Procedures for Sponsoring a Guest Chaplain

1. A Member of Congress sends a letter to the House Chaplain, requesting that a day be reserved for the Member’s guest to offer the opening prayer. The letter should include complete contact information for the guest chaplain, as well as the name of the church or organization with which the minister is affiliated. A bio or CV also should be included. The Member should designate a staff contact and provide that person’s phone number.

2. The Chaplain makes every effort to accommodate Members’ requests. Members are limited to one request per Congress. The guest chaplain is assigned the earliest possible date.

3. The Chaplain sends a letter to the guest chaplain (and a copy to the Member) with an assigned date, outlining the procedures for the day and describing the parameters of the prayer. A deadline is set for the prayer to be submitted to the Chaplain’s Office.

4. The guest chaplain provides the Chaplain’s Office with his/her address and phone number while in Washington, in case the time for the legislative session changes.

5. On the day of the prayer by the guest chaplain, the Member or staff contact meets the guest chaplain and brings him/her to the Speaker’s Lobby fifteen minutes before the opening of the session. The Chaplain meets the guest chaplain in the lobby and explains the procedure for leading the prayer.

6. The staff contact accompanies family members or other guests of the guest chaplain to the Gallery until the Pledge of Allegiance has ended and the sponsoring Member has given a one-minute speech honoring the guest chaplain.

7. If the Member’s staff contact has arranged for a photo opportunity with the Speaker and/or the Member, this takes place right after the Pledge and one-minute speech. The staff contact brings family members or guests to the room designated for the picture.