[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 101 (Tuesday, June 23, 2015)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E946]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




              IN HONOR OF THE REVEREND ROOSEVELT FRANKLIN

                                 ______
                                 

                      HON. SANFORD D. BISHOP, JR.

                               of georgia

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, June 23, 2015

  Mr. BISHOP of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, it is with a heavy heart and 
solemn remembrance that I rise today to pay tribute to an outstanding 
spiritual leader and man of God, the Reverend Roosevelt Franklin. 
Sadly, Reverend Franklin passed away on Monday, June 15, 2015. His 
passing leaves a tremendous void in the hearts of his family, friends, 
and followers in Georgia and across the world. A funeral service was 
held in his honor on Saturday, June 20, 2015 at 1:00 p.m. at First 
Baptist Church in Macon, Georgia.
  Reverend Roosevelt Delano Franklin Johnson was born on August 30, 
1933 in Chattanooga, Tennessee to James and Cora Ponds Johnson. He 
attended Oxford School of Divinity in England. Reverend Franklin began 
his ministry in 1966, and for the past forty-nine years, he has been a 
willing vessel for the Lord.
  Known around the world as the ``Original Georgia Prophet,'' Rev. 
Franklin traveled the globe teaching people of all walks of life. He 
served as pastor of Free For All Baptist Church in Greenwood, South 
Carolina from 1951 until 1952, when he became a spiritual radio 
minister. He ministered at Spiritual Church in Aiken, South Carolina 
from 1962-1963. His journey then took him to Macon, Georgia, where he 
became President of United Council of Spiritual Ministers and Talent 
Coordinator and Promoter of numerous renowned spiritual singers.
  Always seeking to improve the craft of Christian ministry and 
discipleship, Rev. Franklin created the television program, ``The 
Prosperity Way of Living'' and the radio program, ``Echo of Prophecy,'' 
in the early 1960s. In 1966, Rev. Franklin founded the Holy Trinity 
House of God, which he pastored until his departure to his eternal 
reward.
  Rev. Franklin proudly served the craft of Smooth Ashlar Grand Lodge. 
He was National Grand Orator for the National Grand Council of Nine. 
Rev. Franklin received numerous awards and recognitions for his 
accomplishments.
  A charismatic leader with an infectious spiritual zeal, Reverend 
Franklin had a way of ensuring that his listeners found their way to 
prosperity and happiness as they lived their lives in Christ. But 
beyond his radio ministry, Rev. Franklin made himself available to 
those who sought a relationship with Christ, and he would hold personal 
consultations with anyone who needed guidance and encouragement. He 
taught people to be positive, to search for knowledge, and overall, to 
be guided by the voice of God. Rev. Franklin was truly a man of 
integrity who exuded the genuine principles and values of Christian 
discipleship.
  On a personal note, I have truly been blessed by Rev. Franklin's sage 
counsel and enduring friendship over the many years I have known him.
  Dr. George Washington Carver once said, ``No individual has any right 
to come into the world and go out of it without leaving behind distinct 
and legitimate reasons for having passed through it.'' We are so 
blessed that the Reverend Roosevelt Franklin passed this way and shared 
with us his legacy of service that will stand the test of time. Surely, 
the wealth of wisdom that Reverend Franklin has given to his listeners 
will forever resonate in their hearts and spirits.
  Mr. Speaker, my wife Vivian and I, along with the more than 730,000 
people in the Second Congressional District of Georgia, would like to 
extend our deepest sympathies to Rev. Franklin's family, friends, and 
followers during this difficult time. May we all be consoled and 
comforted by an abiding faith and the Holy Spirit in the days, weeks 
and months ahead.

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