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1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

 
2     WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of
3 Representatives congratulate Pastor Norman Owens and the
4 congregation of the Macedonia Baptist Church of East St. Louis
5 on the occasion of the opening of the new location for the
6 Macedonia Baptist Church; and
 
7     WHEREAS, Prior to January, 1967, the Macedonia Baptist
8 Church had been served by ten pastors; in January of that same
9 year, Rev. Norman E. Owens came to lead the congregation; and
 
10     WHEREAS, Rev. Owens, his wife, Charlotte, and their three
11 children, Norman Jr., Phyllis, and Michael were living in the
12 nearby town of Madison; they officially came to be with the
13 Macedonia family on the First Sunday of that year; and
 
14     WHEREAS, The family moved to East St. Louis in 1967 because
15 Pastor Owens believed that he could serve the church and
16 community better by being a resident of the city in which he
17 had come to pastor; in May of 1967, Pastor Owens resigned his
18 position as chemistry, physics, and mathematics teacher in the
19 Venice Public School District to devote full time to his ever
20 increasing pastoral responsibilities; and
 
21     WHEREAS, Rev. Owens had received his public education in
22 Madison at the Dunbar School, and earned a Bachelor's Degree
23 from SIU at Carbondale; it was in December of his senior year
24 (1955) that Rev. Owens heard the call to come to the Gospel
25 Ministry, and was licensed by the Southern Baptist Church of
26 Madison; and
 
27     WHEREAS, Mrs. Owens is a Reading Improvement Teacher at
28 Morrison School in East St. Louis; she began working in the
29 District as an office clerk, and was later promoted to
30 bookkeeping responsibilities in the payroll department; as a

 

 

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1 person who is always striving for self-improvement, she took
2 upon herself the mammoth task of continuing her education at
3 Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville, where she
4 received a Bachelor's Degree with majors in elementary
5 Education and Special Education, while working full time,
6 caring for her home, husband, and three children, and working
7 faithfully and diligently in the church to render service
8 wherever she found opportunity; and
 
9     WHEREAS, Mrs. Owens has served as president of the Mission
10 Society, teacher of the Mission, Sunday School teacher of Jr.
11 High Students, member and vice chairman of the Board of
12 Christian Education, and as the Director of Educational
13 Ministries; she often serves on special committees, and has
14 always been a tremendous inspiration to Pastor Owens, her
15 children, and all who come under her influence; in addition to
16 her home, community, and local church activities, she, along
17 with her husband, is very active in District, State, and
18 National Denominational work; and
 
19     WHEREAS, A Ribbon Cutting Ceremony for the new location of
20 the Macedonia Baptist Church was held on February 1, 2004;
21 therefore, be it
 
22     RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
23 NINETY-THIRD GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we
24 congratulate Pastor Norman Owens and the Macedonia Baptist
25 Church on their new church; and be it further
 
26     RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
27 presented Pastor Norman Owens as an expression of our respect
28 and esteem.