2021 Regular Session ENROLLED
SENATE CONCURRENT RESOL UTION NO. 1
BY SENATORS PEACOCK AND ROBERT MILLS AND REPRESENTATIVE
PRESSLY
A CONCURRENT RESOL UTION
To commend Dr. R. Pat Day, senior pastor, of First United Methodist Church in Shreveport,
Louisiana, upon his retirement after twenty-seven years of faithful service and
inspiring leadership.
WHEREAS, First United Methodist Church in Shreveport, Louisiana, was founded
in 1845; and
WHEREAS, through a quarter of a century, First United Methodist Church's
worshiping community has grown greatly under Dr. Day's pastoral leadership; and
WHEREAS, while Dr. Day has made a lasting impact through his sermons, he has
also officiated numerous weddings, baptized and confirmed many children, comforted his
flock in the hospital and at funerals through which his longstanding consistency and service
served as an extraordinary blessing to his congregation and many more; and
WHEREAS, under Dr. Day's leadership, the First United Methodist Church's budget
has more than tripled in size during his twenty-seven year tenure, from $1.5 million to $5
million, due to membership and stewardship commitments; and
WHEREAS, the First United Methodist Church campus has greatly increased in size
through three significant capital campaigns (1996, 2003, 2007) and provides a beacon of
hope and light in the midst of downtown Shreveport which he greatly enhanced; and
WHEREAS, Dr. Day created leadership seminars and opportunities for personal
growth for members of First United Methodist Church and the Shreveport-Bossier
communities at-large, and he plans to continue to be involved in leadership seminars in
Texas during his retirement; and
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WHEREAS, Dr. Day, in 2010, announced from the pulpit that the church would pour
resources into four major areas of ministry: Small Groups, Discipleship, Missions, and
Leadership, and hundreds of members have connected in small groups and deepened their
relationships with Christ; they have sowed the fruits of their faith by serving not only in
Shreveport, but all around the globe, serving as leaders in their homes, community, state, and
world; and
WHEREAS, Dr. Day is gifted with unprecedented vision; he wholeheartedly prayed
for First United Methodist Church to devote $1 million yearly toward local and global
missions and even more importantly was the change of mindset on how to move forward
with missions; and
WHEREAS, Dr. Day led the charge away from transactional missions to
transformational relationships by encouraging the mission's leaders to intentionally move
away from doing projects for people, and instead meet the holistic needs of those with whom
First United Methodist partners in ministry, and as a result, First United Methodist Church
is known locally, nationally, and internationally for servant leadership and the ministry of
presence and compassion; and
WHEREAS, Dr. Day consistently places God's direction and excellence above any
particular special interests; he continually invests in developing lay and staff leadership, who
turn their gifts and talents back into making First United Methodist Church great; and
WHEREAS, numerous pastors currently leading large thriving Methodist churches
developed as associate pastors at First United Methodist Church during Dr. Day's
twenty-seven years; and
WHEREAS, from the pulpit, Dr. Day shares the message of hope and optimism of
a life rooted in the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and in a world filled with depressing headlines
and daily changes, his ever-relevant message of the Gospel delivers hope to those listening
in the pews, on the radio through a morning message on KEEL, or through the television;
and
WHEREAS, more than anything else, Dr. Day possesses a passionate heart for God,
he always places God in the lead and follows Him which shows every Sunday morning in
his powerful sermons and each day in his leadership of the church.
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THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Legislature of Louisiana does, upon his
retirement, hereby recognize and appreciate Dr. R. Pat Day's dedication, commitment, great
leadership, accomplishments, and achievements which are symbolic of his God given
ministry to serve his flock, community, and the citizens of Louisiana.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this Resolution be transmitted to
Dr. R. Pat Day.
PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE
SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
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