| 1 | 1 | | Introduced Version |
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| 2 | 2 | | SENATE CONCURRENT |
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| 3 | 3 | | RESOLUTION No. _____ |
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| 4 | 4 | | DIGEST OF INTRODUCED RESOLUTION |
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| 5 | 5 | | A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION congratulating Jerry Zehr for |
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| 6 | 6 | | being honored as the 2023 Interfaith Ambassador by the Center for |
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| 7 | 7 | | Interfaith Cooperation. |
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| 8 | 8 | | FORD J.D. |
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| 9 | 9 | | , read first time and referred to Committee on |
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| 10 | 10 | | 2023 DC 1912/DI TB Introduced |
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| 11 | 11 | | First Regular Session 123rd General Assembly (2023) |
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| 12 | 12 | | SENATE CONCURRENT |
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| 13 | 13 | | RESOLUTION No. _____ |
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| 14 | 14 | | 1 A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION congratulating Jerry |
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| 15 | 15 | | 2 Zehr for being honored as the 2023 Interfaith Ambassador by |
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| 16 | 16 | | 3 the Center for Interfaith Cooperation. |
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| 17 | 17 | | 4 Whereas, Jerry Zehr went to Snider High School in Fort |
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| 18 | 18 | | 5 Wayne, Indiana, graduated from Ball State University with a |
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| 19 | 19 | | 6 degree in Speech and Theater, and is now a resident of Carmel, |
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| 20 | 20 | | 7 Indiana; |
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| 21 | 21 | | 8 Whereas, After beginning his career as a Hollywood actor, |
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| 22 | 22 | | 9 Jerry Zehr pursued a more fulfilling and righteous vocation |
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| 23 | 23 | | 10 and discovered a Protestant church that resonated with his |
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| 24 | 24 | | 11 faith in a loving and all-welcoming God; |
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| 25 | 25 | | 12 Whereas, Jerry Zehr attended the Disciples of Christ |
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| 26 | 26 | | 13 seminary in Indianapolis, was ordained in 1985, and has |
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| 27 | 27 | | 14 served as an ordained minister for over 35 years; |
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| 28 | 28 | | 15 Whereas, Beginning in 1989, Jerry Zehr committed himself |
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| 29 | 29 | | 16 to interfaith work, forming and becoming the President of the |
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| 30 | 30 | | 17 Indianapolis Interfaith Alliance, the first such organization in |
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| 31 | 31 | | 18 the area that included Muslims, Bahai, and other faith |
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| 32 | 32 | | 19 traditions; |
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| 33 | 33 | | 20 Whereas, A leader in interfaith ministries for over 35 years, |
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| 34 | 34 | | 21 Jerry Zehr helped create four interfaith organizations, |
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| 35 | 35 | | 22 including the Carmel Interfaith Alliance and the Indiana |
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| 36 | 36 | | 23 Multifaith Network; |
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| 37 | 37 | | 2023 DC 1912/DI TB 2 |
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| 38 | 38 | | 1 Whereas, Jerry Zehr has served on the Board of Associated |
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| 39 | 39 | | 2 Churches and United Way in Fort Wayne, Indiana, and was a |
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| 40 | 40 | | 3 member of the Northern Kentucky Interfaith Commission; |
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| 41 | 41 | | 4 Whereas, Serving as Chairperson of Vision Southside, a |
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| 42 | 42 | | 5 coalition of faith communities and businesses from the |
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| 43 | 43 | | 6 Southside of Fort Wayne, Indiana, Jerry Zehr contributed to |
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| 44 | 44 | | 7 making the area more prosperous for businesses and residents; |
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| 45 | 45 | | 8 Whereas, Jerry Zehr led congregational efforts that made |
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| 46 | 46 | | 9 possible many specific projects in the rebuilding of Bosnia after |
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| 47 | 47 | | 10 the war ended in 1995; |
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| 48 | 48 | | 11 Whereas, Jerry Zehr serves as the senior pastor at Carmel |
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| 49 | 49 | | 12 Christian Church and received the Range Line Pioneer Award |
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| 50 | 50 | | 13 from Carmel's Mayor Brainard in 2021; |
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| 51 | 51 | | 14 Whereas, Jerry Zehr led several Habitat for Humanity |
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| 52 | 52 | | 15 house builds, resulting in over a dozen local churches funding |
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| 53 | 53 | | 16 and framing seven houses; |
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| 54 | 54 | | 17 Whereas, Also a published author, Jerry Zehr's works |
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| 55 | 55 | | 18 include the novel "Blurring the Lines" and "The Peacemaker's |
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| 56 | 56 | | 19 Path," which offer readers insight and connection to various |
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| 57 | 57 | | 20 faiths and traditions; |
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| 58 | 58 | | 21 Whereas, Jerry Zehr has run four marathons, is an amateur |
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| 59 | 59 | | 22 magician, and competed in the World Series of Poker, which he |
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| 60 | 60 | | 23 says gives him a chance to connect with people from around the |
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| 61 | 61 | | 24 country on a regular level; |
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| 62 | 62 | | 25 Whereas, Jerry Zehr and Diane, his wife of over 37 years, |
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| 63 | 63 | | 26 have two daughters and two grandchildren; and |
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| 64 | 64 | | 27 Whereas, In the face of rising political polarization and |
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| 65 | 65 | | 28 religious division, Jerry Zehr has committed his life to |
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| 66 | 66 | | 29 illustrating the commonalities between cultures and faiths, |
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| 67 | 67 | | 30 celebrating differences, and fostering communities of peace and |
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| 68 | 68 | | 31 understanding: Therefore, |
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| 69 | 69 | | 2023 DC 1912/DI TB 3 |
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| 70 | 70 | | 1 Be it resolved by the Senate of the General Assembly |
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| 71 | 71 | | 2 of the State of Indiana, the House of Representatives |
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| 72 | 72 | | 3 concurring: |
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| 73 | 73 | | 4 SECTION 1. That the Indiana General Assembly |
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| 74 | 74 | | 5 congratulates Jerry Zehr for being honored as the 2023 |
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| 75 | 75 | | 6 Interfaith Ambassador by the Center for Interfaith Cooperation. |
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| 76 | 76 | | 7 SECTION 2. The Secretary of the Senate is hereby directed |
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| 77 | 77 | | 8 to transmit a copy of this Resolution to Jerry Zehr. |
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| 78 | 78 | | 2023 DC 1912/DI TB |
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