H.R. No. 448
                                  R E S O L U T I O N
    1-1        WHEREAS, This year the Reverend Ralph M. Smith celebrates his
    1-2  35 years of faithful service as pastor to the congregation of the
    1-3  Hyde Park Baptist Church in Austin; and
    1-4        WHEREAS, This outstanding clergyman was graduated from
    1-5  Ouachita Baptist University in 1952 and received his doctoral
    1-6  degree in theology from the Southwestern Baptist Theological
    1-7  Seminary in 1960; the recipient of an honorary doctor of divinity
    1-8  degree from Ouachita Baptist University, he has also been honored
    1-9  with the designation of the Ralph M. and Bess N. Smith Chair of
   1-10  Preaching at the Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary; and
   1-11        WHEREAS, During his early years as a pastor in Arkansas,
   1-12  Dr. Smith served congregations at the Brownstown Baptist Church,
   1-13  Sayre Baptist Church, Lake Hamilton Baptist Church, and Oak Grove
   1-14  Baptist Church; he came to the Lone Star State in 1956 to begin his
   1-15  ministry at the First Baptist Church in Rosenberg and, only four
   1-16  years later, moved to Austin to pursue his true calling as pastor
   1-17  of the Hyde Park Baptist Church; and
   1-18        WHEREAS, Under the able ministry of Reverend Smith, the Hyde
   1-19  Park Baptist Church has experienced phenomenal growth during the
   1-20  last 35 years, expanding from a small membership of 1,700 members
   1-21  in 1960 to a current congregation of 10,000; the brethren of the
   1-22  church have purchased or constructed several new sanctuaries,
   1-23  education buildings, and recreational facilities, including a
   1-24  58-acre site containing tennis courts, soccer fields, softball
    2-1  diamonds, picnic grounds, a spring-fed lake, and a 300-seat
    2-2  tabernacle used for special performances; and
    2-3        WHEREAS, A man of great vision and inspiration, Pastor Smith
    2-4  has been instrumental in guiding the church into a wide range of
    2-5  ministries and missions that are located from Austin to Rio de
    2-6  Janeiro; in addition to helping develop a successful radio and
    2-7  television ministry, this remarkable individual has written
    2-8  numerous books for the ecclesiastical community, including Helping
    2-9  Churches Grow, Living the Spirit-Filled Life, and Facing Life's
   2-10  Challenges with Confidence; and
   2-11        WHEREAS, In his tireless pursuit of ways to improve the lives
   2-12  of those around him, Dr. Smith has shared his valuable expertise
   2-13  and insight as the director of the Citizens Insurance Company, a
   2-14  member of the Austin Diagnostic Clinic advisory board, and a
   2-15  founding board member of Shoal Creek Hospital; a former trustee at
   2-16  Baylor University and the Southwestern Baptist Theological
   2-17  Seminary, he has over the years worked closely with the Austin
   2-18  Baptist Association, the Baptist Convention of Texas, and the
   2-19  Southern Baptist Convention; and
   2-20        WHEREAS, In addition to his many ministerial duties and
   2-21  concerns, this exceptional pastor is a devoted family man who
   2-22  enjoys a happy and successful marriage with his wife, Bess M. Noble
   2-23  Smith, and who takes great pride in the accomplishments of his
   2-24  three children, Charlene Diane Love, Wallace Morgan Smith, and
   2-25  Peyton Noble Smith; renowned for his love of the outdoors, he is
   2-26  also an avid skier, golfer, hunter, and fisherman; and
   2-27        WHEREAS, The Reverend Ralph M. Smith has touched the lives of
    3-1  countless people throughout his more than quarter of a century of
    3-2  service to the Hyde Park Baptist Church; his outstanding spiritual
    3-3  leadership, understanding guidance, and strong faith have been a
    3-4  source of inspiration and enlightenment to all those who know him;
    3-5  now, therefore, be it
    3-6        RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 74th Texas
    3-7  Legislature hereby honor the Reverend Ralph M. Smith on his 35
    3-8  years of exceptional service as pastor of the Hyde Park Baptist
    3-9  Church and commend him on the many significant contributions he has
   3-10  made to the betterment of his community and state; and, be it
   3-11  further
   3-12        RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be
   3-13  prepared for Dr. Smith as an expression of high esteem by the Texas
   3-14  House of Representatives.