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1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of
3Representatives are pleased to honor Walstone Elisha Francis
4for his work as a pastor; and
 
5    WHEREAS, Walstone Francis is a native of Nassau, Bahamas;
6he was born on January 9, 1953; his parents are Drs. Earle and
7Marjorie Francis; he became a United States citizen on July 19,
81994; and
 
9    WHEREAS, Walstone Francis received his elementary and high
10school education in Nassau; he accepted Christ at the age of
1117; in 1971, he was licensed to preach by his father Dr. Earle
12Francis of the First Baptist Church in Nassau; he came to the
13United States that same year; and
 
14    WHEREAS, Walstone Francis earned his Bachelor of Theology
15and Bachelor of Arts Degrees from American Baptist College of
16American Baptist Theological Seminary in Nashville, Tennessee;
17he later earned his honorary Doctor of Divinity Degree from
18Selma University in Selma, Alabama in 1989; and
 
19    WHEREAS, On February 28, 1974, Walstone Francis was
20ordained in the Gospel Ministry by Rev. Wellington A. Johnson.
21Sr., then Pastor of Mt. Zion Baptist Church in Smyrna,

 

 

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1Tennessee; he served as Pastor of Mt. View Baptist Church in
2Smyrna, Tennessee from 1974 to 1979, and the Alpha Missionary
3Baptist Church in Franklin, Kentucky from 1980 to 1992; on
4January 8, 1992, he was called to pastor the Shiloh Baptist
5Church of Waukegan; he accepted the call on January 26, 1992
6and assumed the pastorate on March 1, 1992; on May 3, 1992, he
7was officially installed as pastor by Dr. Earle Francis and
8Pastor Wellington Johnson; and
 
9    WHEREAS, Walstone Francis has served with numerous
10religious organizations, including the Franklin-Simpson
11Ministerial Fellowship, the Sunday Church School and Baptist
12Training Union Congress of the National Baptist Convention of
13America; Young Adult Sunday School Quarterly, the National
14Baptist Publishing Board of the National Missionary Baptist
15Convention of America, the Committee on Uniform Series,
16Education for Christian Life and Mission of the Division of the
17National Council of Churches, U.S.A., and the New Era District
18Association of Chicago & Vicinity; he has served as a volunteer
19Chaplain at Victory Memorial Hospital, St. Theresa Hospital,
20and the Lake County Jail in Waukegan; in August of 2003, he was
21appointed to the Waukegan Civil Service Commission by Mayor
22Richard Hyde; in 2009, he resigned as instructor of the
23Congress of Christian Education of the National Baptist
24Convention, USA, Inc.; he has also been a member of the NAACP,
25the Human Rights Commission in Franklin, Kentucky, and the

 

 

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1Barren River Mental Health and Mental Retardation Board in
2Howling Green, Kentucky; and
 
3    WHEREAS, Walstone Francis currently serves as an
4instructor at the Christian Leadership School of the Baptist
5General State Congress of Christian Education; he is the
6Chairman of Foreign Missions for the Baptist General State
7Convention of Illinois; he is an adult writer for the Sunday
8School Publishing Board of the National Baptist Convention,
9USA, Inc.; he is also an organizer and former Moderator of the
10Lake Shore Baptist District in Waukegan and Vicinity; and
 
11    WHEREAS, Walstone Francis is well known within the
12Christian ministry as a passionate and effective pastor,
13preacher, and teacher of the gospel, whose special gifts in his
14knowledge of the Word and ability to explain the Scriptures for
15easy comprehension are beyond comparison; and
 
16    WHEREAS, Walstone Francis has been married to his loving
17wife, Mrs. Angelia Rene Otey Williams; the special family that
18the Lord has given them is composed of Ronald (deceased),
19Angelica, Diesha, Dyasha, John, Jakeyha, Shawntrice, Nigel,
20Cameron, Lantz, Michaela, Marion, Jamir Elisha, Jamya Rene, and
21Elijah Emanuel; therefore, be it
 
22    RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE

 

 

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1NINETY-SEVENTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that
2we honor Walstone Elisha Francis for his work as a pastor and
3wish him continued success and happiness in the future; and be
4it further
 
5    RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
6presented to Walstone Francis as a symbol of our esteem and
7respect.