093_HR0319
LRB093 11883 RAH 16194 r
1 HOUSE RESOLUTION
2 WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of
3 Representatives are honored to recognize milestone events in
4 the lives of the citizens of the State of Illinois; and
5 WHEREAS, The Reverend Issac Singleton will celebrate his
6 41st year as a pastor on May 16-18th, 2003; and
7 WHEREAS, Dr. Isaac Singleton is one of the most
8 influential spiritual leaders of our time; he has dedicated
9 his entire life to making a difference for mankind; during
10 the 1950s and 1960s, Dr. Singleton played a major role in the
11 civil rights movement; marching along side Dr. Martin Luther
12 King Jr., Dr. Singleton shared his dream, his vision, and the
13 struggle for equality; as a result of believing right is
14 right and wrong is wrong, Dr. Singleton has gained national
15 notoriety for his efforts in the civil rights movement; lives
16 have been changed as he helped to enforce laws that enabled
17 people to gain jobs, obtain homes, and re-gain their rights
18 in regards to discrimination; and
19 WHEREAS, Dr. Singleton is recognized throughout the world
20 as a leader for all people; he's also recognized as one of
21 the most prolific speaker/teachers of the gospel; for over
22 four decades, Dr. Singleton has been spreading the good news
23 of Jesus Christ around the world; and
24 WHEREAS, For over 40 years, he has also been the pastor
25 of the Mt. Zion Baptist Church; prior to pastoring Mt. Zion,
26 Dr. Singleton pastored the Russell Street Church in East St.
27 Louis, and the Colette Street Church in Danville; and
28 WHEREAS, Under his leadership at the Mt. Zion Baptist
29 Church, membership has grown from 100 to 2,000 members; and
30 WHEREAS, Dr. Singleton presently serves as president for
31 the Metropolitan Alliance Council (MAC); he's the founder and
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1 past president of the Joliet Affiliate Rainbow/P.U.S.H.
2 Coalition and he currently serves as the religious
3 coordinator for the Illinois Rainbow/P.U.S.H. and is an
4 active National Board Member; he is also the founder of the
5 Hill Memorial Center of Joliet; in 1986, Dr. Singleton was
6 one of 150 African-American pastors invited to the White
7 House by President Ronald Reagan to consult on civil rights
8 issues; and
9 WHEREAS, Dr. Singleton has served the community, State,
10 and nation in many capacities including serving as a former
11 trustee for the Will County Regional Education Board, a
12 member of the Joliet Township High School Foundation, an
13 appointee to the Illinois Department of Children and Family
14 Services Advisory Council, a member of the Board of Directors
15 of the Joliet Region Chamber of Commerce, a board member on
16 the Economic Commission of Will County Downtown
17 Redevelopment, President of the Baptist General State
18 Congress of Christian Education of Illinois, instructor of
19 the National Baptist Congress of Christian Education-USA,
20 vice president of the National Baptist Congress,
21 superintendent of Human Relations of the Baptist General
22 State Convention of Illinois for 25 years, and moderator of
23 Lebanon Baptist District Association; and
24 WHEREAS, Dr. Singleton has received many honorary
25 distinctions including inductions into Who's Who Among Black
26 Americans and the Joliet/Will County Hall of Pride; and he
27 has also been awarded the Community Relations Award from the
28 city of Joliet (1970); and
29 WHEREAS, Dr. Isaac Singleton is happily married to the
30 former Pearlie B. Dexter for the past 54 years; together they
31 have six children, 17 grandchildren, and 7
32 great-grandchildren; and
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1 WHEREAS, In honor of his 41st year as a pastor, there
2 will be a celebration on May 16, 2003, where the Rev. Tyrone
3 Crider of Mount Calvary Baptist Church in Chicago will speak;
4 on May 18, 2003, the Rev. William Thompson from First United
5 Baptist Church of Nassau, Bahamas, and the Rev. Charles
6 "Chuck" Singleton of Loveland Church in Fontana, California,
7 will close out the celebration; therefore, be it
8 RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
9 NINETY-THIRD GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that
10 we congratulate the Reverend Isaac Singleton of Mt. Zion
11 Baptist Church on the celebration of his 41st year as a
12 pastor; and be it further
13 RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
14 presented to the Reverend Isaac Singleton as an expression of
15 our esteem.