| 1 | 1 | | H.R. No. 120 |
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| 3 | 3 | | |
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| 4 | 4 | | R E S O L U T I O N |
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| 5 | 5 | | WHEREAS, The members of Greater Saint Mark Ministries in Fort |
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| 6 | 6 | | Worth joined together on September 8, 2023, to honor Bishop |
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| 7 | 7 | | Dr. Mark D. Kirkland for his five decades in the ministry; and |
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| 8 | 8 | | WHEREAS, A spiritual leader from a young age, Dr. Kirkland |
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| 9 | 9 | | was ordained as a minister during his junior year of high school; he |
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| 10 | 10 | | became the third senior pastor of Greater Saint Mark Missionary |
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| 11 | 11 | | Baptist Church in February 1997, and under his able leadership, the |
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| 12 | 12 | | church became a nondenominational body known as Greater Saint Mark |
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| 13 | 13 | | Ministries; in 2006, he cofounded Rehoboth Fellowship |
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| 14 | 14 | | International, and he currently serves that organization as chief |
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| 15 | 15 | | presiding prelate; in addition, he received his Episcopal |
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| 16 | 16 | | ordination and consecration as a bishop on September 29, 2007; over |
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| 17 | 17 | | the years, he has participated in several missions to provide |
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| 18 | 18 | | supplies and financial aid to families and communities in African |
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| 19 | 19 | | countries; and |
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| 20 | 20 | | WHEREAS, Dr. Kirkland previously attended Southern Bible |
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| 21 | 21 | | Institute and Saint Leo College in Georgia; in 2010, he obtained a |
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| 22 | 22 | | doctoral degree in theology from Trinity International Seminary in |
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| 23 | 23 | | Dallas, where he also served as president for four years; he was |
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| 24 | 24 | | presented with an honorary doctor of divinity from Grace |
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| 25 | 25 | | International Seminary in Dallas; and |
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| 26 | 26 | | WHEREAS, Answering his nation's call to duty, Dr. Kirkland |
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| 27 | 27 | | served in the U.S. Marine Corps from 1983 to 2004; he has been |
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| 28 | 28 | | involved in a number of boards and civic organizations, including |
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| 29 | 29 | | the Genesis Way Foundation, the Young Ministers Coalition of |
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| 30 | 30 | | Greater Atlanta, the Fireball Express, Umoja, and the Dunbar Young |
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| 31 | 31 | | Men's Leadership Academy Site Base Management Team; moreover, he |
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| 32 | 32 | | has served as a chaplain for the Texas Department of Corrections, |
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| 33 | 33 | | and he has contributed to a wide range of community service |
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| 34 | 34 | | projects, events, and relief efforts; and |
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| 35 | 35 | | WHEREAS, Bishop Dr. Mark Kirkland has long set an inspiring |
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| 36 | 36 | | example of faith in action, and the members of his congregation have |
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| 37 | 37 | | greatly benefited from his wise counsel and spiritual guidance; |
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| 38 | 38 | | now, therefore, be it |
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| 39 | 39 | | RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 88th Texas |
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| 40 | 40 | | Legislature, 4th Called Session, hereby congratulate Bishop |
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| 41 | 41 | | Dr. Mark D. Kirkland on his 50th anniversary in the ministry and |
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| 42 | 42 | | extend to him sincere best wishes for the future; and, be it further |
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| 43 | 43 | | RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
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| 44 | 44 | | prepared for Dr. Kirkland as an expression of high regard by the |
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| 45 | 45 | | Texas House of Representatives. |
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| 46 | 46 | | Collier |
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| 47 | 47 | | ______________________________ |
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| 48 | 48 | | Speaker of the House |
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| 49 | 49 | | I certify that H.R. No. 120 was adopted by the House on |
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| 50 | 50 | | December 5, 2023, by a non-record vote. |
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| 51 | 51 | | ______________________________ |
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| 52 | 52 | | Chief Clerk of the House |
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