SLS 18RS-3207 ORIGINAL
2018 Regular Session
SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 159
BY SENATOR TARVER
COMMENDATIONS. Commends the Reverend Lonnie Hamilton Jr. on his retirement as
pastor of New Boggy Baptist Church in Bethany, Louisiana.
1 A RESOLUTION
2 To commend the Reverend Lonnie Hamilton Jr. for thirty-eight years of faithful Christian
3 service as pastor of New Boggy Baptist Church in Bethany, Louisiana.
4 WHEREAS, the Reverend Lonnie Hamilton Jr., a native of Caddo Parish (Rodessa,
5 LA) confessed his call to the ministry in February of 1973 at the Mount Canaan Baptist
6 Church under the leadership of Pastor Harry Blake; and
7 WHEREAS, on March 11, 1973, Reverend Lonnie Hamilton Jr. preached his first
8 sermon declaring the Gospel that Jesus Christ is Lord; and
9 WHEREAS, in the history of Mount Canaan Baptist Church, it is noted that
10 Reverend Lonnie Hamilton Jr. organized and led one of the largest Baptist Training Union
11 (BTU) programs that unpacked the scriptures and what God requests of us as born again
12 believers; and
13 WHEREAS, as Reverend Hamilton devoted himself to the study of God's word and
14 committed to a ministry of serving the sheep, he assisted with the preaching ministry each
15 second Sunday at the St. Mary Baptist Church under the pastoral leadership of the late Pastor
16 Leon Bell in the Cooper Road area; and
17 WHEREAS, additionally, he supported the preaching ministry each fourth Sunday
18 at the Calvary Baptist Church under the pastoral leadership of the late Pastor A. Blaze until
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SLS 18RS-3207 ORIGINAL
1 1980; and
2 WHEREAS, the New Boggy Baptist Church in 1980 received Reverend Hamilton
3 as the eleventh pastor of this historical church where he has served faithfully for thirty-eight
4 years; and
5 WHEREAS, Pastor Hamilton's tenure places him in a leadership role in the rich
6 history of the New Boggy Baptist Church that was established in 1869, as the longest serving
7 pastor; and
8 WHEREAS, with his announcement to retire from pastoring effective Sunday,
9 May 27, 2018, Pastor Hamilton probably never thought he would serve long enough to raise
10 his children, see them married, and then have grandchildren attending Sunday morning
11 worship services with him; and
12 WHEREAS, more than half of his life has been committed to the New Boggy family
13 for which the church members are eternally grateful; and
14 WHEREAS, Pastor Hamilton has been blessed abundantly with gifts that have
15 allowed him to serve God, his family, his country in the United States Marine Corp, and the
16 students of Southern University at Shreveport in the capacity of professor and chair of the
17 social sciences department, with an unwavering commitment; and
18 WHEREAS, Reverend Hamilton's lifelong mission of service to God will culminate
19 on May 27, 2018, and it is appropriate to recognize this man of God for his long and
20 effective pastorship.
21 THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Senate of the Legislature of Louisiana
22 does hereby commend the Reverend Lonnie Hamilton Jr. upon the occasion of his retirement
23 after thirty-eight years of service as pastor of New Boggy Baptist Church in Bethany,
24 Louisiana, and does hereby extend to him best wishes as he embarks upon the next stage of
25 his life.
26 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this Resolution be transmitted to the
27 Reverend Lonnie Hamilton Jr.
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SLS 18RS-3207 ORIGINAL
The original instrument and the following digest, which constitutes no part
of the legislative instrument, were prepared by Jerry J. Guillot.
DIGEST
SR 159 Original 2018 Regular Session Tarver
Commends the Reverend Lonnie Hamilton Jr. upon the occasion of his retirement after 38
years of service as pastor of New Boggy Baptist Church in Bethany, Louisiana.
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