H.R. No. 77 R E S O L U T I O N 1-1 WHEREAS, As the international presiding bishop and chief 1-2 executive officer of the Church of God in Christ, Bishop Louis 1-3 Henry Ford has provided outstanding spiritual leadership and 1-4 attended to the practical concerns of this flourishing church, 1-5 which numbers more than four million members worldwide; and 1-6 WHEREAS, A native of Clarksdale, Mississippi, this humble 1-7 servant of God was called to the ministry at an early age; 1-8 displaying superb organizational skill and management ability, he 1-9 quickly rose to prominence in the Church of God in Christ, filling 1-10 key leadership positions and spreading his inspirational message as 1-11 a talented preacher; and 1-12 WHEREAS, Bishop Ford is the founding pastor of St. Paul 1-13 Church of God in Christ in Chicago, Illinois, where he has seen to 1-14 the needs of his congregation for the past 58 years, lending 1-15 spiritual guidance and moral support to countless individuals 1-16 during that span; and 1-17 WHEREAS, Before being elected to his current positions in 1-18 1990, he had served an extraordinary tenure as the assistant 1-19 presiding bishop for 18 years and gained widespread recognition in 1-20 that capacity for his devotion to religious principles and to the 1-21 needs of the church; and 1-22 WHEREAS, In his current role, Bishop Ford is directing work 1-23 on a number of important church projects, including the remodeling 1-24 of the church-owned Mason Temple in Memphis, Tennessee, and the 2-1 reopening of Saints College in Lexington, Mississippi; and 2-2 WHEREAS, This dedicated and forward-looking man of God also 2-3 envisions a dynamic role for his church at the forefront of 2-4 institutions helping senior citizens, youth, and the disabled, and 2-5 addressing problems such as homelessness and drug abuse that plague 2-6 our society; and 2-7 WHEREAS, Widely respected and admired by all who know him, 2-8 Bishop Louis Henry Ford has touched the lives of many people 2-9 throughout his ministry and has united the faithful worldwide with 2-10 his vision and initiative; in light of his many contributions, he 2-11 is indeed deserving of special legislative recognition; now, 2-12 therefore, be it 2-13 RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 74th Texas 2-14 Legislature hereby commend Bishop Louis Henry Ford for his 2-15 exemplary service and extend to him sincere best wishes for his 2-16 continued success and happiness in the years to come; and, be it 2-17 further 2-18 RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be 2-19 prepared for Bishop Ford as an expression of highest regard by the 2-20 Texas House of Representatives.