Judge Wayne Mack hosts 1st Annual Prayer Breakfast October 23

Judge Wayne Mack hosted the 1st Annual Prayer Breakfast October 23, at the Lone Star Convention & Expo Center. Civic and community leaders, business owners, and friends, came together to reflect on the blessings in the community. The following statement was issued by Judge Wayne Mack...

We are fortunate in Texas and especially in our part of Texas to have faith, family and concern for our fellow citizens be so much a part of our way of life, we often forget that many others around this great nation are not so blessed.

As we have promoted our Chaplaincy program and Our Prayer Breakfast for this Thursday at the Lone Star Convention Center, we have discovered many from around the country do not share our values. I have received volumes of hate email, postal mail, phone calls, even twitter tweets wishing me ill, I had my event registration flooded with bogus sponsorships. Atheists have fabricated facts to suit their agenda's and even used fabricated and imaginary events to create a complaint to file with the Texas Commission on Judicial conduct.

While their concern lies with promoting the absence of faith in public life, the indisputable fact is that our practice has a socially beneficial result. We have over 60 churches with various doctrines and beliefs who stand ready to respond to the moments of crisis; not only in PCT 1, but throughout Montgomery county should the need arise. As Justice of the Peace, I am responsible for determining the cause and manor of death in all cases not attended by a physician, there has been as many as 4 in one day and often with horrific situations. These fine people are volunteers to help me bring peace to the storms of your fellow citizens. They help me care for the living at one of the worst moments of their lives. I intend to honor the Court Chaplains service to our community, as I believe we all should.

I established at the beginning of my service in office, the custom of having an opening ceremony to each court session, consisting of an opening prayer and the pledge to the flag. While it gives me an opportunity to acknowledge the service of our Chaplains as we rotate among them, I find it also brings sanctity to the court and creates a spirit to bring resolution to conflict. A moment of silence or prayer often helps people center themselves emotionally. I always know at least one of the parties do not want to be there, they are summoned or compelled to be there. There is stress I want to reduce, in order to effectively conduct the business of the court.

In an effort to promote impartiality I have a procedure to allow for all to feel comfortable, prior to the start of court my bailiff reads instructions on courtroom decorum, conduct in the court, cell phones etc. and the process to be followed that day. It is announced that the court, as a custom, has an opening ceremony that consists of a prayer and pledges to the flags, that attendance is not mandatory, that their attendance has no bearing on the outcome of their case and that the court would begin in 5 min., to be back if they chose not to be present. All of this accomplished before I enter the court and out of my presence. Then the call to order and all rise is made by the bailiff, I then enter and tell everyone present that the court has a chaplaincy program that the chaplains will come at the families request to help bring peace to the storm at their moment of loss. That, I recognize their efforts and have invited one of the sixty pastors to open the session of court with a prayer. That is then followed by the pledge to the flags and then court begins. Those people that we serve know of my reverence for the constitution and the rule of law.

We are an effective court. Over the last 175 days there have been over 5100 new cases filed, we have disposed of over 4500 cases, there have been over 450 civil trials, 201 evictions, over 1200 warrants issued and 103 death inquests. With all that activity across two offices, there has not been a single session of court where someone did not come up to me to compliment me on the proceedings, thank me for having the prayer and pledge as part of the opening ceremony. We have not had a single contempt charge become necessary, we have not had any courtroom disturbances. So for those who ask what secular purpose the opening ceremonies provide, I say it brings specific focus on the proceedings at hand and the constitutional authority from which the proceedings are derived.

A single purpose atheistic organization, assuming facts that they did not actually witness have demanded that we stop our practice. Their story has been distorted into other stories and promoted amongst 1,000's attempting to find outrage. I have received such hate, I believe they must be very hurting souls.

They say that our way of life, affects their way of life. Their story has now been distorted online to say that they are responsible for provoking this prayer breakfast on Thursday October 23rd at the Lone Star Convention Center as a response to them. To that, I say if that is true, then it must have been God's will from the beginning. The event has been in planning for months, the keynote speaker, comedian George W. Bush impersonator John Morgan has been booked since July, the announcement mailing has been distributed for 5 weeks. Tickets have been available at waynemack.org for months.

I have no indifference to the public's perception of impartiality of the court as they claim, only indifference to their authority to impose their values on my court. If you share in the belief that family, faith and community are values of importance in Montgomery County then come join with us, connect with us, support us. Your presence helps make a statement that my office practice is reflective of the community standard Together we can make a difference!

We will have seating for 1000 and will guarantee breakfast buffet to the first 600 to arrive. The doors will open at 6:45am and the program will begin at 7:45. We will celebrate faith, family and community. You will be uplifted, entertained and inspired...Judge Wayne Mack, Justice of the Peace Precinct 1