicated his life to preaching God's word of salvation and embracing the least of these in civil society.
Bishop Barber's trajectory to national prominence began when he organized a multiracial, multi–generational social justice movement in Raleigh, North Carolina, to expose the racial and economic inequities facing our Nation.
The Moral Monday protests catapulted Bishop Barber to a place where he is now a nationally recognized voice for the poor. As the founder of Repairers of the Breach, Bishop Barber leads a movement that challenges systemic racism, systemic poverty, ecological devastation, and what he calls the distorted narrative of religious nationalism. Bishop Barber seeks to build an agenda rooted in love, justice, and morality.
Bishop Barber is the senior pastor of the Greenleaf Christian Church in Goldsboro, North Carolina. He and his wife, Rebecca, have five very accomplished children who have distinguished themselves in their respective fields.
We are honored today, Madam Speaker, to have Bishop Barber with us today to pray over this sacred institution that we call the House of Representatives.
Opening Prayer Given by the Guest Chaplain:
Merciful God, help us submit ourselves to the truth of Your word, knowing that what we do only matters and lasts if it is rooted in love for Your glory.
Remind us that You are the God who can melt clouds of sin and sadness away. And You, O God, can bring down rulers from temporal and finite thrones. We are thankful that You are also the same God who lifts the humble. Remind and strengthen us to do the same with whatever power we have.
By Your spirit, don't let us forget that Your mercy for all those who fear You is real. Remind us that to fear You is to align our public deeds with Jesus, the one who declares, "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me to preach good news to the poor"; the incarnate one who said to feed the hungry, heal the sick, care for the least of these, welcome the immigrant.
To fear You is to align with the prophets who taught us to never rob the poor of their rights, and to ensure that workers get their just pay.
Help us to live out Your vision of love, joy, and justice until we can truly sing as though we believe that You, O God, rule the world with truth and grace, and You, O God, make the nations prove the glories of Your righteousness, the glory of Your justice as far as the curse is found.
Help us, O God, and hear our prayer, O Lord. Amen.
To learn more about Members who have sponsored a Guest Chaplain, please visit the Congressional Biographical Directory