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92_HR0035 LRB9205765RHrh 1 HOUSE RESOLUTION 2 WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of 3 Representatives are pleased to recognize organizations in the 4 State of Illinois that have made valuable contributions in 5 ministry to their community; and 6 WHEREAS, The Blaine Street Full Gospel Baptist Church 7 began its ministry as the Blaine Street Christian Center in 8 April 1979 under the pastorate of Reverend Herschel Hannah, 9 who founded the ministry, and led the congregation until 10 1988; and 11 WHEREAS, In 1988 Pastor Hannah left to pursue other 12 opportunities and was replaced by Interim Pastor Lonnie 13 Edwards; by June 1988, the Blaine Street Congregation named 14 John Senter as their new Pastor, who served the congregation 15 until 1994; and 16 WHEREAS, In March 1995, Reverend Timothy E. Criss 17 received the tremendous responsibility of accepting the 18 pastorate; since becoming the pastor at Blaine Street Full 19 Gospel Baptist Church, he has led a mission of illustrating 20 the love and compassion of Christ for the community by 21 providing distinctive human care services, which has resulted 22 in the improvement, stabilization, family strengthening and 23 self-empowerment of members of the Blaine Street 24 congregation; 25 WHEREAS, Under the leadership of Reverend Criss, the 26 congregation has grown from fifty members to its current 27 population of over seven hundred members; and 28 WHEREAS, Due to this growth, the Blaine Street Full 29 Gospel Baptist Church has purchased a larger location to 30 accommodate the growth and provide additional room for 31 expansion; and -2- LRB9205765RHrh 1 WHEREAS, The Blaine Street Full Gospel Baptist Church 2 congregation has decided not only to change its location, but 3 also to change its name from the Blaine Street Full Gospel 4 Baptist Church to the "City of Refuge Worship Center" as the 5 members stretch their ministry to be the "ministry in the 6 heart of the city, with the city in its heart"; therefore, be 7 it 8 RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE 9 NINETY-SECOND GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that 10 we congratulate the members of the City of Refuge Worship 11 Center, formerly known as the Blaine Street Full Gospel 12 Baptist Church, for their dedicated service to their 13 community and wish them well at their new location; and be it 14 further 15 RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be 16 presented to the Reverend Timothy E. Criss as an expression 17 of our esteem.