HR0981 LRB093 22306 HSS 51386 r

1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

 
2     WHEREAS, The members of the House of Representatives of the
3 State of Illinois are pleased to honor the Reverend Steve Bland
4 Jr. of Rockford for his many years of service to the Rockford
5 community; and
 
6     WHEREAS, Reverend Bland holds a Bachelor of Science in
7 accountancy with a minor in music from Northern Illinois
8 University; he earned a Master of Divinity from Central Baptist
9 Theological Seminary in Kansas City, Kansas, with special
10 studies at Virginia Union Seminary in Richmond, Virginia; he is
11 currently working on a Doctor of Ministry through the Samuel D.
12 Proctor School of Theology in Richmond, Virginia; and
 
13     WHEREAS, Reverend Bland is the senior pastor at Pilgrim
14 Baptist Church in Rockford; Pilgrim Baptist Church is a large,
15 historic, and thriving congregation with holistic ministries
16 that meet the needs of the total person and the entire family;
17 and
 
18     WHEREAS, Reverend Bland has been very active in
19 professional and civic organizations; he is the chairman of the
20 board of the Pilgrim Village Community Development
21 Corporation; the chairman of the Rockford Area Ministerial
22 Alliance; second vice president of the Baptist General State
23 Convention of Illinois; a member of the board of directors of
24 the National Baptist Convention, USA Inc.; vice president of
25 the African American Religious Connection; a member of the
26 board of directors of Central Baptist Theological Seminary in
27 Kansas City, Kansas; president of One Church One Child of
28 Illinois; State Division Lecturer of the Baptist General State
29 Congress of Illinois; vice president/chair of education for the
30 Rockford Ministers Fellowship; a member of the Great Rivers
31 Region of American Baptist Churches; a member of the Mayor's
32 Task Force; and a member of the Superintendent of Schools

 

 

HR0981 - 2 - LRB093 22306 HSS 51386 r

1 Advisory Committee; and
 
2     WHEREAS, Reverend Bland has served as a workshop clinician,
3 a guest speaker, a lecturer, a revival leader, and as a weekend
4 gospel radio talk show host; he previously served as the first
5 national president from 1996 to 2000 of the Young Pastors and
6 Ministers Department of the National Baptist Convention, USA,
7 Inc.; he was a dean for the Greater Rockford and Vicinity
8 District Association, chairman of the board of the Rockford
9 Ministers Fellowship School of Religion, an executive board
10 member of the Greater Rockford Clergy Association, a member of
11 the board of managers for the Great Rivers Region of the
12 American Baptist Churches, a board member for the Rockford
13 Local Development Corporation, and an advisory board member for
14 Amcore Bank of Rockford; and
 
15     WHEREAS, Reverend Bland is married to the former Phyllis
16 Jennette Brooks, an educator, and is the father of three
17 children, Steve M. III, Brandon C., and Sydnie R. Bland;
18 therefore, be it
 
19     RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
20 NINETY-THIRD GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we
21 honor the Reverend Steve Bland Jr. for his many years of
22 service to the Rockford community; and be it further
 
23     RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
24 presented to Reverend Steve Bland Jr. as an expression of our
25 respect and esteem.