HR1457 96TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR1457 LRB096 24187 KXB 43626 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of Representatives are saddened to learn of the death of Bishop Arthur M. Brazier of Chicago, who passed away on October 22, 2010; and

WHEREAS, Bishop Arthur M. Brazier was the Pastor Emeritus of the Apostolic Church of God, which is located in the Woodlawn community of Chicago; he was born in 1921 in Chicago to Robert and Geneva Brazier; he was raised on the south side of Chicago and attended Douglas Elementary School and Wendell Phillips High School; and

WHEREAS, Bishop Brazier was a World War II Army Veteran, serving overseas in India and Burma in 1943, and returning in December of 1945; in July 1947, he met his future wife, Esther Isabelle Holmes, and they were married February 21, 1948; in 1955, while still being employed with the U.S. Postal Service as a letter carrier, he enrolled in the Moody Bible Institute evening school to acquire formal systematic biblical training; he pursued these studies continuously for 6 years and received his graduating certificate in 1961; and

WHEREAS, In 1960, Bishop Brazier was inducted as pastor of Apostolic Church of God; Bishop Brazier also served as diocesan of the Sixth Episcopal District of the Pentecostal Assemblies of the World for 31 years; Bishop Brazier began his community work with the Industrial Areas Foundation under the tutelage of Saul Alinsky and Nicholas Von Hoffman; during his work with Saul Alinsky, Bishop Brazier became the founding president of The Woodlawn Organization in 1961; in 1966, Bishop Brazier invited Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. to the Apostolic Church of God for its annual Bible Conference; their like passion for civil rights led the 2 men to protest together against segregated housing and schools in Chicago; and

WHEREAS, In 1969, Bishop Brazier accepted a staff position with the Citizens Crusade Against Poverty, and in 1970, he resigned as President of The Woodlawn Organization; in addition to his pastoral work, Bishop Brazier joined the staff of the Center for Community Change, a Washington-based institution that gave technical assistance to community organizations in various parts of the country; after several years of service with the Center, he was elevated to the office of Vice President in charge of Major Projects, and remained in that position until 1986 when he resigned to spend more time with his church; and

WHEREAS, Bishop Brazier was the founding chairman of the Board of the Woodlawn Preservation and Investment Corporation (WPIC), a community-based group organized for the improvement of the Woodlawn community, and was also the founding chairman of The Fund for Community Redevelopment and Revitalization; by the appointment of Mayor Richard Daley, Bishop Brazier sat on the Board of the Public Building Commission of Chicago for 20 years before resigning due to failing health; he also chaired the Executive Committee of the New Communities Program/Woodlawn, an affiliate of the Local Initiative Support Corporation (LISC), and the Woodlawn Children's Promise Community (WCPC); Bishop Brazier retired from the pastorate of the Apostolic Church of God on June 1, 2008; and

WHEREAS, Bishop Brazier is survived by his wife, Esther Isabelle Brazier, his children, Lola Hillman, Dr. Byron T. Brazier (pastor of the Apostolic Church of God), Janice Dortch, and Rosalyn Shepherd; his 7 grandchildren, and his 11 great-grandchildren; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-SIXTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn, along with his family, friends, and congregation, the passing of Bishop Arthur Brazier; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to the family of Bishop Arthur Brazier as a symbol of our sincere sympathy.