HR0731 101ST GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0731 LRB101 20452 LAW 70012 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of Representatives wish to congratulate Reverend Marvin E. Wiley on 29 years as pastor of Rock of Ages Baptist Church in Maywood; and

WHEREAS, Rev. Wiley is a native of Pine Bluff, Arkansas; he was baptized at the age of seven; he graduated from Pine Bluff High School in 1978; he attended Dallas Baptist College in Dallas, Texas; he graduated from the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff; and

WHEREAS, Rev. Wiley was ordained at the Eighth Avenue Baptist Church in Pine Bluff in May 1981; while in Pine Bluff, he served as pastor at the Pilgrim Baptist Church from 1981 to 1988 and the Pleasant Grove Baptist Church from 1988 to 1991; he became the pastor of Rock of Ages Baptist Church in March 1991, the church's second pastor in its 69-year history; and

WHEREAS, Rev. Wiley led the Rock of Ages Baptist Church to spiritual, numerical, and financial growth, including the construction of the church's Worship Service Facility at 1309 Madison Street to accommodate the growth in membership; he also founded the nonprofit Vision of Restoration, Inc., which was founded to restore the broken lives of residents in Maywood and surrounding communities by providing educational and economic development, mental and social services, and career development and enhancement; he was also instrumental in the opening of the T.H. Wade Foundation Center, a four-level, multi-million dollar facility that opened in November 2004 and offers many additional resources for worship, training, education, and business; and

WHEREAS, Rev. Wiley has traveled across the country to lead services focused on leadership, stewardship, and evangelism; he also served on the executive committee of the corporate board of directors of the Sunday School Publishing Board of the National Baptist Convention, USA, Inc.; in addition, he has served on numerous civic and community boards during the course of his ministry; and

WHEREAS, During the course of his nearly 40-year career, Rev. Wiley has earned a number of accolades; he was recognized in the 2006 inaugural edition of Who's Who in Black Chicago, a publication showcasing the achievements of influential African American leaders in the Chicago area; most notably, he was inducted into the Martin Luther King Jr. Board of Preachers of Morehouse College in Atlanta, Georgia on April 3, 2008; and

WHEREAS, Rev. Wiley is the father of Madilyn Ellise and Jarrett Ryan; he is the grandfather of Jarret Ryan Jr.; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE HUNDRED FIRST GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we congratulate Reverend Marvin E. Wiley on 29 years as pastor of Rock of Ages Baptist Church and wish him many more wonderful years; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to Rev. Wiley as a symbol of our respect and esteem.