HR0639 100TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0639 LRB100 14910 ALS 29887 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of Representatives wish to congratulate the congregation of the West Point Missionary Baptist Church on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of its founding; and

WHEREAS, On April 19, 1917, a small group of baptized believers met to discuss the organization of a Missionary Baptist Church; the group established the West Point Baptist Church, named after the city in Mississippi from which a number of the organizers transitioned; Reverend R. H. Harmon was called to be their first pastor; and

WHEREAS, Reverend Harmon's primary responsibility was to secure an independent place of worship; Reverend Harmon and the West Point Missionary Church members purchased the old St. Mark Methodist Episcopal Church in the winter of 1917; after several weeks of hard labor by the church's members, the building was ready for occupancy; the congregation moved into the church on the third Sunday of May 1918; to date, the building is 141 years old and is still owned and operated by the church; and

WHEREAS, In July 1922, Reverend Brown became the church's second pastor; through his powerful gospel preaching and spiritual leadership, the membership increased from 85 to 3,000; he cast the vision for a new, modern facility and completed the purchase of additional land to build a parking lot and a new church center; however, his health began to fail, and he subsequently discontinued active leadership; and

WHEREAS, At the request of Reverend James H. Brown, one of the church's staff ministers, Reverend Dr. Carroll J. Thompson, served as interim pastor; he was a scholar and prolific writer; after the death of Reverend Brown, Reverend Thompson was elected as the church's third pastor; he was known as a caring and compassionate pastor, who regularly visited his parishioners; he made it his goal to fulfill Reverend Brown's dream of building a new church; he retired in 1997; and

WHEREAS, Reverend Corey Brooks became the fourth pastor of the church; he introduced a new methodology of worship, which resulted in a substantial growth of younger parishioners; under his leadership, several activities, including clothing and hospitality ministries were implemented; after three years of service, Reverend Brooks resigned his position; and

WHEREAS, In November 2001, after a yearlong search, Dr. L. Bernard Jakes was elected as the fifth pastor of West Point Baptist Church; he was responsible for bringing healing, reconciliation, and restoration; Reverend Dr. Jakes started many new programs, including a community Thanksgiving dinner; youth Bible study, family and friends community day,and a health fair; he has led the church in Operation Divine Restoration and constructed neighborhood town homes, created new ministries for the community, and empowered the laity to actively engage in social justice; in 2010, Dr. Jakes began referring to West Point as The Faith Family of West Point Missionary Baptist Church; while not a constitutional name change, it is a description as to who the local church is, a family of faith; and

WHEREAS, Dr. Jakes is highly involved with local, state, and federal policy makers and utilizes his voice as a local pastor to speak truth to power as it relates to social justice, social action, and social accountability; he serves as a working member on The Mayor's Commission for a Safer Chicago, the Faith Based Leaders Advisory Board of the Cook County Public Defender's Office, and a member of the Board of Trustees for Elmhurst College; additionally, he serves as a spiritual advisor to several local and state politicians; he shares his ministry with his wife, Lady Carole Denise and their children, Brandon and Erika; and

WHEREAS, The accomplishments of The Faith Family of West Point Missionary Baptist Church could not have been achieved without the dedication and commitment of its members; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE HUNDREDTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we congratulate the congregation of the West Point Missionary Baptist Church on the creation of a divinely inspired ministry and community outreach effort over the course of 100 years in the Chicago area; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a copy of this resolution be presented to Reverend Dr. L. Bernard Jakes, Senior Pastor and teacher of The Faith Family of West Point Missionary Baptist Church in Chicago.