Full Text of HR0580 96th General Assembly
HR0580 96TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
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| HOUSE RESOLUTION
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| WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of | 3 |
| Representatives are pleased to congratulate Paul Koch on the | 4 |
| occasion of his retirement as Senior Pastor of Ebenezer | 5 |
| Lutheran Church on June 30, 2009; and
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| WHEREAS, Paul Koch was raised in New York City; he attended | 7 |
| school at Concordia Junior College in Bronxville, New York and | 8 |
| Concordia Senior College in Fort Wayne, Indiana; after spending | 9 |
| a year with Richard John Neuhaus in 1965, he enrolled at | 10 |
| Concordia Seminary in St. Louis, Missouri; he received his | 11 |
| Master of Divinity degree from the seminary in 1970; that same | 12 |
| year, he was ordained and began a five year pastorate at | 13 |
| Transfiguration Lutheran Church, the oldest African-American | 14 |
| Lutheran congregation in St. Louis; and
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| WHEREAS, In 1976, Paul Koch accepted the call to serve at | 16 |
| Grace Lutheran Church in Detroit (now Genesis Lutheran Church); | 17 |
| he also transferred his roster status to the American Lutheran | 18 |
| Church at that time; in 1981, he accepted the call to serve at | 19 |
| Black Hawk Lutheran Ministry in Waterloo/Cedar Falls, Iowa, | 20 |
| which was formed as a new cooperative ministry of five ALC | 21 |
| congregations; during his 8 years of service there, the | 22 |
| ministry expanded to include LCA congregations and grew to | 23 |
| eleven members; the ministry also helped to establish regional |
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| food banking and build bridges between the white and | 2 |
| African-American communities; and
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| WHEREAS, In 1989, Paul Koch was called to serve as senior | 4 |
| pastor at Ebenezer Lutheran Church; during his tenure as senior | 5 |
| pastor, the church's strategy has been to position Ebenezer as | 6 |
| a spiritual and community center for those who live in | 7 |
| Andersonville and the north side of Chicago; today, the | 8 |
| building's constituency includes Latinos, African-Americans, | 9 |
| Africans, gays, lesbians, seniors, youth, families, and those | 10 |
| with special needs seeking support; and
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| WHEREAS, Paul Koch and his wife, Sharon, have two grown | 12 |
| sons, Jeremy and Philip; he will now have more time to enjoy | 13 |
| his favorite hobbies, which include movies, reading, cycling, | 14 |
| and creating art glass projects; and
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| WHEREAS, Paul Koch has served as a model of dedication, | 16 |
| integrity, and hard work for the people of the State of | 17 |
| Illinois; therefore, be it
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| RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE | 19 |
| NINETY-SIXTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we | 20 |
| congratulate Paul Koch on the occasion of his retirement and | 21 |
| wish him many happy and healthy retirement years; and be it | 22 |
| further
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| RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be | 2 |
| presented to Paul Koch as an expression of our esteem and | 3 |
| respect.
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