[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 30 (Tuesday, March 11, 1997)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E431]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




[[Page E431]]



                  IN MEMORY OF REV. MAC CHARLES JONES

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. KAREN McCARTHY

                              of missouri

                    in the house of representatives

                        Tuesday, March 11, 1997

  Ms. McCARTHY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to a 
nationally respected clergyman, Rev. Mac Charles Jones. Reverend Jones' 
untimely death is a loss for the Kansas City community and the Nation.
  Reverend Jones served as a deputy general secretary for the National 
Council of Churches and was en route to a meeting of that group's 
racial justice committee when he died. He also served as a member of 
the World Council of Churches central committee.
  As an ordained minister in the National Baptist Convention of 
America, Inc., he served as pastor of St. Stephen's Baptist Church in 
Kansas City, MO. Because of Reverend Jones' initiative and drive St. 
Stephen's was the annual host of the local celebration honoring the 
birthday of the Reverend Martin Luther King. Reverend Jones was 
instrumental in convening the 1993 National Urban Peace and Justice 
Summit at St. Stephen which drew more than 100 current and former gang 
members together to discuss improving inner-city conditions.
  Last June, Reverend Jones organized a group of clergymen, many from 
affected churches, to meet with President Clinton, Attorney General 
Reno, and Treasury Secretary Rubin to focus the Government's attention 
on the arson fires at African-American churches. His efforts played an 
important role in raising the national consciousness about this 
problem. A noted evangelist, Reverend Jones was an important leader in 
Kansas City. He made a difference in the lives of its residents. I ask 
the House to join me in expressing condolences to his wife, Jannela, 
and his children Ayinde Jones and Lacey Jones.

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