HR0321 103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0321 LRB103 32466 LAW 61956 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of Representatives wish to congratulate Reverend Charles M. Straight on the occasion of his retirement as lead pastor of Faith United Methodist Church in Dolton; and

WHEREAS, Rev. Straight is a pastor, social activist, thought leader, and strategic visionary with over 35 years of experience in ministry; and

WHEREAS, Rev. Straight began his career in ministry after becoming a member of the Fellowship Missionary Baptist Church in 1973, becoming associate minister in 1974; during his 27-year membership, he served in the church's combined choirs, conducted worship services for the Children's Church, and led the Mission Department, which provides spiritual support and guidance to persons confined to hospitals, prisons, nursing homes, and mental institutions; he then served as assistant pastor at Wesley United Methodist Church from 2000 to 2008, during which he chaired the Evangelism Committee and served as overseer of the AIDS Ministry; and

WHEREAS, Rev. Straight became lead pastor of Faith United Methodist Church (Faith UMC) in July 2008; in addition to more traditional pastoral duties such as administering sacraments, preaching, visitation of the sick, and overseeing church administration, he has successfully led his church's historic congregation through a cultural transition to become a welcoming and inclusive church for members of the LGBTQIA+ community; he has accomplished this through implementing significant social service programs and events, including adult computer classes, a community feeding program, HIV/AIDS testing, The Next Movement social justice ministry, the Visioning and Community Investment Program, employment of justice involved individuals, and cultivation of an atmosphere of equality and fairness through workshops, seminars, and sermon series; and

WHEREAS, Rev. Straight has spent a lifetime of service in the field of HIV research, prevention, and education; he organized and chaired the City of Chicago's first African-American church-based AIDS ministries in 1985, serving over 25 HIV-impacted church members at Fellowship Missionary Baptist Church and other churches; he has continued to provide vital services to the HIV/AIDS community for more than 20 years, working as a Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) and volunteering in a number of institutions, including the Howard Brown Health Center, the Martha Washington Hospital Treatment Center, the Kupona Network, the Evanston Health Department, the Chicago Community Programs for Clinical Research on AIDS, and Cook County's Stroger Hospital as project coordinator for the HIV Vaccine Preparedness Trials; he remains a certified instructor of the Midwest AIDS Training and Education Center (MATEC); and

WHEREAS, Rev. Straight has served a number of organizations, including the U.S. HIV & AIDS Faith Coalition Leaders Group, the AIDS Foundation of Chicago Board, the Black Church & HIV Advisory Committee for the NAACP, the HIV Prevention Task Force for the Northern Illinois Conference of the United Methodist Church, the Spiritual Care Committee for Bonaventure House, and Pastors United for Change (PUC), a community action group made up of ministers involved in the issues of crime, health, education, social justice, and economic empowerment of local community members; and

WHEREAS, Rev. Straight, now an empty nester, was the licensed foster parent or adoptive parent of Krystal, Kenneth, Ruth, Jeremiah, and Jasmine, whom he raised to adulthood; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE HUNDRED THIRD GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we congratulate Reverend Charles M. Straight on his retirement as lead pastor of Faith United Methodist Church in Dolton, and we wish him the best in his future endeavors; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to Rev. Straight as an expression of our esteem and respect.