Posted: 6/27/03
Black named Senate chaplain
WASHINGTON (RNS)–The chief of Navy chaplains was named June 17 as the first African-American chaplain of the U.S. Senate.
Rear Adm. Barry Black, a Seventh-day Adventist, will serve as the Senate's 62nd chaplain, succeeding Lloyd Ogilvie, who retired.
Black was one of three finalists for the job and was nominated by a bipartisan committee of five senators headed by Sen. Jon Kyle, R-Ariz. As chaplain, Black will open the chamber in daily prayer and provide spiritual counseling to its members and 6,000 staffers.
“Admiral Black has provided spiritual guidance to thousands of servicemen and women during his 25 years of service,” said Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, R-Tenn. “We're honored he has offered to bring his moral leadership and counsel to the United States Senate.”
Black, 54, is the first military chaplain and the first Seventh-day Adventist to serve as Senate chaplain. He has overseen the Navy's 900 active duty and 500 reserve chaplains since 2000.
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