2017 Regular Session ENROLLED
SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 101
BY SENATOR MILKOVICH
A RESOLUTION
To commend the Reverend Frances Duron for her lifetime of dedicated and selfless gospel
ministry and for her unflinching faith in the task she was assigned by her Lord to
preach the message of God to all who were searching for His love and
understanding.
WHEREAS, Frances Elledge was born in Bonham, Texas, to Christian evangelist
parents who were pioneering a new Assembly of God church by holding a brush arbor
revival in Bonham, a rural Christian tradition of outdoor revivals carried forward from as
early as the nineteenth century; and
WHEREAS, later Frances moved to Freeport, Texas, where she met and married
evangelist Rodney Duron in 1950, and in 1952 they were blessed with a son, Denny; and
WHEREAS, following seven years of evangelizing together, Frances and Rodney
Duron settled in Shreveport, Louisiana, and in 1957 they began pastoring a church, known
at the time as the First Assembly of God church, which was located in the Cedar Grove area
of Shreveport; and
WHEREAS, in 1970, Mrs. Duron received a bachelor's degree from Centenary
College and began teaching in public schools for the next ten years; and
WHEREAS, the campus in Cedar Grove was no longer sufficient to serve the
growing population of worshipers, so in 1976, Frances and Rodney Duron moved their
church and congregation to a considerably larger campus that would accommodate the
current congregation and allow substantial room for growth; and
WHEREAS, in 1980, Frances Duron accepted a writing position for the Hunt Oil
Company of Dallas, Texas, which allowed her to work from home and become more
involved with her husband, Rodney, in the daily work of the church, including making their
dream of establishing a Christian school become a reality; and
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WHEREAS, also in 1980, Frances and Rodney founded Evangel Christian Academy
on the principles of Godliness, honor, and integrity, first as a small kindergarten to eighth
grade school, and, in 1989, the high school was added and the school has grown into a
respected academic institution with an outstanding athletic program that continues to win
countless state championships, becoming a juggernaut of football excellence; and
WHEREAS, Evangel Christian Academy has earned state and national recognition
for excellence in both academics and athletics, always adhering to the dictates of living a life
in tune with the teachings of Jesus Christ; and
WHEREAS, Frances Duron has spent sixty-three years in selfless, courageous, and
visionary gospel ministry in tent meetings, in brush arbor revivals, at First Assembly of God
Cedar Grove, at First Assembly of God Shreveport, and at Shreveport Community Church
in devotion to spreading the word of God and by living a life reflecting the principles of
Godliness, honor, and integrity; and
WHEREAS, from a humble start as a young couple attempting to bring the word of
God to all who thirsted for it, Frances, along with her husband, grew their ministry to include
two worship centers at the location in Shreveport, a kindergarten through twelfth grade
Christian school that serves as an example of the love of God, particularly for children, the
Evangel Center for Autism, and the SCC Café and kids play area; and
WHEREAS, she has been an enduring comfort to the despairing, the lonely, and the
brokenhearted, and has exemplified the highest levels of compassion, loyalty, and devotion
to her husband, the late Reverend Rodney Duron; and
WHEREAS, the number of lives that Frances Duron has touched in her sixty-three
years of devotion in unceasingly laboring to provide spiritual training to young people by
spreading the word of God, including reaching beyond the church campus, sacrificing to
bring the highest level of spiritual and academic education to underserved inner city children
and families, is clearly incalculable, but they stand as a testament to her vision of evangelism
and her abiding faith in the God who called her to live this life of service.
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Senate of the Legislature of Louisiana
does hereby commend the Reverend Frances Duron for her lifetime of dedicated and selfless
commitment to a ministry of preaching the Gospel and living a life of service to God.
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BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this Resolution be transmitted to the
Reverend Frances Duron.
PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE
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