[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 94 (Wednesday, July 13, 2005)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1473-E1474]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


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                     TRIBUTE TO REV. J.J. ROBERSON

                                 ______
                                 

                             HON. AL GREEN

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, July 13, 2005

  Mr. AL GREEN of Texas. Mr. Speaker, on Sunday, July 10, 2005, in the 
great city of Houston, TX, my friend and distinguished religious leader 
Dr. J.J. Roberson will commemorate more than four decades in the 
ministry with the observance of Mt. Hebron Missionary Baptist Church's 
Annual Father, Son's and Grandson's Day.
  Born in New Gulf, TX, in 1918, Dr. Roberson graduated from Wharton 
County Training School and attended Tyler Barber College where he was 
certified as a Master Barber. He also attended Southern Business 
College, Southwestern Seminary, Texas Southern University and Mount 
Hope Bible College where he earned his Doctor of Divinity degree. Dr. 
Roberson has been married to his darling wife Elouise Jackson Roberson 
for 63 years and is privileged to count among those who will be 
honoring him on this special occasion his sons in the ministry and his 
extended family.
  Founded on January 8, 1958, Mt. Hebron, under Dr. Roberson's 
leadership, has been the mecca of community activism. His church is 
known throughout the city of Houston as a spiritual soldier who leads 
by example. Over the years, he has presided over the establishment of a 
number of sanctuaries, an apartment complex and a state-of-the-art Pipe 
Organ installed in 1998 with the expansion of the pulpit and the 
purchase of 75 acres of land in Brazoria County. To date, the 
membership has grown to more than 1,900 members and 1,058 families.
  A decorated World War II Veteran of the U.S. Army, Dr. Roberson is 
presently Commander of VFW Eugene Warren Post No. 471. He is also the 
President of the Baptist Ministers Association of Houston and Vicinity, 
1st Vice Moderator of the Independent Missionary Baptist General 
Association of Texas, Secretary-Treasurer of the Missionary Baptist 
General Convention of Texas BTU Board, and

[[Page E1474]]

1st Vice President of the South Texas Regional Convention.
  Mr. Speaker, in 2001, Dr. Roberson was inducted into the Religious 
Hall of Fame in Dallas, TX. That same year, he received the L.A. 
Simpson Pastor of the Year Award. Over the years, he has received an 
NAACP Membership Citation, War Against Drugs Commendation and honors 
from the Sam Houston Area Council and the Boy Scouts of America. In 
1986, he received an ``Official Memorandum from the State of Texas'' in 
honor of Martin Luther King Day. In 1982, the Mayor of Houston issued a 
proclamation declaring the month of June, 1982 as Building Project Days 
for Mt. Hebron Baptist Church, Inc.
  Finally, Mr. Speaker, I am honored to have the opportunity to pay 
tribute to such a strong and dedicated leader who has, over the years, 
been a great friend and mentor. Dr. Roberson has, through his ministry, 
touched the lives of so many people and we are all the better for 
having him in our lives.

                          ____________________