[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 154 (Friday, October 14, 2011)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1882-E1883]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  RECOGNIZING THE 55TH PASTORAL ANNIVERSARY OF DR. REVEREND JAMES L. 
                              NETTERS, SR.

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. STEVE COHEN

                              of tennessee

                    in the house of representatives

                        Friday, October 14, 2011

  Mr. COHEN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize and celebrate Dr. 
Reverend James L. Netters, Sr., Senior Pastor of Mount Vernon Baptist 
Church-Westwood in Memphis, for his upcoming 55th pastoral anniversary. 
Reverend Netters has served his congregation at Mount Vernon Baptist 
Church and the larger community of Memphis with honor and grace and is 
a distinguished representative of his parishioners and our great city.
  Reverend Netters continues to be a guiding figure for good with 
Memphis-area pastors and their congregations and outreach programs. His 
leadership demonstrates what is possible when congregations plant seeds 
of hope in their surrounding communities. Programs involving prison 
outreach and projects for the reformation of blighted areas show a 
commitment to lifting up those who have fallen behind

[[Page E1883]]

and helping them back to the fold. From working with young adults and 
raising money for college scholarships to comforting and sharing the 
wisdom of the elderly members of his congregation, Reverend Netters and 
his church are actively engaged in building a better Memphis.
  The Mount Vernon Baptist Church-Westwood was founded in 1902, and 
Reverend Netters has been their pastor for the past 55 years, earning 
the distinction of being the longest serving pastor of a single church 
in Memphis. I wish Dr. Reverend James L. Netters, Sr. many more 
prosperous years with Mount Vernon Baptist Church, so that he can 
continue working tirelessly to lift up his congregation and our great 
city of Memphis.

                          ____________________