[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 146 (Wednesday, October 14, 1998)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2159]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




         TRIBUTE TO THE LATE REVEREND DOCTOR LEROY OSCAR PAYTON

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. THOMAS M. DAVIS

                              of virginia

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, October 14, 1998

  Mr. DAVIS of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, a very distinguished leader in 
the Northern Virginia and surrounding area, Reverend Doctor Leroy Oscar 
Payton passed away on September 28, 1998.
  Reverend Payton, born September 29, 1931, was the eldest of nine 
children born to the late Reverend Leroy Payton and Mrs. Sarah Mack 
Payton. A native of Orangeburg, South Carolina, he had been active in 
the ministry since the age of 17. He was ordained in 1950 and served as 
an assistant to the pastor at the Mount Zion Baptist Church in 
Arlington, Virginia. Reverend Payton held academic degrees from what 
was then the District of Columbia Teachers College, now known as the 
University of the District of Columbia, the Washington Bible College, 
and George Washington University.
  In 1960, he became the pastor of First Baptist Church in Sycoline, 
Virginia, where he served the community and congregation for seven 
years. In 1967 he was called to the Chantilly Baptist Church, 
Chantilly, Virginia, where he faithfully served thirty years as pastor. 
Under the leadership of Reverend Payton, Chantilly Baptist Church, 
which is place of worship to a number of my constituents, has grown 
from a small rural congregation to a present day modern suburban church 
with many ministries. Reverend Payton was retired from George 
Washington University as the Director of Environmental Services.
  My introduction to Reverend Payton was through his work at the 
Northern Virginia Baptist Association (NVBA). The NVBA is an 
association of more than one hundred and twenty-five primarily African 
American churches, many of which are in my district in the counties of 
Fairfax and Prince Williams, located in the Northern Virginia region of 
the Baptist General Convention of Virginia. Reverend Payton had been a 
leader in this Association of churches for more than forty years, 
culminating his tenure as the fourteenth Moderator of this dynamic one 
hundred and twenty-one-year-old organization. It was during his 
stewardship of the Northern Virginia Baptist Association that I came to 
know and respect Reverend Payton. He preached the message of, ``Love: 
the Binding Tie and the Healing Balm,'' during his years as Moderator, 
1993-1997.
  Not only did Reverend Payton preach the word of his belief from which 
he drew his strength, he was also actively involved in his community. 
An unassuming gentle man, he believed it to be his duty as a citizen in 
this great country to concern himself with the immediate community as 
well as the broader community. He had been recognized on many occasions 
and had been the recipient of numerous awards because of the warmth of 
his leadership, spiritual guidance, and dedication to do the Lord's 
will. Closer to home, Reverend Payton was also a dedicated family man.
  He leaves to carry on his good memory, his loving wife, Margaret, 
their children--Leroy, Joan, Ravoyne, and Dana; his mother, Mrs. Sarah 
Mack Payton; five brothers, three sisters and many other relatives and 
friends. Reverend Payton was the epitome of what makes this nation 
great--he loved his community enough to care to make a difference in 
everyday life, he loved his family, and he loved the Lord. He did not 
look for any accolades. He saw what needed to be done in the community 
and did it without seeking recognition.
  Northern Virginia is without Reverend Doctor Leroy Oscar Payton 
today, but the memories of his strong leadership, moral courage, 
integrity, and devotion to God will live on in our hearts and be an 
example to follow.

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