Capitol Words a project of the Sunlight Foundation

Rep. Lee Terry

Mr. Speaker, I am honored to recognize our guest chaplain, my fellow Nebraskan and friend, Reverend Dr. Leroy E. Adams, Jr., who has served as the senior pastor of Omaha's Morning Star Baptist Church since September of 1999.

Prior to serving in Omaha, Reverend Adams' ministry spanned more than a decade in Lawton, Oklahoma, and includes serving as a pastor in Stuttgart, Germany, for 2 years. Reverend Adams has earned his bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degrees from the Andersonville Baptist Seminary, and he is a graduate of the Harvard Divinity School's Leadership Institute.

He has made his country a priority. He is an 8-year veteran, having served honorably in the United States Army. He has made our Omaha community a priority, particularly the more vulnerable citizens, our youth, and our seniors.

When youth violence arose in our community, it was Reverend Dr. Adams who reached out to other pastors in North Omaha to unify efforts and message against the violence in our neighborhoods. He has reached out to help our seniors who needed housing.

Reverend Adams is nationally known as a wonderful preacher, a great teacher, an irreplaceable pillar in our community, and a friend to many. He is blessed by his two children, Leroy and Maria, and Omaha is, in turn, blessed by this minister and his family.

May God continue to bless his life, his family, and his ministry for years to come.