The Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church, Bishop Frank T. Griswold, will present Congressman Amory Houghton (R, New York) with the Presiding Bishop’s Award for Faith and Public Service on Wednesday, April 28 in Washington, D.C. The ceremony will take place at the Lutheran Church of the Reformation, 212 East Capitol Street, at 6pm, followed by a reception.
Speakers at the ceremony will include Congressman John Lewis (D, Georgia), the Rt. Rev. Thomas Shaw, Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Massachusetts, Bishop Griswold and Congressman Houghton. Episcopal members of Congress, members of the New York Congressional Delegation, Faith and Politics Institute and Republican Main Street Partnership will also attend the ceremony.
The Presiding Bishop’s Award for Faith and Public Service is presented to a lay member of the Episcopal Church who, in his or her public life, has demonstrated the profound influence of faith as shaped by the Anglican Tradition. The award was last given in 2000 to Pamela Chinnis, then President of the Episcopal Church’s House of Deputies.
Houghton has represented the state of New York in Congress since 1987. Well known as a moderate Republican, he is a founding member of the Republican Main Street Partnership, which fosters centrist values within the party. With Congressman Lewis he serves as co-chair of the Faith and Politics Institute, an organization created to support and empower political leaders through spiritual reflection and discernment. On April 6, 2004 Houghton announced he will not seek another term in office.
Members of the media who wish to attend the ceremony should contact John Johnson at the Episcopal Church Office of Government Relations, at (202)547-7300, or jjohnson@episcopalchurch.org.
