[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 147 (Tuesday, October 26, 1999)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2190]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


              TRIBUTE TO THE REV. DR. GEORGE EDWARD McRAE

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. CARRIE P. MEEK

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, October 26, 1999

  Mrs. MEEK of Florida. Mr. Speaker, it is indeed a distinct honor and 
privilege to pay tribute to one of Miami-Dade County's great leaders, 
the Rev. Dr. George Edward McRae, pastor of Mt. Tabor Missionary 
Baptist Church in Liberty City. On Thursday, October 28, 1999, the 
Miami Herald will honor him as a recipient of the 15th Annual Charles 
Whited Spirit of Excellence Award, along with five other distinguished 
South Floridians.
  Admired by his friends and colleagues as a ``multi-talented man of 
God dedicated to service,'' Rev. McRae truly represents one of the 
noblest public servants of our community. As pastor and teacher at Mt. 
Tabor Baptist Church for the last ten years, he has been relentless in 
leading the members of his congregation in the ways of God, focusing 
his efforts on the agenda of spiritual wisdom and compassionate service 
to our community's less fortunate--the sick and the elderly, the hungry 
and the homeless, the poor and the disenfranchised, and the imprisoned 
and the dying.
  Indeed, he genuinely exemplifies a true Spirit of Excellence for 
being a ``leader in outreach,'' defining his life's consecration to the 
disenfranchised and the forgotten. As my pastor and confidante, I want 
to acknowledge Rev. McRae's tremendous work for constantly reminding us 
of the love and understanding for our fellow human beings. He truly 
evokes the example of Christ, the Good Shepherd, and is constantly 
enlightening his flock of believers, sharing with us the fact that our 
lives are inextricably interwoven with one another--regardless of our 
creed, color, gender, or philosophical persuasion.
  The outreach programs Rev. McRae founded include Christian Education, 
HIV/AIDS awareness and education, a prison ministry, substance abuse 
forums, homeless shelters and feeding programs for the children, the 
elderly and the homeless. He is a down-to-earth minister of the Gospel 
who pragmatically aligns himself to the adage that ``. . . people would 
rather see a sermon than hear it.'' All through these years I have 
learned from him the very centrality of God's role in our daily lives, 
conscious of the fact that ultimately the mandate of our faith to help 
the less fortunate among us does not contradict, but rather complement, 
our public stewardship on behalf of our constituents.
  In its laudatory recognition The Maimi Herald aptly described him as 
``the catalyst for monumental strides in the church's outreach 
programs,'' succinctly recognizing that our churches, along with our 
synagogues and temples, form a substantial part of a larger network of 
institutions that fittingly serve as the pillars of our community. 
Accordingly, his standards for learning, caring and achieving for the 
underserved has won for him countless accolades from South Florida's 
ecumenical community and beyond. Likewise, public and private agencies 
have deservedly cited him for his untiring commitment to service and 
his uncompromising stance on simple justice and equal opportunity for 
all.
  Long before Florida's Black churches and community organizations came 
to the understanding of HIV/AIDS, Rev. McRae has singlehandedly 
trailblazed our consciousness into the scourge that this virus has 
inflicted on our community. He pioneered the establishment of MOVERS 
(Minorities Overcoming the Virus Through Education, Responsibility and 
Spirituality), a program geared toward helping people survive the 
effects of HIV/AIDS. Today MOVERS is being replicated all over the 
country as it addresses the dilemma of the African-American community 
currently plagued by what he calls ``the triangle of death''--i.e., 
drugs, incarceration and AIDS.
  Our community is comforted by his undaunted leadership and 
compassionate caring. Accordingly, The Miami Herald has articulated our 
deepest respect and admiration for him with its prestigious Spirit of 
Excellence Award. Most of all, I am grateful that he continues to teach 
us that the ethic of our stewardship from God is genuinely manifested 
by our service to our fellow men. This is the legacy the Rev. George 
Edward McRae shares with us, and I am indeed privileged to have his 
friendship and confidence.

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