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07/20/06
National Clergy Council member
Rev. Phil Fulton (second from the left) of Union Hill Church in Adams County Ohio,
poses for a photo after opening the United States Congress in prayer. Joining
him are his wife Sharon (center), Speaker of the House of Representatives J. Dennis
Hastert (left), and Faith and Action President Rev. Rob Schenck (second from the
right) and his wife, Cheryl Schenck (right).
Ten Commandments defender Reverend Phil Fulton opened Thursday's session of
the U. S. House of Representatives with a prayer exhorting members to be mindful
of God's law in their deliberations. The Peebles, Ohio minister recalled President
Grove Cleveland's reminder to legislators that "the Ruler of the Universe
will require of them a strict account of their stewardship."
Rep. Jean Schmidt (R-OH) invited Fulton, Pastor of the Union Hill Church and
a National Clergy Council executive committee member, to serve as guest chaplain.
In June 2003, Fulton became the first clergyman arrested for defending a public
display of the Ten Commandments. He led church and civic leaders in a prayer vigil
alongside a stone monument of the Ten Commandments in front of an Adams County
public school that a federal court demanded be removed.
Fulton offered his prayer after being introduced by House Speaker J. Dennis
Hastert and was followed by Schmidt, who praised the pastor's extensive ministry
work, including his efforts to promote the public display of the Ten Commandments.
He spoke the invocation from the podium that is reserved for presidents, visiting
heads of state and chaplains. Fulton said that he was humbled to stand in the
footprints of world leaders and pray, "In the name of Lord, Jesus Christ."
The Ohio pastor noted that his odyssey from the pulpit of his rural church
on the hill to the well of the U. S. House was predicted by Faith and Action founder
Rev. Rob Schenck three years ago.
"I remember saying to the congregation during my sermon, 'your pastor
will someday be in front of Congress in the US Capitol giving the opening prayer.'
I'm not sure it was prophecy, but I do feel God moved me in some way to say it,'"
Rev. Schenck said during an afternoon reception held in Pastor Fulton's honor.
Schenck, also a member of the National Clergy Council, participated in the
Ten Commandments defense in Ohio. Later that year, both Fulton and Schenck were
arrested attempting to prevent the removal of a Ten Commandments monument from
the Alabama Supreme Court building.
The pair again collaborated on Memorial Day, 2006 when they installed a Ten
Commandments display similar to the ones removed from the Adams County school
grounds at the Washington, DC National Clergy Council headquarters. Despite demands
from the government of the District of Columbia for the monument's removal and
threats of fines and possible forced sale of the property, the National Clergy
Council and its affiliate, Faith and Action, successfully exerted the right under
the First Amendment to the US Constitution to maintain the display.
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