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1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

  
 
2    WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of 
3Representatives wish to congratulate  Rev. Lishers Mahone, Jr. 
4on the occasion of his retirement as Pastor of Brown Chapel 
5A.M.E. Church in Joliet; and
  
 
6    WHEREAS, Lishers Mahone, Jr. is the third of 8 children 
7born to Lishers and Lizzie Mae Mahone of Patsburg, Alabama; he 
8received his early education in Alabama; when he was 18 years 
9old, he went to Illinois to visit his sister, never realizing 
10what God had in store for him; he subsequently served in the 
11United States Armed Forces, where he received his formal 
12training in Business Administration; and
  
 
13    WHEREAS, Lishers Mahone, Jr. entered the Itinerant 
14Ministry of the African Methodist Episcopal Church and received 
15his theological training through the Moody Bible Institute of 
16Chicago and the African Methodist Episcopal Church; he was 
17ordained an Itinerant Elder by the late Bishop Howard Thomas 
18Primm in September of 1972; and
  
 
19    WHEREAS, Lishers Mahone, Jr. began his Pastorate at Turner 
20Memorial A.M.E. Church in Chicago, located in the living room 
21of one of its members; during his tenure there, he led the 
22congregation in purchasing property with the intentions of 
 
 
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1building a new church; in 1981, he was appointed as Pastor of 
2the beleaguered Brown Chapel A.M.E. Church; shortly after his 
3arrival, Brown Chapel was well on its way to fiscal prosperity 
4and spiritual growth; in 1991, Brown Chapel broke ground for 
5its new edifice at 1502 East Mills Road in Joliet; and
  
 
6    WHEREAS, Lishers Mahone, Jr. has the distinction of serving 
7the longest pastoral term in the North District of the Chicago 
8A.M.E. Annual Conference; and
 
9    WHEREAS, Since 2003, Lishers Mahone, Jr. has served as 
10President of Churches United in the Fight Against Aids, a local 
11organization working exclusively to empower churches in the 
12greater Joliet area in the struggle against the HIV/AIDS 
13epidemic in the African-American community; he served as the 
14Chairman of the Will County Community Health Organization 
15Governing Council Board; he has also served on the Quality 
16Control Committee for the Will County Community Health Center 
17and is a member of the Joliet Regional Interfaith Education 
18Council; and
  
 
19    WHEREAS, Lishers Mahone, Jr. and his wife, First Lady Betty 
20Mahone, are the proud parents of 3 adult children, Kenneth 
21(Christina), Lishune, and Lishers, III (Chanda), and the 
22grandparents of 4 wonderful grandchildren, Eleanor Grace, 
23Marshall James, Blake Alexander, and Karrington Alexis; 
 
 
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1therefore, be it
  
 
2    RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE 
3NINETY-EIGHTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that 
4we congratulate Rev. Lishers Mahone, Jr. on the occasion of his 
5retirement and wish him continued success and happiness in the 
6future; and be it further
  
 
7    RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be 
8presented to Lishers Mahone, Jr. as a symbol of our esteem and 
9respect.