SR0598 104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SR0598 LRB104 18078 ECR 31517 r

SENATE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate are saddened to learn of the death of Bishop Dr. Claude Porter, who passed away on December 30, 2025; and

WHEREAS, Bishop Dr. Porter, the son of James and Corean Porter, was born in Memphis, Tennessee on January 21, 1937; he married Earnestine Walker; he was awarded a doctorate degree in 2002; and

WHEREAS, Bishop Dr. Porter entered the ministry at the Greater White Stone Missionary Baptist Church in Memphis in 1960; later that year, he was ordained and began serving as assistant pastor at Greater Progressive Missionary Baptist Church in Chicago; he founded Proviso Missionary Baptist Church in Maywood in 1972, where he was consecrated and installed as Bishop in 2005, retiring as senior pastor in 2016; and

WHEREAS, Bishop Dr. Porter founded the Proviso-Leyden Council for Community Action, Inc. (PLCCA) in 1968; as Founder, President, and CEO, he led the Maywood-based nonprofit to become a cornerstone of community support that serves over 30,000 individuals and families annually across 26 municipalities in the Proviso and Leyden Townships, the broader Chicago metropolitan area, and throughout Illinois, operating with a budget exceeding $9 million and overseeing properties valued at approximately $9.1 million; and

WHEREAS, Bishop Dr. Porter was also the Founder and Chairman Emeritus of the Proviso Township Ministerial Alliance Network (PTMAN), a founding member and chairman of Interfaith Illinois, the Founder and President of the Porter Family Center, the president of both Maywood Phoenix Homes and Goodell Place Homes, and a member of the Maywood Rotary since 1972; and

WHEREAS, Bishop Dr. Porter received numerous awards and honors, including the Pioneer Award from HHS Head Start, the Jefferson Award from Honoring Chicago's Unsung Heroes, the King Legacy Award from American Family Insurance, the Illinois Public Health Emergency Preparedness Award, the Father of the Community Award from the Rainbow PUSH Coalition, the Community Award from Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc., and the MLK Keeper of the Dream Award from the Gospel Tribune, among others; his lifetime of service was further honored by the Village of Maywood with the creation of a commemorative street sign at the intersection of 5th and Madison; and

WHEREAS, Bishop Dr. Porter was a religious leader, an organizer, a nonprofit executive, and a mentor who left an indelible mark on countless individuals across Illinois and the country; and

WHEREAS, Bishop Dr. Porter was the husband of Earnestine Porter; the father of the late Debra Ann Strickland, Beverly Smith, and Claudette Harrell; the father-in-law of Jerome Strickland Sr. and Milton Smith; the grandfather of seven; and the great-grandfather of ten; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDRED FOURTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn the passing of Bishop Dr. Claude Porter and extend our sincere condolences to his family, friends, and all who knew and loved him; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to the family of Bishop Dr. Claude Porter as an expression of our deepest sympathy.