[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 24 (Thursday, March 7, 2002)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E295]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




             TRIBUTE TO REVEREND DR. JULIUS RICHARD SCRUGGS

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                    HON. ROBERT E. (BUD) CRAMER, JR.

                               of alabama

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, March 7, 2002

  Mr. CRAMER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Reverend Dr. 
Julius Richard Scruggs of the First Missionary Baptist Church in 
Huntsville, Alabama. This year he celebrates his 42nd pastoral 
anniversary and his 25th anniversary with First Missionary Baptist. Dr. 
Scruggs is an incredible asset to this church and the City of 
Huntsville and deserves every honor on this special anniversary.
  Rev. Dr. Julius Scruggs was born in Elkton, Tennessee and grew up in 
Toney, Alabama. He began his pastoral career at the age of 18 at Pine 
Grove Missionary Baptist Church in Harvest, Alabama, and has continued 
his work in the ministry for forty-two years. Dr. Scruggs has been at 
First Missionary Baptist Church since 1977 and has seen more than 2,500 
new members unite with the church during that time. Under his esteemed 
leadership, the church has begun witnessing and evangelism teams, jail 
ministry teams, scholarship funds, health and recreation ministries, 
and has greatly enhanced its Christian Education ministry. The church 
has also built and paid for a house with Habitat for Humanity and the 
congregation continues to donate their time and money to help build 
other Habitat homes for the surrounding community.
  Mr. Speaker, I want to express my sincere appreciation of Dr. 
Scruggs' service to our community in Huntsville. Dr. Scruggs is an 
important and active member of the national and local Christian 
community. He is a member and former president of the Greater 
Huntsville Interdenominational Ministerial Fellowship and was the 1998 
recipient of their Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Award. Dr. Scruggs' many 
other accomplishments and community services include being elected Vice 
President at Large of the National Baptist Convention, U.S.A., Inc. in 
1999. First Missionary Baptist and the Huntsville community have been 
very blessed by Rev. Dr. Julius Scruggs' pastoral career. I want to 
congratulate and thank him for his forty-two years of invaluable 
service in the ministry and his twenty-five years at First Missionary 
Baptist Church in Huntsville.

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