1-1                                     1
 1-2                         SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 1019
 1-3           WHEREAS, The Senate of the State of Texas is pleased to
 1-4     recognize the Reverend Raphael C. Smith, who is retiring after
 1-5     27 years of exceptional service to Mount Olive Baptist Church and
 1-6     to the Austin community; and
 1-7           WHEREAS, During his 27 years as pastor, Reverend Smith
 1-8     has worked hard to extend services and support to Mount Olive's
 1-9     congregation; he established an Under Shepherd Program whose
1-10     function is to keep in contact with and assist in meeting members'
1-11     needs; he also implemented a Transportation Ministry to assist
1-12     members in attending church; and
1-13           WHEREAS, Reverend Smith's tenure saw the establishment of
1-14     an Educational Committee, where members work to develop a unified
1-15     church education program and to award scholarships to the church's
1-16     graduating seniors; and
1-17           WHEREAS, Pastor Smith has addressed the needs of young
1-18     people in his congregation; he instituted a Children's Church for
1-19     three-to-12-year olds; and, in 1981, he began the church's annual
1-20     youth weekend, "Harvest Festival," as well as "Family Night," an
1-21     evening to honor the accomplishments of youth membership; and
 2-1           WHEREAS, Over the almost three decades that Reverend Smith
 2-2     has led Mount Olive, the church has experienced prodigious growth;
 2-3     to meet the expanding congregation's needs, Reverend Smith presided
 2-4     over the construction of new facilities while ensuring the church's
 2-5     fiscal well-being; the congregation saw the burning of its first
 2-6     mortgage of $38,000 in five years and the burning of its second
 2-7     mortgage in only nine years; and
 2-8           WHEREAS, In addition to tending to his congregation's needs,
 2-9     Reverend Smith has managed to serve the Austin community as well;
2-10     he has been President of Saint John Sunday School and the BTU
2-11     Congress; he has served as Co-chair of Austin Interfaith Sponsoring
2-12     Committee and as a member of the Austin Planning Commission; he
2-13     also served as a board member of Austin Meals on Wheels;
2-14     Reverend Smith is a past president of the Baptist Minister's Union
2-15     of Austin, as well as President of the Central East Austin Care
2-16     Givers; and
2-17           WHEREAS, His many hours of selfless civic service and
2-18     spiritual guidance have earned Reverend Smith such honors as
2-19     the Austin Legend Award from Austin's Villager newspaper and an
2-20     Honorary Doctorate from Huston-Tillotson College; and
2-21           WHEREAS, Reverend Smith is a loving husband to Blondell Smith
2-22     and a devoted father to Raneza and Raette Smith; and
2-23           WHEREAS, As Reverend Smith is a native of Loveland, Ohio,
2-24     the Texas Senate is pleased to have this distinguished gentleman
 3-1     among its citizenry; he has earned the love and respect of his
 3-2     family and community; for his years of spiritual guidance, his
 3-3     magnanimous spirit, and his kind heart, the congregation of
 3-4     Mount Olive Baptist Church is thankful; now, therefore, be it
 3-5           RESOLVED, That the Senate of the State of Texas,
 3-6     76th Legislature, hereby commend and honor Reverend Raphael C. Smith
 3-7     for his many years of outstanding service to his congregation and
 3-8     to Austin; and, be it further
 3-9           RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution be prepared
3-10     for Reverend Smith as an expression of high regard from the
3-11     Texas Senate.
3-12                                                              Barrientos
3-13                                  ______________________________________
3-14                                          President of the Senate
3-15                                       I hereby certify that the above
3-16                                  Resolution was adopted by the Senate
3-17                                  on May 19, 1999.
3-18                                  ______________________________________
3-19                                          Secretary of the Senate
3-20                                  ______________________________________
3-21                                           Member, Texas Senate