HR1130 100TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR1130 LRB100 22155 ALS 40565 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of Representatives wish to congratulate Pastor Kelon D. Duke on the occasion of his sixth year at Calvary Baptist Church in Glenwood; and

WHEREAS, Pastor Duke was raised in Miami, Florida and accepted his call to ministry at the age of 17; and

WHEREAS, Pastor Duke graduated from Morehouse College in Atlanta, Georgia, where he earned his Bachelor of Arts in Religion, with a minor in Philosophy; he received his Master of Divinity degree from Howard University School of Divinity in Washington, D.C.; in August of 2014, he successfully defended his doctoral dissertation at the United Theological Seminary in Dayton, Ohio and received his Doctor of Ministry degree; his doctoral project and research interests focused on prophetic preaching in a post-modern context with a contemporary audience; his original research project was entitled, "Moving the church from being the victim of hurt to ministering in victory"; and

WHEREAS, Pastor Duke gained ministry experience at the Greater Traveler's Rest Baptist Church in Atlanta, Georgia during his matriculation at Morehouse College; he also served as the Youth Pastor of the historic Shiloh Baptist Church in Alexandria, Virginia before transitioning to become the Assistant to the Pastor of the Mt. Ennon Baptist Church in Clinton, Maryland; in January of 2010, he accepted an opportunity to return to his home church, New Jerusalem Primitive Baptist Church in Miami, Florida as the Assistant Pastor; and

WHEREAS, Pastor Duke was installed as Calvary Baptist Church's fourth and current pastor on April 22, 2012; the church's membership has continued to grow, and several building improvements have been made under his leadership; in January 2014, he introduced Calvary's surname, "The Church of Love"; and

WHEREAS, Pastor Duke and his wife, Tina, are the parents of one daughter, Noelle Duke; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE HUNDREDTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we congratulate Pastor Kelon D. Duke on his six years of faithful service as the Senior Pastor of Calvary Baptist Church in Glenwood, and we wish him and the church continued success and joy; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to Pastor Duke as an expression of our esteem and respect.