Tennessee 2025-2026 Regular Session

Tennessee House Bill HJR0320 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

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2	2	<BillNo> <Sponsor>
3	3
4	4	HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION 320
5	5	By Reeves
6	6
7	7
8	8	HJR0320
9	9	004622
10	10	- 1 -
11	11
12	12	A RESOLUTION to honor and recognize Reverend Kenneth Hill
13	13	on the occasion of his retirement.
14	14
15	15	WHEREAS, it is appropriate that the members of this General Assembly should honor
16	16	those individuals who have answered a divine call to the ministry and have served with
17	17	dedication, vigor, and enthusiasm to perform God's work for their congregations and
18	18	communities; and
19	19	WHEREAS, one such individual is Reverend Kenneth Hill, pastor of the historic Shorter
20	20	Chapel African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church, who has recently taken his much-deserved
21	21	retirement; and
22	22	WHEREAS, a devout leader of Christ, Reverend Hill has been an influential leader in
23	23	religious ministry for forty-three years and has served the Shorter Chapel AME Church as
24	24	pastor for ten years; and
25	25	WHEREAS, Reverend Hill was born in Martinsville, Virginia; his father, a World War II
26	26	veteran, moved his family to Detroit, Michigan, for greater economic opportunities; and
27	27	WHEREAS, Reverend Kenneth Hill attended Wayne State University and studied
28	28	education, where he was introduced and drawn to social activism, although he knew his heart
29	29	truly belonged to ministry and the Wesleyan theology; and
30	30	WHEREAS, Reverend Hill went on to earn his Master of Theology degree from Harvard
31	31	Divinity School and joined Harambee, in which he was a leader; and
32	32	WHEREAS, he earned his Doctor of Philosophy degree from the University of Michigan
33	33	and returned to Detroit, where he became a part of the Ebenezer AME Church and received
34	34	mentorship that would launch his career in ministry; and
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39	39	WHEREAS, Reverend Hill's ideas in teaching and preaching led to his being named the
40	40	Fourth Executive Director of Christian Education in the 13
41	41	th
42	42	Episcopal District AME Church in
43	43	Nashville, where he supervised twenty-seven congregations throughout the district, and
44	44	Presiding Elder of the East Tennessee and West Kentucky Annual Conferences of the 13
45	45	th
46	46
47	47	Episcopal District; and
48	48	WHEREAS, in these leadership positions, Reverend Kenneth Hill established and
49	49	introduced several new ministries, while also making improvements to the AME Church's school
50	50	literature, developing a comprehensive guide for teachers, and overall, bringing significant
51	51	change to the church; and
52	52	WHEREAS, following thirty-three years of astute service as a traveling preacher for the
53	53	13
54	54	th
55	55	Episcopal District AME Church and simultaneously raising his family, Reverend Hill desired
56	56	to settle down and requested his own church; and
57	57	WHEREAS, in December 2014, Reverend Kenneth Hill was appointed to Shorter Chapel
58	58	AME Church in Franklin, and with him at the helm, the congregation grew in their relationship
59	59	with Christ through joy, fellowship, and unity, providing each attending member an enthusiastic
60	60	church family and community; and
61	61	WHEREAS, a profound leader in his community, Reverend Hill has remained a
62	62	trailblazer in preserving the history of Franklin and Williamson County, all the while engaging the
63	63	community in the process; and
64	64	WHEREAS, in 2018, Reverend Hill, alongside Franklin Mayor Ken Moore, founded Unite
65	65	Williamson, a nonprofit organization that engages leaders of diverse faith backgrounds to foster
66	66	unity and celebrate the community of Williamson County; and
67	67	WHEREAS, during his estimable career, Reverend Kenneth Hill has authored numerous
68	68	books and taught at several universities and seminaries throughout the Midwest and the South;
69	69	and
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74	74	WHEREAS, his many professional accomplishments aside, Reverend Hill is most
75	75	grateful for the love and support of his beloved wife, Dr. Roberta Hill, and their cherished family;
76	76	and
77	77	WHEREAS, Reverend Hill has continued to demonstrate excellence in his calling as a
78	78	man of God; the members of his congregation were proud to call him their pastor, leader, and
79	79	friend; and
80	80	WHEREAS, a true shepherd of the flock, Reverend Kenneth Hill has an abiding love for
81	81	the ministry; his many contributions to his church, his community, and this State are deeply
82	82	appreciated, and it is wholly fitting that he be recognized on this special occasion; now,
83	83	therefore,
84	84	BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE HUNDRED
85	85	FOURTEENTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE, THE SENATE
86	86	CONCURRING, that we honor and commend Reverend Kenneth Hill on the occasion of his
87	87	retirement, thank him for his meritorious service as pastor of the Shorter Chapel African
88	88	Methodist Episcopal Church, and extend to him our best wishes for every future success.
89	89	BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that an appropriate copy of this resolution be prepared
90	90	for presentation with this final clause omitted from such copy and upon proper request made to
91	91	the appropriate clerk, the language appearing immediately following the State seal appear
92	92	without House or Senate designation.
93	93