[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 21 (Thursday, February 10, 2011)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E204]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                 TRIBUTE TO DR. CHARLES B. JACKSON, SR.

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. JAMES E. CLYBURN

                           of south carolina

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, February 10, 2011

  Mr. CLYBURN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to a 
ministerial wunderkind who at the age of 58 has led his home church for 
a remarkable 40 years. Dr. Charles B. Jackson, Sr., is the spiritual 
leader of Brookland Baptist Church and a community leader in the 
Columbia, South Carolina, metropolitan area. I am proud to call Dr. 
Jackson a dear friend, and acknowledge that he has presided over some 
very important events in my life, including the marriage of my youngest 
daughter, Angela.
  Charles Jackson is a product of West Columbia, South Carolina, and 
attended the local public schools. Even from a young age, there was no 
doubt the path that his life would take. At the age of nine, Dr. 
Jackson responded to the call to preach. The next year he was licensed, 
and at age 12 he became an ordained minister. At the age of 18, when 
most young men are searching for a direction in life, Dr. Jackson was 
installed as the Pastor of his home church--Brookland Baptist Church of 
West Columbia.
  At the time he officially took over the ministerial leadership of the 
church, he was also a student at Benedict College. Despite the demands 
of his chosen career, he graduated Magna Cum Laude with a Bachelor of 
Science degree in Mathematics. As a dedicated student, he received the 
Distinguished Mathematics and Physics Award for achieving the highest 
academic average in those disciplines.
  Dr. Jackson continued his studies by attending the 
Interdenominational Theological Center of Morehouse School of Religion 
in Atlanta. He graduated with honors in 1977 with a Master of Divinity. 
He was also awarded the Distinguished Board of Directors Award for High 
Academic Achievement. In August 1978, Dr. Jackson completed one year of 
certification of residency in Clinical Pastoral Education at the South 
Carolina Academy for Pastoral Education. He has received Honorary 
Doctor of Divinity Degrees from Morris College in Sumter, South 
Carolina, and from his alma mater, Benedict College.
  During his 40 years at Brookland Baptist, the church has grown 
exponentially. As one of the fastest growing churches in the state, 
Brookland Baptist offers 65 ministries, a full-service Federal Credit 
Union, the Brookland Foundation--a charitable 501(c)(3)--the Brookland 
Center for Community and Economic Change, the Brookland-West Columbia 
Community and Housing Development Corporation, and the Brookland 
Community Pediatric Center, which is a collaborative effort with the 
Eau Claire Cooperative Health Center.
  Nearly 12 years ago, Dr. Jackson led his growing congregation to a 
new 2300-seat sanctuary. In addition to the beautiful new church, 
Brookland Baptist also opened a 68,000 square-foot Community Resource 
Center in September 2005, which houses an Academy Child Development 
Center, a Health and Wellness Center, and a Banquet and Conference 
Center. In 2008, the board of Lexington School District Two awarded 
Brookland Baptist the building that once housed the former Lakeview/
Northside School. This 94,000 square foot educational facility on 11 
acres of land will be converted into the Brookland-Lakeview Empowerment 
Center. As a result of the church's Economic Empowerment Initiative, 
over 160 people are employed in Brookland's ministry.
  Due to the tremendous growth in the church family, Dr. Jackson opened 
a second campus of the church. Brookland Baptist Church Northeast 
opened on October 5, 2008, and Dr. Christopher Leevy Johnson was 
installed as the Campus Pastor. He has also expanded his ministry 
overseas. Dr. Jackson has partnered with Providence Baptist Church in 
Liberia to provide a weekly radio broadcast in that African country.
  Dr. Jackson held and still holds membership in a number of 
denominational, civic and community organizations. He is a former 
president of the South Carolina Baptist Congress of Christian Education 
and the Gethsemane Baptist Congress of Christian Education. He is also 
Past Moderator of the Gethsemane Baptist Association. Dr. Jackson is a 
member of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc., Golden Square Lodge #283, 
NAACP, 100 Black Men of Greater Columbia, Inc., and the Cayce-West 
Columbia Rotary Club.
  He serves on the Board of Governors for the Capital City Club, the 
Board of Directors of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, the Board 
of Trustees for Morris College in Sumter, SC, the Board of Directors 
for Morehouse School of Religion in Atlanta, the Board of Visitors for 
the University of South Carolina and is the Chairman of the Distressed 
Areas Task Force for New Carolina.
  His honors include: the 1995 Affirmative Action Award from the Black 
Faculty and Staff Association of the University of South Carolina; the 
Lincoln C. Jenkins Achievement Award for Economic Empowerment by the 
Columbia Urban League; the Whitney M. Young, Jr., Service Award by the 
Boy Scouts of America, the Distinguished Service Award by the Greater 
Columbia Community Relations Council (2004), West Metro Chamber of 
Commerce Citizen of the Year (2005), Lifetime Achievement Award by the 
100 Black Men of Greater Columbia, Inc., and the March of Dimes African 
American Achievement Award (2006).
  He has preached revivals throughout the United States and delivered 
lectures at more than fifteen colleges and universities. In observance 
of his 30th anniversary as Pastor of the Brookland Baptist Church, 
Governor Jim Hodges awarded him the Order of the Palmetto, which is the 
highest honor that the State of South Carolina confers upon its 
citizens.
  Dr. Jackson is married to the former Robin Hoefer, and is the father 
of two children, Reverend Charles B. Jackson, Jr., pastor of the New 
Laurel Street Baptist Church in Columbia, SC, and Candace, a graduate 
of Duke University School of Law, and an associate of Nelson Mullins 
Riley & Scarborough LLP. A daughter-in-law, the former Iva Gaymon and 
four grandchildren Kayla, Charles III, Caleb and Carter.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask that you and my colleagues join me in 
congratulating Dr. Charles Jackson, Sr., on his extraordinary 40 years 
in the ministry. We are extremely fortunate that Dr. Jackson is still 
in the prime of his career, and we can look forward to many more years 
of his growing ministry and his dedicated service. He embodies the 
admonition of our Christian faith to do ``good works.'' His ministry 
has touched countless lives over the past 40 years, and he deserves our 
commendation.

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