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1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of
3Representatives are saddened to learn of the death of Bishop
4William Haven Bonner, who passed away on August 29, 2016; and
 
5    WHEREAS, Bishop William Bonner was born on September 13,
61921 in Blytheville, Arkansas; his parents were Eddie and
7Mattie Bonner; he married Dorothy Mae Green on May 2, 1944; and
 
8    WHEREAS, Bishop William Bonner attended elementary school
9in Kentucky and Missouri and later attended DuSable High School
10and the Moody Bible Institute; he began preaching at the age of
1113 and played his guitar and preached at churches in
12Charleston, Caruthersville, and Sikeston, Missouri; at the age
13of 16, he moved to Waukegan, where he later became the junior
14pastor and Young People Willing Workers president of the Hill
15Street Church of God in Christ; and
 
16    WHEREAS, In 1944, at the age of 21, Bishop William Bonner
17was commissioned to establish a church in Aurora; in 1950, he
18and his wife moved to Aurora and he began working at Illinois
19Cleaners to support his family; in 1949, he became a full-time
20pastor and led his congregation in building a small church; he
21later became a member of Central Illinois and was appointed
22District Superintendent of the Northwestern District, Chairman

 

 

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1of the Board of Superintendents, First Administrative
2Assistant, and State Expeditor; and
 
3    WHEREAS, After working for Bishop L.H. Ford for 19 years,
4Bishop William Bonner established a fellowship called "We as
5Laborers"; he later began working with Bishop H. W. Goldsberry
6of the Sixth Jurisdiction of Illinois, where he became an
7Administrative Assistant; in 1982, he was consecrated as bishop
8of the Sixth Jurisdiction of Illinois; and
 
9    WHEREAS, Bishop William Bonner was involved with the
10national Church of God in Christ; he served as Co-Chairman of
11the National Finance Committee and as Chairman of the Budgetary
12Committee of the Board of Bishops; he also served as senior
13bishop of the Midwest Region and expeditor of the Board of
14Bishops; and
 
15    WHEREAS, Bishop William Bonner was given many honors and
16awards for his work, including an honorary doctorate from the
17Trinity Hall Theological Seminary, a Friends of Marie Wilkinson
18Child Development Center Award, and a Distinguished Black
19Community Leadership Award, among others; the City of Aurora
20renamed the street that his church sits on to "Bonner Avenue"
21in honor of his work in the community; and
 
22    WHEREAS, Bishop William Bonner will be dearly missed by his

 

 

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1wife, Dorothy Mae; his children, Enyess, Willie Etta, Charles,
2and Dorothy; and the members of his congregation; therefore, be
3it
 
4    RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
5NINETY-NINTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that
6we, along with his family and friends, mourn the passing of
7Bishop William Haven Bonner; and be it further
 
8    RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
9presented to the family of Bishop William Bonner as an
10expression of our sympathy.