Bishop Barber invited to open U.S. House legislative session with prayer.
For Immediate Release: Thursday, December 15, 2022
Contact: Erin Dennis, erin.dennis@berlinrosen.com
Bishop William J. Barber II DMin. to open this morning’s legislative session in the U.S. House of Representatives with prayer in his capacity as pastor and advocate for justice.
This morning, Bishop Barber will offer prayer as guest chaplain of the U.S. House, just a few weeks before the 117th congress ends.
Bishop Barber, pastor at Greenleaf Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), President of Repairers of the Breach, Co Chair of the Poor People’s Campaign: A National Call for Moral Revival, and Bishop with The Fellowship of Affirming Ministries, will open the U.S. House of Representatives today, Thursday, December 15, 2022, at 9:00 a.m. est. Coincidentally, today is also the 231st anniversary of the Ratification of the bill of rights by the First Congress of the United States. The bill of rights, with all its imperfections, remains a cornerstone in American legislative history and has served as the gateway for moral leaders to challenge injustice and usher in the most important human rights amendments to our nation’s constitution over the last two centuries, including the guarantee of equal protection under the law and the protection of voting rights for all people. As the house enters its last few weeks and the nation enters the Christmas season, Bishop Barber plans to bring a word of prayer that contemplates and embodies supplication and intercession to the Spirit of God for love, truth, and justice and that asks God to forever remind Members of the House and the nation of what the incarnated example of Jesus and the truths of the bible and the constitution call the nation’s leaders to do on behalf of the people they serve.
“I am approaching this invitation to pray on behalf of all Members of the House with the solemnity and seriousness it deserves,” said Bishop William J. Barber II, President of Repairers of the Breach. “Even in its final weeks in session, the 117th congress holds a lot of power, and I will be offering this morning’s prayer in deep reflection on the cries and demands of the least of these, the most deeply impacted people in this country. With me, in spirit, will be poor coal miners in West Virginia, framers in Kansas, the sick the homeless people in the tenderloins of San Francisco, California, workers organizing for fair wages across North Carolina and the South, and all the people who are building a moral movement for a Third Reconstruction in America.”
Bishop Barber was invited by Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi and Chaplain of the U.S. House of Representatives, Chaplain Margaret Grun Kibben, DMin. Guest Chaplain’s prayers are limited to 150 words. The prayer will begin this morning at 9 a.m. ET. Reporters can watch the live stream here. (https://live.house.gov)
Bishop Barber has served as pastor of Greenleaf Christian Church, (Disciples of Christ) for almost 30 years. He has preached, lectured, offered remarks and prayer from store front churches to synagogues, mosques, university chapels, jail cells in rural and urban areas, at the National Cathedral, before the Democratic National Convention, and twice at the Vatican. His work with Repairers of the Breach aims to build a moral agenda rooted in a framework that uplifts our deepest moral and constitutional values to redeem the heart and soul of our country.