[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 147 (Tuesday, September 16, 2008)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1795]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 HONORING PASTOR DONALD BATTLE OF DIVINE FAITH MINISTRIES INTERNATIONAL

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                            HON. DAVID SCOTT

                               of georgia

                    in the house of representatives

                      Tuesday, September 16, 2008

  Mr. SCOTT of Georgia. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor a 
spiritual and community leader in my district, Pastor Donald Battle of 
Divine Faith Ministries International, on the occasion of his 54th 
birthday.
  Pastor Donald E. Battle and his wife of 34 years, Gwen, along with 
their three adult daughters, TaVondria, Jamie, and Christin, are all 
leaders of this life-changing body of believers. I am proud that the 
southern campus of Divine Faith Ministries International, along with 
Divine Faith's School of Biblical Studies, are both located in my 
district, the 13th Congressional District of Georgia.
  Pastor Battle is a native of Birmingham, Alabama, where he met and 
married his high school sweetheart, Gwen. He served in the U.S Army six 
years and served 15 years in Georgia law enforcement as a police 
detective for the City of Atlanta. Pastor Battle's ministry began in 
1990 as Divine Faith Baptist Church with a group of 60 members. Today, 
Madam Speaker, Divine Faith Ministries International currently serves 
God with a membership of over 8,000. This explosive growth can be 
directly traced to the servant leadership of Pastor Battle and his 
family.
  But Pastor Battle does not content himself with service in the church 
alone. A leader in the community, Pastor Battle has served in the 
Association of Christian Ministers of Clayton County, and guided the 
creation of the Clayton County Public Schools' Mentorship Forum. The 
forum includes business leaders, judicial system leaders, state and 
local elected officials and pastors who serve to mentor high school 
students. Pastor Battle also led the call for incorporating the faith 
community in the Clayton County youth offender program to allow 
churches to be involved in the juvenile offenders' community service 
program.
  Other examples of Pastor Battle's unshakable commitment to the 13th 
District and the entire Atlanta area are Divine Faith Ministries 
International television broadcasts which reach thousands of homes 
weekly, a day care program--Divine Faith Ministries Christian Academy, 
and the Divine Faith Ministries School of Biblical Studies.
  Again Madam Speaker, I am honored to recognize this great man on his 
birthday. His presence, his purpose and his commitment to service have 
blessed not only his family, his friends and his congregation, but 
undoubtedly the entire world as the effects of his ministry are felt in 
the hearts of thousands. Thank you for the opportunity to honor Pastor 
Donald Battle, his family and Divine Faith Ministries International.

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