John Bel Edwards: “I thank Dr. Ogilvie for helping work to get Dr. Elliott here this morning. Dr. Ogilvie has been a wonderful friend and…”

“I thank Dr. Ogilvie for helping work to get Dr. Elliott here this morning. Dr. Ogilvie has been a wonderful friend and counselor to me in the short time I have been here, and we are also very pleased to see he is doing well. Dr. Elliott, the guest Chaplain today, is the minister of my home church, the church of which I am a member in Raleigh, NC. Edenton Street United Methodist Church is a church of which we are very proud-- about 3,000 strong, I think, the last time I saw. He is here this morning with his lovely wife Jackie. We are very proud to have both of them with us. The church itself, as I say, is a church of which we are extremely proud. It is a church that is involved in every aspect of ministering to the community in Raleigh and outside of Raleigh. Dr. Elliott has provided extraordinary leadership for this church. He has been a wonderful friend and counselor to myself and my family. Dr. Elliott, I believe, received his doctorate degree from Duke University and did some postdoctoral study at Drew University. More important than that, though, is that he baptized both of my daughters, Emma Claire and Kate, of whom we are, of course, very proud. But most importantly, Dr. Elliott is a true messenger for God. He speaks the word of God rightly, and he inspires all of us; when he preaches on Sunday morning, we all come out knowing that God was present in our service. That is the most important thing I can say about Dr. Elliott.”