HR0999 LRB094 19657 RSP 56876 r

1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

 
2     WHEREAS, It has come to our attention that Pastor Thomas
3 Hudson Cross Jr. is retiring from his position as minister of
4 First United Methodist Church in Elmhurst; and
 
5     WHEREAS, He has been an ordained minister in the United
6 Methodist Church for 45 years, serving at several churches,
7 including First Methodist in Huntsville, Alabama; Rainbow City
8 United Methodist in Gadsden, Alabama; Five Points United
9 Methodist in Jasper, Alabama; West Pullman United Methodist in
10 Chicago; Julia Gay United Methodist in Chicago;
11 Yorkville-Millbrook United Methodist; Friendship United
12 Methodist Church of Bolingbrook; First United Methodist Church
13 of Oak Park; and finally at First United Methodist Church of
14 Elmhurst; and
 
15     WHEREAS, During his tenure in the United Methodist Church,
16 he has fought discrimination in every form with great
17 determination, preached sermons of the highest quality that
18 challenged congregations to think and act, and cared for those
19 in need in his congregations; and
 
20     WHEREAS, He has provided vision for churches he has served,
21 enabling them to envision all that they could be; he has
22 encouraged lay leadership, initiated endowment funds to
23 support the financial work of the church, and tithed
24 religiously to the church; he has recognized the work of
25 individuals and groups who gave of their time and talents to
26 the church and shared his never-ending supply of jokes, many of
27 which were really funny; and
 
28     WHEREAS, Pastor Cross is the husband of Ruth Cross; the
29 father of State Representative and House Minority Leader Tom
30 Cross (wife Genie), Brad Cross, Scott Cross (wife Margaret),
31 and Kennedy Cross (wife Diane); and the proud grandfather of

 

 

HR0999 - 2 - LRB094 19657 RSP 56876 r

1 Reynolds and Hudson, Emily and Anna, Katie and Claire, and
2 Morgan, Lindsey, and Alexander; therefore, be it
 
3     RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
4 NINETY-FOURTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that
5 we congratulate Pastor Thomas Hudson Cross Jr. on the occasion
6 of his retirement after 45 years of service, and we thank him
7 for many years of leading his flocks with love and dignity; and
8 be it further
 
9     RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
10 presented to Pastor Cross as an expression of our esteem and
11 with best wishes for a relaxing retirement.