“I was thinking this morning about the kinds of people that have had this award in the past, and I was thinking about how humbled I am to be here today,” said Kay Coles James, the
Center for Christian Statesmanship’s
Distinguished Christian Statesman for 2003. “Quite frankly,” she said, “given where we are in our nation today and the kind of leadership that we have, you know, I believe that another awardee could have possibly been considered this year.”
James, director of the U.S. Office of Personnel Management, which oversees the 1.8 million members of the federal work force, confessed that she was moved to tears as she considered the honor.
First to Cry
“I am humbled by the award,” said Director James at the award dinner in Washington hosted in her honor. “I dare say that I am the first ever recipient of this award to cry.” She joked that she could hardly imagine Tom DeLay, the 2002 recipient of the
Distinguished Christian Statesman Award, saying, “‘Oh, look at my picture. My family is going to be so proud.’” |
James says that she makes no apologies for being a woman in government, just as she makes no apologies for being a Christian serving in the public arena.
“Now, I know that there was some debate in the Christian community for a while about what was the appropriate role of Christians in government and whether or not we should be there … and I never, ever understood that debate,” said Director James. “Quite frankly, it went right over my head, and I never quite got it.”
Please see
Statesman Award, page 2
New Leader at Center for Christian
Statesmanship Dr. D. James Kennedy announced in June that George Roller, Esq., an educator, attorney, and missionary from Miami, is the new executive director of the Center for Christian statesmanship.
Last February, the Center’s founding executive director, Dr. Frank Wright, was called to become the President of National Religious Broadcasters (NRB)—an association of Christian communicators. It was then that Dr. Kennedy and
Please see
New Director, page 3
|
|
