House and Senate will both have Presbyterian chaplains
By John H. Adams, The Layman Online, January 10, 2000
Barring a coup by members of Congress, ministers from the Presbyterian Church (USA) will soon serve simultaneously as chaplains in the House and the U.S. Senate.
The incoming House chaplain is the Rev. Charles Parker Wright of McLean, Va., former pastor of North Avenue Presbyterian Church in Atlanta, Ga. The Senate chaplain is Lloyd J. Ogilvie, former pastor of Hollywood Presbyterian Church in California.
Wright’s selection was announced in November by the House’s Republican majority leaders, Speaker J. Dennis Hastert of Illinois and Dick Armey of Texas. Richard A. Gephart, the Senate minority leader, dissented from their selection but allowed his name to be used in the official announcement.
Wright, who has long been associated with the National Prayer Breakfast in Washington, is scheduled to begin his service in January.
Since announcing Wright as their choice, the House leaders have been criticized for not selecting a Roman Catholic priest.
An 18-member committee, evenly divided between Republicans and Democrats, screened more than 40 candidates. The panel took secret ballots to determine the three finalists. And the candidate who emerged with the most support, according to committee members, was the Rev. Timothy J. O’Brien, a Catholic priest and longtime professor of political science at Marquette University, according to The New York Times.
In a letter to Hastert, Democratic Rep. Patrick J. Kennedy charged that there was an anti-Catholic bias because of the leadership’s failure to select O’Brien.
Kennedy invoked the memory of his uncle in his letter. “Nearly 40 years ago, my uncle, John Fitzgerald Kennedy, was chosen by the American people to lead this nation as President of the United States. In no small part, his fight against the anti-Catholic bigotry and prejudice inspired millions of Americans to rethink their position toward their religious biases, and helped lend fuel to the hope that eventually engendered the civil rights movement. To think that, in 1999, this same open-mindedness that saw a rejection of anti-Catholicism in the 1960 presidential election has not extended to the leadership of the House of Representatives is shocking.”
Hastert responded, “Picking the best person for the job was our only criterion. The job of chaplain to the Congressional family is a serious one, and the choice must be free of politics. Choosing the best person for the job, regardless of denominational affiliation, was our only priority. We chose Dr. Wright because he is the best person for the job.”
Sensitive to the political fallout over his selection, Wright has declined to be interviewed by The Layman Online and other media.
Wright has been selected to succeed the Rev. James David Ford, a Lutheran who has served as House chaplain for 21 years. The House named Ford chaplain emeritus in November 1999.
The chaplain is one of five elected officers of the House of Representatives. The chaplain is paid $132,100 per year, with a $270,000 travel and expense allowance.
The official duty of the House chaplain is to open each session with a prayer, although most opening prayers are actually given by ministers and religious leaders chosen by members of Congress. The chaplain also counsels members and their families.