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1
HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION

 
2     WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois General Assembly are
3 pleased to congratulate Reverend William H. Copeland, Jr. on
4 the occasion of his retirement as pastor of Morning Star
5 Missionary Baptist Church in Kankakee; and
 
6     WHEREAS, Reverend William H. Copeland, Jr. was born in Winn
7 Parish, Louisiana; after completing high school in Louisiana,
8 he earned his Bachelor of Science degree from Missouri Western
9 University in St. Joseph, Missouri; he also attended National
10 College in Kansas City, Missouri, and the University of
11 Missouri at Kansas City; he received theological training from
12 Western Baptist College, Kansas City National Baptist, and
13 William Jewel College in Liberty, Missouri; he holds an
14 Honorary Doctorate of Divinity degree from Morris College and
15 McKinley Theological Seminary; and
 
16     WHEREAS, Reverend William H. Copeland, Jr. was called to
17 pastor Morning Star Missionary Baptist Church in 1971; under
18 his leadership, the church erected a half-million dollar
19 edifice in 1976, with the mortgage being fully satisfied in
20 1986; the church then purchased and renovated what now serves
21 as the Morning Star Community Center for $300,000;
22 additionally, the ministries of Morning Star have grown
23 tremendously, and the church is currently recognized as a

 

 

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1 positive and influential social and political icon in the
2 Kankakeeland community; and
 
3     WHEREAS, Reverend William H. Copeland, Jr. is active in
4 many civic and community organizations; he has served as
5 president of the Kankakee branch of the NAACP and served as
6 president of the Northeastside Ministerial Alliance; he is a
7 member of the Kankakee Interfaith Clergy and the Young Men's
8 Christian Association; and
 
9     WHEREAS, Reverend William H. Copeland, Jr. has been the
10 recipient of numerous awards; he received the Ebony Esteem
11 Award for "Man of the Year" and "Most Outstanding Man in
12 Religion" for Kankakee County in August of 1975; he was named
13 "Minister of the Year" by the Midwestern Illinois Laymen's
14 Fellowship; he has also been the recipient of an Illinois State
15 Police Community Service Award, a Kankakee Law Enforcement
16 Award, the NAACP President's Award for Outstanding Community
17 Service, the Dr. Martin Luther King Award from the City of
18 Miami, Florida, and Keys to the City of both Miami, Florida and
19 Kankakee; and
 
20     WHEREAS, A banquet will be held for Reverend William H.
21 Copeland, Jr. on Saturday, April 19, 2008 in honor of his great
22 contributions to the people of the Kankakee area; therefore, be
23 it
 

 

 

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1     RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
2 NINETY-FIFTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, THE
3 SENATE CONCURRING HEREIN, that we congratulate Reverend
4 William H. Copeland, Jr. on the occasion of his retirement and
5 wish him many happy and healthy retirement years; and be it
6 further
 
7     RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
8 presented to Reverend William H. Copeland, Jr. as an expression
9 of our esteem.