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1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

 
2     WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of
3 Representatives are pleased to congratulate Paul Koch on the
4 occasion of his retirement as Senior Pastor of Ebenezer
5 Lutheran Church on June 30, 2009; and
 
6     WHEREAS, Paul Koch was raised in New York City; he attended
7 school at Concordia Junior College in Bronxville, New York and
8 Concordia Senior College in Fort Wayne, Indiana; after spending
9 a year with Richard John Neuhaus in 1965, he enrolled at
10 Concordia Seminary in St. Louis, Missouri; he received his
11 Master of Divinity degree from the seminary in 1970; that same
12 year, he was ordained and began a five year pastorate at
13 Transfiguration Lutheran Church, the oldest African-American
14 Lutheran congregation in St. Louis; and
 
15     WHEREAS, In 1976, Paul Koch accepted the call to serve at
16 Grace Lutheran Church in Detroit (now Genesis Lutheran Church);
17 he also transferred his roster status to the American Lutheran
18 Church at that time; in 1981, he accepted the call to serve at
19 Black Hawk Lutheran Ministry in Waterloo/Cedar Falls, Iowa,
20 which was formed as a new cooperative ministry of five ALC
21 congregations; during his 8 years of service there, the
22 ministry expanded to include LCA congregations and grew to
23 eleven members; the ministry also helped to establish regional

 

 

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1 food banking and build bridges between the white and
2 African-American communities; and
 
3     WHEREAS, In 1989, Paul Koch was called to serve as senior
4 pastor at Ebenezer Lutheran Church; during his tenure as senior
5 pastor, the church's strategy has been to position Ebenezer as
6 a spiritual and community center for those who live in
7 Andersonville and the north side of Chicago; today, the
8 building's constituency includes Latinos, African-Americans,
9 Africans, gays, lesbians, seniors, youth, families, and those
10 with special needs seeking support; and
 
11     WHEREAS, Paul Koch and his wife, Sharon, have two grown
12 sons, Jeremy and Philip; he will now have more time to enjoy
13 his favorite hobbies, which include movies, reading, cycling,
14 and creating art glass projects; and
 
15     WHEREAS, Paul Koch has served as a model of dedication,
16 integrity, and hard work for the people of the State of
17 Illinois; therefore, be it
 
18     RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
19 NINETY-SIXTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we
20 congratulate Paul Koch on the occasion of his retirement and
21 wish him many happy and healthy retirement years; and be it
22 further
 

 

 

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1     RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
2 presented to Paul Koch as an expression of our esteem and
3 respect.