House Bill 9103

    Florida House of Representatives - 2000                HR 9103

        By Representative Chestnut






  1                         House Resolution

  2         A resolution honoring the Reverend Geraldine

  3         McClellan.

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  5         WHEREAS, following in the footsteps of both her father

  6  and her grandfather, the Reverend Mrs. Geraldine McClellan has

  7  been in the ministry for many years, during the last 12 of

  8  which she has served as pastor of the 672-member Mt. Pleasant

  9  United Methodist Church, the same church her grandfather

10  pastored before her, and

11         WHEREAS, one of eight siblings whose parents

12  persistently emphasized the value of education, the Reverend

13  Geraldine McClellan graduated from high school when she was

14  only 15 years old, received an associate degree from St. Johns

15  River Community College as one of the first African Americans

16  to do so, and went on to earn a bachelor's degree from

17  Bethune-Cookman College, and

18         WHEREAS, the Reverend McClellan is the first African

19  American woman to have been ordained a deacon in the Florida

20  Conference of the United Methodist Church, has been recognized

21  with an honorary doctoral degree by Bethune-Cookman College,

22  and has been granted the prestigious LeRoy Collins

23  Distinguished Community College Alumni Award, an honor

24  bestowed by the Florida Association of Community Colleges, and

25         WHEREAS, the high esteem in which the Reverend

26  McClellan is held, as evidenced by the recognitions, honors,

27  and accolades that have so deservedly come her way, pales in

28  comparison with the love and respect accorded her by her

29  family, friends, and congregation and by those downtrodden,

30  hurting individuals who have found assistance and received

31  hope as a result of her selfless ministry, and

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CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.






    Florida House of Representatives - 2000                HR 9103

    52-178B-00






  1         WHEREAS, in recognition of her dedication to service to

  2  others and her ability to change and enhance lives, the

  3  Reverend Geraldine McClellan has been appointed by Bishop

  4  Cornelius L. Henderson to serve as the superintendent for the

  5  Gainesville District of the United Methodist Church as the

  6  first African American woman to serve in such capacity, NOW,

  7  THEREFORE,

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  9  Be It Resolved by the House of Representatives of the State of

10  Florida:

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12         That the House of Representatives pauses in its

13  deliberations to honor the Reverend Geraldine McClellan for

14  the devotion with which she serves her family, her church, and

15  her community, to congratulate her on her appointment to

16  superintendent of the Gainesville District, and to wish her

17  unlimited success as she continues to reach out to minister to

18  those who so desperately need help.

19         BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this resolution

20  be presented to the Reverend Mrs. Geraldine McClellan as a

21  tangible token of the sentiments expressed herein.

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