[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 68 (Wednesday, May 12, 1999)]
[House]
[Page H3061]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




       MOURNING THE PASSING OF REVEREND CLARENCE E. STOWERS, SR.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Davis) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, leadership can be defined in many 
ways: the position or office of a leader, capacity or ability to lead, 
giving guidance and/or direction. The definition which I like best is 
that leadership is the ability to get others to do what you want them 
to do but because they want to do it.
  Such has been the life and such is the legacy left by the Reverend 
Clarence E. Stowers, Sr., former pastor of the Mars Hill Missionary 
Baptist Church in Chicago who recently passed away.
  Reverend Stowers grew up in Mason, Tennessee, married his childhood 
sweetheart, Miss Margaret Malone Stowers, and they were blessed to 
produce five children, one of whom has succeeded him, the Reverend 
Clarence E. Stowers, Jr., who is now pastor of Mars Hill.
  In 1963, Reverend Stowers and 17 members of his family, friends and 
associates founded the Mars Hill Church and located it at 3311 West 
Roosevelt Road. However, within 2 years, the church outgrew that 
facility and relocated to a larger one at 2809 West Harrison Street. 
Twelve years later, the church acquired its current facility at 5916-22 
West Lake Street, a massive structure which seats over 2,000 
parishioners, houses their own elementary school and space for other 
programs and activities.
  As Reverend Stowers' congregation grew, so did he. He earned both his 
Bachelors and Master of Arts degrees in religion and theology from the 
Chicago Baptist Institute and Trinity Evangelical Seminary.
  Reverend Stowers recognized that being involved beyond the sanctuary 
of his church was vitally important to his ministry. Therefore, he 
helped to organize and served as President of the Illinois Baptist 
State Convention for 8 years. He also served as Recording Secretary of 
the National Missionary Baptist State Convention of America, President 
of the West Side Ministers' Conference and the Religious Council on 
Urban Affairs.
  Reverend Stowers had a powerful preaching style and delivered 
messages not only throughout America but also preached in Israel, 
Jordan, Egypt and in Rome, Italy. He was actively involved in his local 
community and hosted many of the large rallies during the Harold 
Washington political era in Chicago history.
  He led Mars Hill in the development of its own school, the Musical 
Acres Resort in Adams, Wisconsin, a housing development of new homes 
near the church, and the establishment of a health ministry where 
people learn how to care for themselves and to make the most effective 
use of health resources within their community.
  Mrs. Margaret Stowers, Reverend Clarence Stowers, Jr., Sharron Lynn, 
Robin Denise, Shawinette Michelle and Marcie, as well as the entire 
Mars Hill family can take pride in the leadership and accomplishments 
of their pastor, husband, father, friend, mentor and leader, the 
Reverend Clarence Edward Stowers, Sr. His work stands as a living 
testament, and his legacy shall continue through the life and works of 
those whom he has left behind.

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