WASHINGTON (BP) — Steve Amerson, founder of The Word on the Hill ministry, encountered a U.S. representative from Florida in the hallway of the Longworth office building during a recent congressional session.

“Ahh, the great encourager,” the representative greeted Amerson. “That was probably the best compliment that I could receive,” Amerson told Baptist Press.

For the past 10 years, Amerson has been a gospel presence on Capitol Hill through his Word on the Hill ministry, lending his tenor voice at Wednesday night worship services, handwriting and personally delivering notes of encouragement to representatives and senators regardless of party affiliation and praying with them as opportunity arises.

“These members and their staff have learned that I’m safe,” Amerson said. “I’m not a lobbyist. I’m not a reporter. I’m not there as a constituent. I’m not asking for anything. That is very, very unusual on Capitol Hill.

“My purpose is to be an encourager.”

Among his outreaches the past nine years has been Carols in the Capitol, held this season on Dec. 4 in the Rayburn Office Building. Joining Amerson and others from Word on the Hill were an audience including members of Congress, Capitol Hill employees and special guests.

Those gathered sang long-favored hymns pleading “O Come, All Ye Faithful,” to behold and adore King Jesus, heralding His birth as an occasion for “Joy to the World,” and describing a wondrous “Silent Night, Holy Night.”

Interspersed between greetings from congressional members and Bible readings were solos from Amerson, a Christian recording artist who has also sung on more than 175 feature films, numerous television shows and commercials, but also sings in small and large churches across the country. “Emmanuel,” “Mary, Did You Know,” and “Some Children See Him” were Amerson’s solos for the event.

Amerson sees the Rayburn Room, on the House side of the Capitol, as a significant location for Carols in the Capitol. When he arrived to set up for the event Wednesday, he said, King Abdullah II bin Al Hussein of Jordan was meeting in the room with Speaker of the House Mike Johnson behind locked doors and heavy security.

“It’s a very important room in the Capitol, and the point is that we were in there singing Christmas carols, in the Capitol, and the room was full,” Amerson said. “And carols praising the birth of the Savior were ringing through the halls of the Capitol.

“In my opinion, that’s no small thing.”

Amerson began singing at the Capitol in June 2014 when the Capitol worship services were relaunched, he said, after last being held in 1869. Dan Cummins of Capitol Worship invited Amerson to sing at the worship service that is held Wednesday evenings in the speaker of the house’s private dining hall.

Amerson saw in the invitation an opportunity from God, launching The Word on The Hill ministry with a broad Bible-based outreach to Congress and workers there. He invites people to sign up for his newsletters. Learn more about the ministry here.

The worship service enjoys bipartisan support, drawing as few as a handful of worshipers to more than 100, depending on the congressional calendar. Former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, D-Ca., first approved use of the room, which was continued under Johnson.

Amerson sings at the worship service twice a month, with Cummins and others filling the preaching slots.

Amerson arrives two days in advance of each service, typically walking 14 miles on Capitol Hill to deliver 220 handwritten notes of encouragement to members of Congress.

“You’re the one who’s been praying for me,” a congress member from California said to him one year, seeing him for the first time after he’d left notes in her office two years running without having met her.

Capitol Hill is not a church, but Amerson sees the venue and the 18,000 employees as somewhat of a congregation.

“There are needs all over Capitol Hill,” he said. “It’s not my church, but it’s kind of my congregation, kind of my target audience. It’s 18,000 people, and 545 of them who are some of the most powerful people in the world that are making crucial decisions.

“We can’t go in there wagging our finger,” he said. “Work on the Hill is all about relationship. Whether I’m engaging with a Republican or a Democrat, it’s all about relationship.”

(EDITOR’S NOTE — Diana Chandler is Baptist Press’ senior writer.)