| 2 | 3 | | |
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| 3 | 4 | | |
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| 4 | 5 | | R E S O L U T I O N |
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| 5 | 6 | | WHEREAS, Countless lives were touched by the inspirational |
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| 6 | 7 | | leadership of Bishop Arthur LaDell Thomas of Waco, who passed away |
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| 7 | 8 | | on November 11, 2014, at the age of 81; and |
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| 8 | 9 | | WHEREAS, A. LaDell Thomas was born in Waco on August 13, 1933, |
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| 9 | 10 | | to Ira and Vinetta Thomas; answering the call to the ministry, he |
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| 10 | 11 | | accepted his first pastoral assignment at a rural church in |
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| 11 | 12 | | Caldwell; he felt drawn back to his hometown to continue his work in |
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| 12 | 13 | | 1956, and he was later named superintendent for the Central Texas |
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| 13 | 14 | | Pentecostal District; and |
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| 14 | 15 | | WHEREAS, In 1987, A. LaDell Thomas was appointed and |
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| 15 | 16 | | consecrated a bishop in the Church of God in Christ; while he |
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| 16 | 17 | | devoted his life to spreading a message of faith, he was involved in |
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| 17 | 18 | | the civil rights struggle in segregated McLennan County; active in |
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| 18 | 19 | | the NAACP, he joined other African American leaders in pressing for |
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| 19 | 20 | | greater minority representation on the Waco City Council, and he |
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| 20 | 21 | | encouraged other citizens to take to the polls as a means of |
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| 21 | 22 | | ensuring that their voices were heard; and |
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| 22 | 23 | | WHEREAS, A former college instructor and school |
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| 23 | 24 | | administrator, Bishop Thomas believed fervently in the power of |
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| 24 | 25 | | education in securing a better life; he was the first African |
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| 25 | 26 | | American to serve on the board of the La Vega Independent School |
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| 26 | 27 | | District, and he personally counseled young people in his effort to |
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| 27 | 28 | | steer them on the right path; and |
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| 28 | 29 | | WHEREAS, This esteemed clergyman led Deliverance and Praise |
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| 29 | 30 | | Temple Church of God in Christ in Harker Heights as pastor for close |
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| 30 | 31 | | to a quarter-century; guiding a congregation that was primarily |
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| 31 | 32 | | composed of military personnel, he was admired for his wisdom and |
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| 32 | 33 | | for the humor that he often incorporated into his lessons; during |
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| 33 | 34 | | his long tenure, he was present for the deployments and homecomings |
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| 34 | 35 | | of numerous members of his flock, and he continued to correspond |
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| 35 | 36 | | with them while they were away in distant lands; and |
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| 36 | 37 | | WHEREAS, Bishop Thomas was the devoted husband of Elnora |
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| 37 | 38 | | Thomas, with whom he lovingly raised six children; as a father, he |
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| 38 | 39 | | stressed the need for perseverance in overcoming challenges in |
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| 39 | 40 | | life, and he knew the delight of seeing his children follow in his |
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| 40 | 41 | | footsteps to enter work in the ministry; when asked, he could always |
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| 41 | 42 | | be counted on to attend prayer services and events within his |
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| 42 | 43 | | community, and he was an empathetic listener who ensured that those |
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| 43 | 44 | | who came to him felt valued and appreciated; and |
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| 44 | 45 | | WHEREAS, Though he did not seek recognition for his |
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| 45 | 46 | | achievements, Bishop A. LaDell Thomas was renowned among his fellow |
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| 46 | 47 | | citizens as a dedicated spiritual leader and a dynamic force for |
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| 47 | 48 | | good; he will be greatly missed by all who walked with him along his |
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| 48 | 49 | | journey, and the compassion and insight that he shared will remain a |
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| 49 | 50 | | source of comfort and joy for many years to come; now, therefore, be |
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| 50 | 51 | | it |
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| 51 | 52 | | RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 84th Texas |
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| 52 | 53 | | Legislature hereby pay tribute to the memory of Arthur LaDell |
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| 53 | 54 | | Thomas and extend deepest sympathy to the members of his family: to |
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| 54 | 55 | | his wife, Elnora Massey Thomas; to his children, Bishop A. LaDell |
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| 55 | 56 | | Thomas Jr. and his wife, Tihara, Supervisor Joyce L. Campbell and |
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| 56 | 57 | | her husband, John, District Missionary Nora Kay Thomas, |
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| 57 | 58 | | Superintendent Vayne Thomas and his wife, Yolanda, Pastor Reginald |
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| 58 | 59 | | K. Thomas Sr. and his wife, Johnnie, and Superintendent Richard L. |
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| 59 | 60 | | Thomas Sr. and his wife, Lillian; to his grandchildren, |
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| 60 | 61 | | great-grandchildren, and great-great-grandchildren; and to his |
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| 61 | 62 | | other relatives and friends; and, be it further |
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| 62 | 63 | | RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
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| 63 | 64 | | prepared for his family and that when the Texas House of |
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| 64 | 65 | | Representatives adjourns this day, it do so in memory of A. LaDell |
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| 65 | 66 | | Thomas. |
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