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1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of
3Representatives are pleased to congratulate Bishop Paul A.
4Stewart Sr. on the occasion of his retirement as Bishop of the
5Christian Methodist Episcopal Church (C.M.E.); and
 
6    WHEREAS, Bishop Stewart was elected the 50th bishop of the
7Christian Methodist Episcopal Church on July 1, 1998, in the
8Thirty-Third Quadrennial Session and the Thirty-Fourth General
9Conference in Birmingham, Alabama; he was assigned to the Fifth
10Episcopal District, comprising the states of Alabama and
11Florida; in the Thirty-Fourth Quadrennial Session and the
12Thirty-Fifth General Conference of the C.M.E. Church in
13Atlanta, Georgia, from June 29-July 7, 2002, he was assigned to
14the Third Episcopal District, covering the southeast Missouri,
15Illinois & Wisconsin Region, the Michigan-Indiana Region, and
16the Kansas-Missouri Region, with churches in 9 midwestern
17states; and
 
18    WHEREAS, Bishop Stewart has served faithfully as a local
19pastor of C.M.E. congregations and has been recognized as a
20gifted counselor, educator, and administrator at institutions
21across the U.S.; he has been an active participant in
22community, ecumenical, civic, social, and civil rights
23affairs; he has worked with the NAACP and is a life member and

 

 

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1has served on the NAACP Executive Board of Durham, North
2Carolina; and
 
3    WHEREAS, Bishop Stewart has provided superior leadership
4in the Third Episcopal District which includes Chicago and
5surrounding communities; he has aided in the erecting or
6purchasing of 6 modern churches and an Episcopal residence, the
7renovating of numerous churches, the enabling of 10 ministers
8to secure Doctor of Ministry Degrees, and the extensive
9increase of Church Growth and Development Ministries; and
 
10    WHEREAS, Bishop Stewart is the Chaplaincy Endorsing Agent
11for the C.M.E. Church, a member of the board of trustees for
12Phillips School of Theology in Atlanta, Georgia, the chair of
13the Program Committee of the Annual CME Unity Summit, the chair
14of the Board of Personal Service of the CME Church, vice-chair
15of the Conference of National Black Churches, a member of the
16board of trustees of Miles College in Birmingham, Alabama, and
17an active leader in many religious and civic organizations; and
 
18    WHEREAS, Bishop Stewart is married to Mrs. M Earline
19Stewart; they are parents of Gloria Jean Stewart-Wicks, Paul
20Jr., and Shinar LaDonna Stewart-Parnell (Dana Parnell) and
21grandparents of Kimberly D. Wicks, Dylan Andrew, and Noah
22Jordan Parnell; therefore, be it
 

 

 

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1    RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
2NINETY-EIGHTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that
3we congratulate Bishop Stewart on his retirement as Bishop of
4the Christian Methodist Episcopal Church and wish him all the
5best in his future endeavours; and be it further
 
6    RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
7presented to Bishop Stewart as an expression of our esteem and
8respect.