Florida Christian Coalition honors Daniel Webster

May 19, 2009
JAMES A SMITH SR.
Executive Editor

DANIEL WEBSTER Photo by Joni B. Hannigan

Webster's wife, Sandy speaks May 9 at Orlando event honoring retired Florida Senator Daniel Webster. Photo by Joni B. Hannigan

ORLANDO (FBW)—Daniel Webster, former speaker of the Florida House of Representatives and majority leader of the Florida Senate, was honored May 9 for his 28-year legislative career marked by a strong Christian testimony and pro-family policies with a testimonial dinner organized by Florida Christian Coalition.

The special event attended by hundreds of supporters in Orlando, as well as many elected officials—including Senate President Jeff Atwater (R-North Palm Beach), House Speaker Larry Cretul (R-Ocala), and Florida Attorney General Bill McCollum—was emceed by former Lt. Gov. Toni Jennings, a friend and political ally of Webster for 30 years.

Christian Coalition leader Dennis Baxley, a former state representative, said the idea for the event came from political operatives of the candidate who beat him in a Florida Senate special election in 2007.

Webster's 24-year-old son, Jordan, speakS May 9 at Orlando event honoring retired Florida Senator Daniel Webster. Photo by Joni B. Hannigan

A longtime member of First Baptist Church in Belleview, Baxley became executive director of the Christian Coalition after his failed election bid.

The event theme, “Follow the Light,” was inspired by a speech Webster recently gave in which he talked about the importance of a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, calling his Christian conversion “the most important decision” in his life.

Webster, who did not expect to speak at the event, said he is currently developing a speech asserting that America needs a “revival of principle … among politicians,” a “revival of character for our people” and a revival of Christianity.

SENATOR GRANT Photo by Joni B. Hannigan

“I would encourage you and beg you to get yourself involved in those three things, doing everything you can to revive this country with principle and character and the Christian religion because without it I think we’re headed and spiraling down. With it, a great renewal could sweep this land and I pray that it will,” Webster said.

“What’s been done here tonight—maybe it’s the candle that’s been lit and I pray that it will be passed on everywhere across this country, not for anything about me but about Him, the Lord Jesus Christ. May He be exalted and glorified in every one of our lives and in doing so may we be more than conquerors,” Webster said, quoting the Apostle Paul, noting that Christians should not simply defeat opponents but “win over our enemies.”

“If we’ll do that then life will be great in the country again, and I pray that would be the case,” he said.

Webster, the first Republican House Speaker in the Florida Legislature in 122 years when he won the post in 1996, was lauded by several of his former colleagues in the Florida Legislature.

SENATOR WISE Photo by Joni B. Hannigan

Former Sen. John Grant (R-Tampa), a member of Idlewild Baptist Church in Lutz, noted Webster’s successful sponsorship of legislation to protect homeschool education, even as a member of the minority party in the House.

“Even people who didn’t agree with him philosophically knew that he believed in service above self. He believed that the real problems facing the world are not scientific, economic and technological, they’re moral and theological. He’s a man of principal,” Grant said.

Sen. Steve Wise (R-Jacksonville), a member of First Baptist Church in Jacksonville, shared a “Spartan” apartment with Webster in Tallahassee for many years and praised his former colleague as “a man who is God’s man. A man whose wisdom was sought by all.”

CONGRESSMAN POSEY Photo by Joni B. Hannigan

U.S. Rep. Bill Posey (R-15th), a former colleague in both the Florida House and Senate, called Webster, “Clearly, the most honorable and principled human being that I’ve ever met. … He’s just been a wonderful example of what leadership should be about in our government.”

Clayton Cloer, pastor of First Baptist Church of Central Florida in Orlando, said he was called to the congregation of which Webster is a longtime member after the senator served on the pastor-search committee that called him six years ago.

Cloer said Webster reminds him of John the Baptist, the New Testament prophet who testified to Jesus Christ.

CLAYTON CLOER Photo by Joni B. Hannigan

“It’s been a joy to watch Dan just be a man of honor, a man of God—true to his convictions, in love with Jesus, in love with his family, in love with his church and faithful,” he said.

Webster’s wife, Sandy, and 24-year-old son Jordan, also lauded Webster as a wonderful husband and father.

Sandy told the story of her Christian conversion, led by the man who would later become her husband.

DENNIS BAXLEY Photo by Joni B. Hannigan

“He tells everyone he has a great follow up plan, which is, just marry her!” she said.

Calling him a “man of prayer,” Sandy explained that Webster prays for opponents and supporters, and noted his resolutions in 2007 and 2008 in the Legislature urging Floridians to call upon God to spare the Sunshine State of hurricanes coincided with mild hurricane seasons.

SENATOR ATWATER Photo by Joni B. Hannigan

“He is a man that meditates on God’s Word day and night,” Sandy said. “And we’re promised in Joshua if you do that and if you obey it that He will bless you and He will make you successful. And I think that’s exactly what God has done. I believe God’s hand is on Dan’s life.”

Jordan talked about his life growing up as the child of a prominent legislator who would take his children to Tallahassee with him because he wanted to spend time with them.

“My dad wanted people to know that not only did he stand for family in the Legislature, he stood for us no matter what,” Jordan said.

He lauded his father’s support for sanctity of human life in the case of brain-damaged woman Terri Schiavo and marriage in the case of the Florida Marriage Protection Amendment.

TONI JENNINGS Photo by Joni B. Hannigan

“I want you to know that the reason that my dad has been able to take the tough stands, the reason he’s been able to value us as his kids is because he has put Jesus Christ on the throne of his life,” he said.

To sustained applause and cheering, Jordan concluded his comments, “Dad, I love you. And may Jesus Christ bless you with an opportunity to serve this state again in an even higher office than you’ve held before.”

(For an in-depth profile of Webster, noting the recognitions of him for his retirement from the Legislature, see May 8, 2008, article “Webster leaves Legislature with family, principles, faith intact” in Florida Baptist Witness. Webster has served as a member of the Witness Board of Directors since 2008.)

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