[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 114 (Tuesday, September 21, 2004)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1662-E1663]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     TRIBUTE TO ST. JOHN AME CHURCH

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. DONALD M. PAYNE

                             of new jersey

                    in the house of representatives

                      Tuesday, September 21, 2004

  Mr. PAYNE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the members of St. 
John African Methodist Episcopal Church in Jersey City, New Jersey. On 
Sunday, September 26, 2004, they will be celebrating 60 years of 
community ministry with a re-dedication ceremony.
  St. John AME Church was founded in May 1944 and its members have 
served the people of Jersey City through their outreach to children, 
families, and seniors; their involvement in neighborhood initiatives; 
and their dedication to meeting the needs of the community in which 
they live.

[[Page E1663]]

  They worked with the Communipaw Avenue Block Association and the 
Jersey City Landmarks Conservancy to restore the historical Rev. Dr. F. 
Webb Park, and they are a member of the Communipaw Avenue Block 
Association and Garden Club. They have developed a Spiritual and Social 
Plan dealing with fair housing, financial problems, and other 
neighborhood matters. The have been active in the Morris Canal 
Redevelopment Area Development Coalition Plans and have planted trees 
in local parks.
  St. John AME Church has developed a Voter Education and Registration 
Project and Database, and is building a Community and Cultural Center 
for Senior Citizens and Youth. They have an Uplifting the Brotherhood 
of Men Ministry for fathers and their children, a cell phone ministry 
for battered women, an Outreach Golden Senior Citizen ministry, and are 
a member of the Today I Must Excel (TIME) program for Inner City 
families and youth.
  They have a DSL computer lab for children and have developed an Adult 
and Youth Job Training Center. Every year they hold a Health Fair 
addressing minority health matters, an October Harvest Feast for 
Community Youth and their families, and a Profound Black Leaders 
Lecture Series.
  Under the leadership of Rev. Charles W. McNeill, Jr., these 
outstanding citizens continue to fulfill the legacy of community 
service that St. John AME Church has exemplified for the last 60 years.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask you to join me as I recognize these men and women 
who are dedicated to making our community a better place, and I 
encourage my colleagues to join me in sending our best wishes for many, 
many more years of service and ministry.

                          ____________________