[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 104 (Wednesday, July 21, 1999)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1617-E1618]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 CARRIE P. MEEK'S TRIBUTE TO REV. DR. G. DAVID HORTON, PASTOR, GREATER 
                       NEW BETHEL BAPTIST CHURCH

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. CARRIE P. MEEK

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, July 21, 1999

  Mrs. MEEK of Florida. Mr. Speaker, it is truly a distinct honor and 
privilege to pay tribute to one of Miami-Dade County's great 
ecclesiastical leaders, the Rev. Dr. G. David Horton, on his 20th Year 
Anniversary as Pastor of Greater New Bethel Baptist Church. I want to 
echo the same sentiments of joy and gratitude that his congregation is 
lifting up to Almighty God to celebrate his milestone during this month 
of July, culminating on Sunday, August 1, 1999.
  Rev. Dr. Horton truly represents the best and the noblest of God's 
Chosen Ones. As pastor, preacher and minister of the Gospel, he is 
remarkably leading his congregation in the ways of God and has 
tirelessly worked to

[[Page E1618]]

enlighten our community on the agenda of spiritual wisdom and good 
government based on our God-given conscience and responsibility toward 
others.
  It is indeed fitting for those of us who subscribe to the Judaeo-
Christian Faith to pause and reflect on the important role that Rev. 
Dr. Horton plays in the day-to-day affairs of his congregation. I want 
to acknowledge the tremendous work he is doing in constantly guiding 
not only the members of the Greater New Bethel Baptist Church, but also 
our community at large. He has truly exemplified the example of Christ 
as the Good Shepherd, and is wisely leading his flock of believers to 
the demands of Faith and to the works of Charity, sharing with them the 
words of God's wisdom and salvation emanating from the Gospel.
  His consecration and vigilance over the spiritual growth and socio-
moral well-being of his congregation have impacted the lives of 
countless people, propelling him into one of our state's charismatic 
preachers. Accordingly, my constituents in the 17th Congressional 
District's northern sector are the fortunate beneficiaries of Rev. 
Horton's teachings and ministry, especially in his advocacy to reach 
out both by way of word and example our unconditional love and 
commitment to the children, the elderly, the poor, the disenfranchised 
and the less fortunate among us. We have learned from him the 
centrality of God in our daily lives, conscious of the fact that the 
mandate of our Faith and the obligation of our citizenship must 
characterize our service to those who could least fend for themselves.
  His countless awards aptly described him as a forceful, courageous 
and visionary leader not only of the religious community, but also our 
society at large, firmly compelled by the fact that the Greater New 
Bethel Baptist Church in Miami is indeed part of a larger network of 
institutions that serve as the voice and conscience of our community. 
Rev. Dr. Horton is fully living up to his vocation as a pastor par 
excellence. His standards for learning, caring and achieving, 
especially among the youth, have won for him the accolades of our 
community. Public and private agencies, along with countless 
organizations, have oftentimes cited him for his resolute consecration 
to the Truth of the Gospel, along with his uncompromising stance on 
justice and equal opportunity for all.
  Moreover, his crusades in teaching our youth have become legendary. 
He has gained the utmost confidence of parents, teachers and countless 
others from diverse professions who see in him as a no-nonsense 
motivator. They are wont to entrust him with the future of their 
children and families, genuinely confident that they will learn from 
him the tenets of personal excellence, buoyed up by an uncompromising 
commitment to hard work and discipline.
  Our community is deeply touched and comforted by his undaunted 
leadership, compassion and personal warmth. As head of one of the 
largest Baptist Churches in Florida, Rev. Dr. Horton preaches and lives 
by the adage that the grace of God's Providence and the quest for His 
Justice must buttress our common quest for personal integrity and 
professional achievement in the service of others. As a man of God and 
as an indomitable leader in our community, he has rightfully earned our 
deepest respect and genuine admiration.
  This is the great legacy the Rev. Dr. G. David Horton is unselfishly 
sharing with us on the occasion of his 20th Pastoral Anniversary. I am 
privileged indeed to be blessed with his friendship and confidence. And 
I am deeply grateful that he continues to teach us to live by his noble 
ethic of always loving God and serving our fellow men.

                          ____________________