HR0080 97TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0080 LRB097 10525 GRL 50852 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of Representatives are pleased to congratulate B.J. Gaston on the occasion of his retirement as Pastor of the Mt. Zion Baptist Church in Zion after 47 years of dedicated service; and

WHEREAS, Bennie James Gaston is the sixth son born to Rayfield and Dasie Gaston; at the age of 11, B.J. Gaston accepted Christ as his personal savior; he was united in holy matrimony to Rose Broome on June 25, 1957; and

WHEREAS, At the age of 20, B.J. Gaston entered the United States Army and was assigned to the 101st Airborne Division; after serving for two years, he was given an honorable discharge; and

WHEREAS, Pastor Gaston completed a two-year program at Concordia Bible College in Milwaukee; he also earned a bachelor of theology degree and a master of divinity degree from McKinley Theological Seminary in Jackson, Mississippi and has been awarded doctor of divinity, doctor of laws, and doctor of humane letters degrees from the Tennessee School of Religion; and

WHEREAS, Pastor Gaston accepted the divine call into the ministry in 1957; he preached his first sermon on April 5, 1957, at the Tabernacle Community Baptist Church in Milwaukee, Wisconsin under the leadership of the now deceased Rev. J. L. Williams; in 1959, he was ordained as a gospel preacher and was also elected assistant pastor of Tabernacle Community Baptist Church, where he served faithfully; in 1964, he was called to pastor the Mt. Zion Baptist Church in Zion, where he has served his congregation, the community, and God faithfully for 47 years; and

WHEREAS, During Pastor Gaston's tenure, Mt. Zion Baptist Church has undergone numerous substantial improvements; the church has grown in membership from 40 to over 1,000; the church's Mt. Zion Sheila Day Care Center, church edifice, and Mt. Zion multi-purpose building were built, furnished, and paid off; the church received $1.2 million from HUD and built the B.J. Gaston Bethesda Village 40-unit elderly and handicapped complex; the Mt. Zion Credit Union, a charter member of the Illinois State Credit Union League, was created; the church also started its own website under his leadership; and

WHEREAS, Pastor Gaston served as president of the North Shore Baptist Ministers' Alliance for a total of 21 years; under his leadership, the organization started the Martin Luther King, Jr. memorial service, the tri-city revival, and Good Friday services; he is the President and founder of the North Shore Bible College and Theological Seminary, Inc., now called the North Shore Theological Seminary, Inc.; he is also a past vice-moderator of the New Era District Fellowship (Chicago vicinity) and a member of the National Urban League, the NAACP, and the National Baptist Convention, USA, Inc.; and

WHEREAS, Pastor Gaston has been the recipient of numerous awards and honors for his service in his community; in 1981, he received a proclamation from the City of Waukegan; in 1987, he received the keys to the City of Zion from Mayor Howard Everline; in 1990, he received a resolution of commendation from Zion Mayor Adeline Geo-Karis and an outstanding community service designation from Illinois State Representative John Matejevich; in 1997, he received the keys to the City of North Chicago from Mayor Bobby Thompson; that same year, he received an honorary street sign from the City of Zion and was named the most influential African-American of Lake County by People's Voice; in 1999, he was listed in the Nationwide Register's Who's Who in Executives and Businesses 2000-2001 edition; in 2004, he was named Man of the Year by the American Biographical Institute, USA and received a letter of congratulations from the office of Governor Rod Blagojevich; and

WHEREAS, Pastor Gaston serves as a model of hard work, integrity, and dedication for the people of the State of Illinois; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-SEVENTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we congratulate B.J. Gaston on the occasion of his retirement and wish him many happy and healthy retirement years; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to B.J. Gaston as a symbol of our esteem and respect.