Full Text of HR0583 93rd General Assembly
HR0583 93RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY
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HR0583 |
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LRB093 14661 KEF 40203 r |
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| HOUSE RESOLUTION
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| WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of | 3 |
| Representatives recognize Progressive Baptist Church of Aurora | 4 |
| on the occasion of its 40th anniversary; and
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| WHEREAS, In November of 1963, eleven faithful Christians | 6 |
| began a prayer services in the home of Dan and Rosie Stewart, | 7 |
| at 803 East Benton Street; out of the midst was born | 8 |
| Progressive Baptist Church formally organized in December of | 9 |
| that same year; armed with a strong Christian faith embodied in | 10 |
| love, their vision led them onward with founding pastor, | 11 |
| Reverend Robert Wesby; and
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| WHEREAS, Progressive Baptist Church has come this far by | 13 |
| faith; this church was founded upon the principles of charity | 14 |
| and liberation of the captives; the church immediately began to | 15 |
| experience the manifestation of these challenges in that it | 16 |
| endured two fires within the building of questionable origin, | 17 |
| cross burnings in front of the church, bomb threats, endless | 18 |
| obscene phone calls, as well as hate mail; the perils of these | 19 |
| challenges were instrumental in drawing the church family even | 20 |
| closer together; and
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| WHEREAS, Pastor Wesby was well known in the community as a | 22 |
| civil rights crusader and social activist who was closely | 23 |
| acquainted with such civil rights leaders as the Rev. Dr. | 24 |
| Martin Luther King Jr. and the Rev. Jesse Jackson; he was | 25 |
| instrumental in establishing the Aurora Urban League as well as | 26 |
| the first blood bank and the first food bank; he was the | 27 |
| guiding force of the Church until his murder in July 1988; it | 28 |
| was a great blow to the Church and the community; since then, | 29 |
| the congregation has continued its ministry under the | 30 |
| leadership of the Rev. Roy R. Brown, the current pastor and the | 31 |
| second in the Church's history; and
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LRB093 14661 KEF 40203 r |
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| WHEREAS, Pastor Brown, a retired corporate executive, has | 2 |
| brought to Progressive an anointed Teaching/Preaching ministry | 3 |
| that is moving Progressive Church to higher heights; he is | 4 |
| known as a visionary leader with exceptional leadership, | 5 |
| organizational, and administrative talents; and
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| WHEREAS, Progressive Baptist Church is a beacon of light in | 7 |
| the Fox Valley community, unafraid to right the wrongs, to feed | 8 |
| the poor, clothe the naked, demand civil liberties, speak for | 9 |
| the less fortunate, and open it's doors to anyone considered | 10 |
| disadvantaged; therefore, be it
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| RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE | 12 |
| NINETY-THIRD GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we | 13 |
| recognize Progressive Baptist Church on the occasion of its | 14 |
| 40th anniversary of service and dedication to the Fox Valley | 15 |
| community; and be it further
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| RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be | 17 |
| presented to Progressive Baptist Church Reverend Roy Brown as | 18 |
| an expression of our respect and esteem.
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