U.S. Congressman Gresham Barrett



      Faith and family values, instilled in Gresham Barrett while growing up in Westminster Baptist Church, as a young man at the Citadel, and while serving his country in the military, have remained with him in Washington, where he serves as a United States Representative for the Third Congressional District of South Carolina. 
      “My Christian faith is very important to me, and I’m certainly not afraid to say that Jesus Christ is my Lord and Saviour,” Barrett told this writer. 
      Barrett feels that his faith and values can help him make a difference in our nation’s capital. 
      “I think the Lord has given me the ability to communicate and represent people,” he said. “It’s a calling I feel I have, a calling of service, to make a difference. It’s tough, because so many times the things that I do cause me to be away from my family and home and the things I hold dear. But the greater outcome is the most important. If I could make a difference for my country, if I could make a difference for my state, then my family, my children and their children and their children’s children, would be the ones to benefit in the long run.” 
      While in Washington, Barrett is part of a Thursday morning prayer breakfast with his fellow members of Congress who share their testimonies, and a Thursday afternoon in-depth Bible study. “It’s a great way to break up the day and concentrate on what’s important,” he said. “It’s a great way to clear our minds and remember why we’re here. Things get so complicated, and it’s nice to know that there are other believers on the Hill who have the same goals and core of beliefs. It helps me reaffirm a lot of the decisions that we’re making, like the constitutional amendment to support marriage between a man and a woman, which I think is very sacred and which I believe in very strongly, or the ban on partial-birth abortion, which I think was a crowning moment. The Supreme Court is going to hear the case of whether ‘One Nation Under God’ in The Pledge of Allegiance steps over the line of separation of church and state. I think it’s an assault from our judges who tend to legislate now. That disturbs me greatly.”
      Barrett’s Christian principles have influenced his decision-making in Washington, as well as in Columbia, when he served from 1996 to 2002 as a member of the South Carolina House of Representatives. “I think those core values are extremely important, not only in the Third Congressional District, but in the United States,” he said. “Those are the values our country was founded on. I think very godly men set up a framework that has never been duplicated. It was an experiment that has lasted more than 200 years. I’m going to do my best to see that the experiment continues and doesn’t come unraveled, because I see that possibility growing every day.” 
      Barrett was born in 1961 to Charles and Del Barrett, positive influences in his life. “Our family was very strong when I was growing up,” he said. “My Dad was a businessman all of his life, committed to the work ethic, and doing what’s right, contributing to the community, being a productive member who took his responsibility to heart, and serving in the military. Service to country, duty, and honor mean a lot to me.” 
      Barrett has been married to his high school sweetheart, Natalie, since August, 1984. They have a daughter, Madison, and two sons, James Edward ‘Jeb’ and Ross. 
      Instilling Christian values in his children is important to him. “It’s tough being away from my family so long,” he said. “Family time is precious to me, because I don’t get much of it. When we do spend time together, we value it more.” 
      His wife is the person he relies on most for guidance. Another person he depends upon is his Chief of Staff, Lance Williams, whom he calls “a dear friend, a good Christian man. “There is nothing I don’t share with either one, because I know them and I trust them,” he said. “I have a former college roommate I keep in contact with and who is like a brother to me, but I just don’t get to see him as much. On a daily basis, my wife and Lance would be the ones I rely on the most.” 
      Other influences in his life have included Rev. Wilton Maxwell, who was his Preacher at Westminster Baptist Church when Barrett was growing up in the church, and Rev. Randy Keasler, his current Pastor at Westminster Baptist. 
      “The one I turn to when things get rough is Rev. Bill Ellison, who preached at Bounty Land for years,” Barrett said. “He’s a dear friend. He’s my ‘go-to guy’ when things get tough, with whom I can sit and talk.” 
      Barrett learned values while a cadet at the Citadel, beginning with the first moment he walked into his barracks and read these words: A cadet must not lie, cheat, or steal or tolerate those that do. “Just the basic duty, honor, and country,” he said. “In the words of Robert E. Lee, duty is the most sublime word in the English language. I think that’s important. If I could be king for a day, I think every young man or woman should serve their country in some capacity. It wouldn’t have to be in the armed services, but could be in the Peace Corps or Americorps, where they could give back. I think that’s important, because we’ve got so much to be thankful for here, and I think we take it for granted. 
      “I’ve come full circle. When I graduated from high school, I thought I could change the world. Once I got into the world, I thought, ‘It’s a pretty big place; I don’t know if I can.’ But I’ve come full circle now, because I think you can make a difference. Making a difference is important—no matter what age and what level, whether it’s your church, school, or government.” 
      The Gospel of Matthew is Barrett’s favorite book of Scripture. “It’s very inspiring,” he said. “Out of all of the books of the Bible, most of the speeches I give, whether at churches or elsewhere, come from Matthew.” 
      He shares his testimony when he speaks at churches. “I tell them what makes Gresham Barrett tick or drives me to do what I do,” he said. “I think if you want to know where somebody is going, you’ve got to know where somebody’s been, what their thought process is. That’s the way you understand where people are coming from. 
      “I talk about my walk, and how I feel that this is the direction the Lord has led me. He has always given me every tool that I need to be successful, and He always will. We have to listen and be in tune to what He says. He’s not going to put you in any situation that He doesn’t give you everything you need to be successful. 
      “I feel this is a calling for me,” he concluded. “I think it’s important for us to use the talent the Lord has given us.”




      Link: www.house.gov/barrett