HR1420 95TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR1420 LRB095 21803 GRL 52020 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of Representatives are pleased to congratulate Bishop Arthur M. Brazier of the Apostolic Church of God in Chicago on the occasion of his retirement after 48 years of dedicated service; and

WHEREAS, Bishop Arthur M. Brazier served his country with pride and distinction as a member of the U.S. Army during World War II, which included tours of duty in China, Burma, and India; he earned two battle stars for his efforts in the North Burma and Central Burma campaigns; and

WHEREAS, In 1948, Bishop Arthur M. Brazier began working as a mail carrier for the U.S. Postal Service, but felt the calling to preach; inspired by this calling, he attended Moody Bible Institute at night and became pastor of the Universal Church of Christ in 1952; in 1960, Bishop Brazier merged his congregation with the Apostolic Church of God in Chicago's Woodlawn community and formed a new congregation; and

WHEREAS, Bishop Arthur M. Brazier became increasingly involved in community activism and civil rights during the expansion of his church in the 1960s; inspired by his meetings with community organizer Saul Alinsky, he became the founding president of The Woodlawn Organization, a coalition that successfully defeated the expansion of the University of Chicago in 1963; Bishop Brazier worked to combat gang violence and crime in the neighborhood by initiating social programs for rival gangs through the organization; after meeting Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in 1966, the two protested together against segregated housing and schools, bravely facing death threats for his honorable work; and

WHEREAS, A telling measure of the incredible leadership skills and religious devotion of Bishop Arthur M. Brazier is the incredible growth of The Apostolic Church of God, which has grown from about 100 members in 1960 into the current congregation of more than 20,000 members; during his tenure, Bishop Brazier oversaw several expansion projects at the church, including a 3,000-seat sanctuary, the addition of television control facilities, a 400-seat banquet facility, and a 37,000-square-foot youth and family center that contains a regulation-sized basketball court, classrooms, a music room, and a dance studio; and

WHEREAS, Bishop Arthur M. Brazier is the founding president of The Woodlawn Preservation and Investment Corporation and the Fund for Community Redevelopment and Revitalization; he is the author of three books, "Black Self-Determination", "Saved by Grace and Grace Alone", and "From Milk to Meat", in addition to many published articles; and

WHEREAS, Bishop Arthur M. Brazier has also served his community through numerous religious and civic organizations; he served as Diocesan of the 6th Episcopal District of the Pentecostal Assemblies of the World, which oversees more than 80 churches in the State of Illinois, for 30 years; he was appointed to the Public Building Commission of Chicago on August 28, 1986; he also served as vice president of the Center for Community Change, a Washington, D.C.-based housing and commercial project organization; and

WHEREAS, Bishop Arthur M. Brazier has been the recipient of numerous awards in recognition of his service to the community, including the Rockefeller Public Service Award from Princeton University and the Catholic Council of Working Life for the Love of Children Award from the Children's Home and Aid Society; and

WHEREAS, After his last sermon as the pastor of the Apostolic Church of God on June 1, 2008, Bishop Arthur M. Brazier left the pulpit in the capable hands of his son, Reverend Byron Brazier; the congregation of the Apostolic Church of God, however, will remember Bishop Brazier's kind and humble demeanor and his great spiritual strength fondly for generations to come; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-FIFTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we congratulate Bishop Arthur M. Brazier on the occasion of his retirement, thank him for his many years of service to his community, and wish him many happy and healthy retirement years; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to Bishop Arthur M. Brazier as a symbol of our esteem and respect.