Making space for faith in the House of Representatives: Douglas Tanner set up an institute to inject faith values into the US House of Representatives—and to make sure that members are up to speed on their country's racial history - Profile

For A Change, Feb-March, 2002 by Bob Webb

Clearly Tanner is up to the task. `This is an unusual man--decent, fair, always reaching out to people and sensitive to the core issues of faith and politics,' says Houghton. E Terri LaVelle, the Institute's programme director, says Tanner has a `very strong work ethic'. At the same time he occasionally breaks his pace: `Sometimes in the middle of the afternoon, he belts (out) a bluegrass song ... The first time he did that I thought, "This guy is having a nervous breakdown," but now we all expect it, especially after working on some long-term projects.' Obviously Tanner is no stranger to stress.

For all his energetic commitment, Tanner knows he'd be lost without his staff, board and volunteers. `He's learning to share and solicit ideas,' says LaVelle. And he believes in nurturing his staff. Every other Monday, for example, he and his co-workers have a reflection time. Once or twice a year he takes them on a staff retreat. At root, his faith shines through. `As a Christian he knows that we've been given the ministry of reconciliation, and that conviction shapes his strong desire to be in word and deed bipartisan and have events that bridge and build across divides,' comments LaVelle.