HR0880 97TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0880 LRB097 20803 KXB 67456 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of Representatives are pleased to honor Bishop Horace E. Smith on his 32nd anniversary as Pastor of Apostolic Faith Church in Chicago; and

WHEREAS, He graduated as an honor student from the Lindblom High School in Chicago, received his Bachelor of Science (with honors) degree from Chicago State University; his M.D. from the University of Illinois Medical Center; completed his Pediatric Residency at the University of Illinois Hospital; and completed his Clinical Fellowship in Pediatric Hematology/Oncology at Children's Memorial Hospital/Northwestern University; and

WHEREAS, He served as director of the Comprehensive Sickle Cell/Thalassemia Program at Children's Memorial Hospital; he currently serves as Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at Northwestern Medical School, and is recognized world-wide as an outstanding pediatrician in his field; and

WHEREAS, He became pastor of the Apostolic Faith Church on March 28, 1980; he was appointed a District Elder of the Illinois District Council (I.D.C.) of the Pentecostal Assemblies of the World in 1983; he served as Chairman of the I.D.C. from 1986-1991; he was appointed to the Board of Aenon Bible College of the Pentecostal Assemblies of the World in 1989; and he was appointed a Suffragan Bishop in 1994; and

WHEREAS, He served as the General Secretary of the Pentecostal Assemblies of the World 1996-1997, and was elevated to the office of Bishop in August of 1997; in June 1998, Dr. Smith was installed as Diocesan Bishop of the 14th Episcopal District of the Pentecostal Assemblies of the World, which includes the states of Kansas, Colorado, and Western Missouri; on July 29, 2004, Bishop Smith was elected to the office of Presiding Bishop of the Pentecostal Assemblies of the World and served 2 full terms until August of 2010; and

WHEREAS, Dr. Smith serves on the Board of the historic Wabash YMCA, which was purchased by 4 community churches, including Apostolic Faith Church; the churches redeveloped and reshaped the Y for community services, including SRO housing; since 2001, Dr. Smith has also served as a Board Member of the Family Institute at Northwestern University, as a member of the University of Chicago Cancer Research Center-Community Health Advisory Board, and more recently, as a member of World Vision International; and

WHEREAS, In 2002, Dr. Smith and the Apostolic Faith Church partnered with World Vision to sponsor orphaned children whose parents died as a result of HIV/AIDS; to date, over 1,000 children have been adopted by members of the congregation; Dr. and Sis. Smith have traveled to South Africa, along with World Vision, to view first-hand the devastation caused by the AIDS virus; and

WHEREAS, Dr. Smith is an avid and accomplished Bible scholar and has been part of many organizations within the church, from the Boy Scout Troop of his youth to singing in the choirs; his dedicated ministry reaches not only the congregation but his belief in God and the power of salvation and healing extends to his medical profession as a concerned and committed pediatrician (specializing in hematology/oncology) for critically ill children; through his prayers and faith in God as a healer, Dr. Smith has seen God's healing power reverse the course of illness in the lives of his patients; and

WHEREAS, Bishop Smith has been happily married to Susan Davenport Smith since 1976; they met at the University of Illinois where Susan graduated with a B.S. in Pharmacy; they have 3 beautiful daughters, Lauren Elrod, Rachel Horton, and Emily Green, along with their sons-in-law, Brian Elrod, Courtney Horton, and Patrick Green; and granddaughter, Lillian; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-SEVENTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we congratulate Bishop Horace Smith on this anniversary occasion and wish him continued success in the future; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to Bishop Horace Smith as a symbol of our respect and esteem.