HR0247 LRB096 12234 KXB 25041 r

1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

 
2     WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of
3 Representatives are pleased to congratulate Reverend Howard
4 Wills, Sr., of the Greater New Hope Missionary Baptist Church
5 in Kankakee, on his 25th anniversary as a pastor; and
 
6     WHEREAS, Reverend Howard L. Wills, Sr., was born in
7 Chicago, the fifth child of Reverend Joseph and Eliza Wills; as
8 early as 10 years old Pastor Wills knew he was destined to be a
9 preacher; in preparation for this calling on his life, he was
10 converted at age 10 and baptized by Reverend Hezekiah Brady
11 Sr.; and
 
12     WHEREAS, As a young man he worked with the Sunday School
13 ministry as a teacher and superintendent, Baptist Training
14 Union, Choir Ministry, and Junior Deacon Ministry; in 1969 he
15 was drafted into the United States Army and served two years,
16 including a tour of duty in Vietnam; in 1973 he married Carol
17 A. Riley and God blessed them with two sons, Howard, Jr., and
18 Devin Christopher; and
 
19     WHEREAS, Pastor Wills accepted his calling to preach in
20 1977; to equip himself for the work of preaching God's word he
21 attended Austin Peay University in Clarksville, Tennessee,
22 Kankakee Community College, Chicago Baptist Institute, Moody

 

 

HR0247 - 2 - LRB096 12234 KXB 25041 r

1 Bible Institute, and Liberty University in Lynchburg,
2 Virginia; he has been a member of the B.E.S.T. Conference of
3 Los Angeles, California for 13 years, which specializes in the
4 study of Greek and Hebrew; and
 
5     WHEREAS, Reverend Wills began pastoring the Greater New
6 Hope Missionary Baptist Church February 12, 1984, after eleven
7 years as Assistant Pastor under his father Reverend Joseph
8 Wills, Sr.; he has pastored the Greater New Hope Church for 25
9 years, where he has been instrumental in raising the standards
10 for the church community and building a $1.6 million edifice to
11 accommodate a growing congregation and ministry; and
 
12     WHEREAS, In the last 25 years he has helped to organize the
13 Chris Lloyd Scholarship Foundation, clothing ministry, food
14 ministry, and the Outreach Ministry at the River Valley
15 Supportive Living facility; under his leadership the church has
16 purchased several properties on Cottage Avenue and Cedar Street
17 for future building plans; Pastor Wills has held various
18 positions in civic and denominational organizations, serving
19 as President of the Minister's Alliance of Kankakee County,
20 Assistant Dean of Religion for the Baptist General State
21 Convention of Illinois, and Chairman of Membership for the
22 Baptist General State Convention of Illinois; and he was a
23 member of the Federal Loan Review Committee, a board member of
24 United Way Organization, as well as a board member and

 

 

HR0247 - 3 - LRB096 12234 KXB 25041 r

1 organizer of the Dr. Martin Luther King Foundation; and
 
2     WHEREAS, Pastor Wills has always had a love and a passion
3 for teaching and preaching God's Word and for pastoring the
4 people of God; like his father, he is truly a man committed to
5 God's calling and His vision; therefore, be it
 
6     RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
7 NINETY-SIXTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we
8 congratulate Reverend Wills on twenty-five years of service to
9 the church and community and wish him all the best in his
10 future endeavors; and be it further
 
11     RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
12 presented to Reverend Howard L. Wills, Sr., as a symbol of our
13 respect and esteem.