CHICAGO (ELCA) -- U.S. Representative Floyd D. Spence (R-S.C. 2nd) died Aug. 16 in Jackson, Miss. He was 73. Spence was one of 20 Lutherans in the 107th Congress -- a member of St. Peter Lutheran Church, Lexington, S.C., a congregation of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA).
Funeral services will be held at First Baptist Church in the state capital, Columbia, S.C. The date of the service is to be determined. Spence's body will lie in state in the South Carolina State House.
Spence entered the hospital on July 24 for treatment of a nerve disorder -- Bell's palsy. Surgeons removed a blood clot from his brain Aug. 9. He slipped into a coma and never regained consciousness.
In 1990, Spence gave the keynote address for the first assembly of Lutheran Men in Mission, the men's organization of the ELCA. The assembly was held at Newberry College, Newberry, S.C., a college of the ELCA.
Spence told the assembly he used subtle opportunities in the political arena to express his Christian faith. He said his recent double-lung transplant encouraged him to "tell people there is hope" in a "sinful world" that often offers no hope.
Born in Columbia, Spence was elected student body president there at the University of South Carolina (USC). He earned degrees from USC and the USC School of Law. He served in the U.S. Navy during the Korean conflict (1952-1954) and in the U.S. Naval Reserves (1948-1985).
Spence served the South Carolina Legislature as a representative (1956-1962) and as a senator (1966-1970). In November 1970, he was elected to U.S. House of Representatives -- the position he held until his death. Spence served on the House National Security, Armed Services and Veterans' Affairs committees.
Another Lutheran in Congress, U.S. Senator Ernest F. "Fritz" Hollings (D-S.C.) said of Spence, "He was an outstanding public servant, a dedicated South Carolinian and a longtime friend."
"As a Congressman, he will be remembered as a true friend of the men and women in our armed services and a steadfast servant of his fellow South Carolinians," said President George W. Bush. "I am deeply saddened by the loss of my friend Floyd Spence. He was a leader of great courage and determination."
Bush noted that Spence underwent double-lung transplant surgery in 1988. Spence married Deborah Williams in the hospital suite where he staged his recovery that year. He is survived by his wife and four sons.
The 15 remaining Lutherans in the U.S. House of Representatives are Douglas K. Bereuter (R-Neb. 1st), Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio 13th), Lois Capps (D-Calif. 22nd), Norman D. Dicks (D-Wash. 6th), Darlene Hooley (D- Ore. 5th), Ron Kind (D-Wis. 3rd), Tom Latham (R-Iowa 5th), Jim Nussle (R-Iowa 2nd), Doug Ose (R-Calif. 3rd), Michael Oxley (R-Ohio 4th), Collin C. Peterson (D-Minn. 7th), Thomas E. Petri (R-Wis. 6th), Martin Olav Sabo (D-Minn. 5th), John M. Shimkus (R-Ill. 20th) and Charles W. Stenholm (D-Texas 17th).
The four Lutherans in the U.S. Senate are Conrad Burns (R-Mont.), Byron L. Dorgan (D-N.D.), Hollings and Tim Johnson (D-S.D.).
All are members of the ELCA, except Senator Burns and Representatives Bereuter and Shimkus who are members of The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod, and Representative Kind who is a member of the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod.
For information contact:
John Brooks, Director (773) 380-2958 or NEWS@ELCA.ORG
http://listserv.elca.org/archives/elcanews.html
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About the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America:
The ELCA is one of the largest Christian denominations in the United States, with 2.8 million members in more than 8,500 worshiping communities across the 50 states and in the Caribbean region. Known as the church of "God's work. Our hands.," the ELCA emphasizes the saving grace of God through faith in Jesus Christ, unity among Christians and service in the world. The ELCA's roots are in the writings of the German church reformer Martin Luther.
For information contact:
Candice Hill Buchbinder
Public Relations Manager
Candice.HillBuchbinder@ELCA.org
