HR0975 99TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0975 LRB099 15529 MST 39819 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of Representatives wish to congratulate Dr. A. Edward Davis, Jr. on the occasion of his 39th anniversary of serving St. John Missionary Baptist Church; and

WHEREAS, Dr. Davis was born on May 2, 1951, the second of 6 children born to the late Dr. A. Edward, Sr. and Vianna Davis; and

WHEREAS, Dr. Davis grew up in Chicago in the Morgan Park Community; he attended John D. Shoop Elementary School and Morgan Park High School; he received his Bachelor of Arts from Trinity College and his masters degree in theology from the Trinity School of Divinity in Deerfield; in August of 2001, he received his doctorate degree in ministry from the Gospel Outreach Theology Institute of Houston, Texas; he received his Doctorate of Biblical Studies from the Midwest Theological Institute of Indiana in March of 2006; and

WHEREAS, On November 10, 1969, Dr. Davis accepted his calling to the ministry and preached his first sermon; after being licensed and ordained, he served as Youth Minister at Mt. Calvary Missionary Baptist Church in Morgan Park; and

WHEREAS, On November 10, 1976, Dr. Davis was called to and elected Pastor of St. John Missionary Baptist Church; with a membership of only 15 parishioners at the time, he led the church in the paying off and burning of its mortgage; the church later embarked upon a $7.8 million building project for a new edifice, including an educational facility and a full-time day care center; in October of 2005, the St. John family moved into their new edifice; he has brought the current membership to over 6450; and

WHEREAS, Dr. Davis also ministers to the community; he is currently appointed by Mayor Rahm Emanuel to head a task force for nonviolence initiative in the Roseland and Pullman Communities; he serves as Administrative First Vice President-Logistics of Clergy Speaks Interdenominational, President of the Nehemiah Restoration Coalition, and has held the position of Chairman of the Zoning Department for the City of Chicago under Mayor Richard Daley; he has served as Vice-Chairman for the Industrial Area Foundation and is Co-Chairman of the African American Baptist Caucus; he is also actively involved with the Operation PUSH, National Baptist Convention USA, the Baptist Pastor's Developing Communities Project, and The NEW Era District; and

WHEREAS, Dr. Davis has received many accolades, including the Spiritual Perspective and the Cornucopia, Men of Valor Award; the Gospel Supreme, Labor of Love Award; the Shoop 49ers Award for Leadership; and the Distinguished God First Leadership Award; he was honored with the AARC Clay Evans Pastoral Excellence Award and the Fred Hampton Scholarship Foundation honored him with the Fred Hampton Image Award; in 1996, he was elected as a Delegate to the National Democratic Convention; Mayor Richard Daley and the Chicago City Council presented him a Proclamation declaring November 14, 1999 as "Reverend A. Edward Davis, Jr. Day"; during the administration of the late Mayor Harold Washington, he was honored by the City Council; on May 23, 1993, he was awarded with a proclamation from the United States Congress, 2nd District of Illinois; and

WHEREAS, Dr. Davis has been called a unique preacher, par-excellence, who has an intellectually sound yet fierce approach to the ministry of the Word; he is the husband of E.J. Davis and the proud father of Amos E. Davis, III; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-NINTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we congratulate Dr. A. Edward Davis, Jr. on his 39th anniversary of serving St. John Missionary Baptist Church and we wish him many more wonderful years; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to Dr. Davis as an expression of our esteem and respect.