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| 6 | 7 | | R E S O L U T I O N |
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| 7 | 8 | | WHEREAS, Congregants from Brentwood Baptist Church in |
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| 8 | 9 | | Houston are gathering in Austin on March 25, 2025, to visit the |
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| 9 | 10 | | State Capitol; and |
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| 10 | 11 | | WHEREAS, On June 17, 1965, Brentwood Baptist was founded by |
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| 11 | 12 | | 12 members who held meetings at a local elementary school until a |
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| 12 | 13 | | parcel of land could be purchased; in its early years, the church |
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| 13 | 14 | | benefited from the leadership of pastors Dr. Donald Carroll and |
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| 14 | 15 | | Dr. Herbert Nash; the Reverend Dr. Joe Samuel Ratliff was elected |
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| 15 | 16 | | pastor of the congregation in 1980, and he has since guided it |
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| 16 | 17 | | through more than four decades of substantial growth; his wife, |
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| 17 | 18 | | Doris Ernestine Gardner Ratliff, serves alongside him as the first |
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| 18 | 19 | | lady of the church; and |
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| 19 | 20 | | WHEREAS, Under Reverend Ratliff's leadership, the church saw |
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| 20 | 21 | | the addition of several new buildings throughout the 1980s, |
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| 21 | 22 | | including a prayer chapel and a worship center, and in 1997, the |
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| 22 | 23 | | Brentwood Cottages were constructed to serve as transitional |
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| 23 | 24 | | housing for individuals living with HIV/AIDS; by 2000, the church's |
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| 24 | 25 | | membership had grown from 500 to 12,000, and it had acquired 105 |
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| 25 | 26 | | additional acres of land; moreover, the Doris Gardner Ratliff |
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| 26 | 27 | | Center for Child Development was completed in 2000, and the |
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| 27 | 28 | | 75,000-square-foot Joe Samuel Ratliff Lifelong Learning Center was |
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| 28 | 29 | | added in 2001; and |
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| 29 | 30 | | WHEREAS, This venerable religious institution has played a |
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| 30 | 31 | | vital role in the community, providing its members with myriad |
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| 31 | 32 | | opportunities for spiritual growth, fellowship, and outreach; its |
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| 32 | 33 | | 75 ministries include the Brentwood Community Foundation, which |
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| 33 | 34 | | works to improve the quality of life of the greater Houston |
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| 34 | 35 | | community, and the church also has special programs for congregants |
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| 35 | 36 | | of all ages; and |
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| 36 | 37 | | WHEREAS, Countless Houston residents have looked to |
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| 37 | 38 | | Brentwood Baptist Church for spiritual guidance through the years, |
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| 38 | 39 | | and it is a pleasure to join in welcoming the congregation to the |
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| 39 | 40 | | State Capitol; now, therefore, be it |
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| 40 | 41 | | RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 89th Texas |
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| 41 | 42 | | Legislature hereby honor Brentwood Baptist Church and extend to its |
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| 42 | 43 | | members sincere best wishes for a meaningful and memorable stay in |
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| 43 | 44 | | Austin; and, be it further |
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| 44 | 45 | | RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
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| 45 | 46 | | prepared for the church as an expression of high regard by the Texas |
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| 46 | 47 | | House of Representatives. |
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