[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 30 (Thursday, February 25, 2016)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E221]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  HONORING REVEREND FREDERICK CRAWFORD

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. JOSE E. SERRANO

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, February 25, 2016

  Mr. SERRANO. Mr. Speaker, it is with great pleasure that I rise 
during this month, dedicated to the celebration of African Americans 
who have made great contributions to the world, to pay tribute to 
Reverend Frederick Crawford for his many years of compassionate service 
and tireless work to improve the lives of our community residents.
  Reverend Frederick Crawford is the Senior Pastor of Union Grove 
Missionary Baptist Church and the founder of Faithbook, which is a 
public group on Facebook designed to inspire and encourage via the 
internet. Established in 2014, Faithbook has more than 3,000 members 
and counting. This group was designed by Rev. Crawford to encourage, 
strengthen, and pray for believers in Christ. Members are welcomed to 
post prayers, words of encouragement, scriptures, testimonies, prayer 
requests, sermons, pictures, videos, and advertisements of church 
events.
  Reverend Crawford is a native of the Bronx. He is the oldest of four 
children born to Reverend Dr. Fletcher and Mother Arnetta Crawford. He 
graduated from Eastern Mennonite College and Seminary where he earned a 
Bachelor's of Science in Business Administration and Minor in Religious 
Studies. He continued his studies at Alliance Theological Seminary, 
Unification Theological Seminary and later obtained a Bachelor's of 
Theology from American International Theological Seminary. He was 
ordained to be the Assistant Pastor of Union Grove Missionary Baptist 
Church by Dr. Fletcher Crawford in August 1988.
  Reverend Crawford is the third generation of his family to serve as 
pastors of Union Grove Missionary Baptist Church. His father, Dr. 
Fletcher Crawford served for fifty years and his grandfather, Rev. 
Jeremiah Crawford, organized this community institution in 1946. Prior 
to his leadership at Union Grove Missionary Baptist Church, Reverend 
Crawford was the pastor at the First Calvary Baptist Church in Harlem, 
NY for twenty years before being called back to Union Grove Missionary 
Baptist Church in 2006. Upon Dr. Fletcher Crawford's retirement, Rev. 
Frederick Crawford was installed as Pastor at Union Grove Missionary 
Baptist Church on August 20, 2006. Pastor Crawford is happily married 
to Lady Antoinette Crawford, and they have four children; Lamont, 
Shapri, Hezekiah, and Chloe.
  Under his leadership, Union Grove Missionary Baptist Church has 
created numerous programs to assist families in the Bronx. Many of 
those programs focus on addressing a serious issue in the Bronx--hunger 
and food insecurity. Through Reverend Crawford's leadership, Union 
Grove feeds more than 1,000 families every year during Thanksgiving 
Week, providing them with enough food for a family of four for a week. 
The church also runs an important food pantry that offers needy 
Bronxites produce, meats, breads, dairy, juice, water, dry and can 
goods at no charge. Additionally, Reverend Crawford leads a daily 
Summer Food Program at Union Grove Missionary Baptist Church, which 
provides more than 300 meals for breakfast and lunch for those in need. 
The church is also very involved in numerous other issues as well and 
has an annual Back To School Health and Community Awareness Fair that 
helps students prepare for school and includes free food, 
entertainment, clothes, books and book bags. Pastor Crawford has also 
created Union Grove Missionary Baptist Church's annual Dr. Martin 
Luther King, Jr. Day Celebration to engage the community in honoring 
Dr. King. I have had the honor of speaking at this important community 
event several times.
  As Reverend Crawford has made Union Grove Missionary Baptist Church 
an integral member of the Bronx community, he has also been called to 
serve in leadership roles in numerous other organizations. He has 
served as the President of the Baptist Minister's Evening Conference of 
the Bronx, NY, and is also a member of the Baptist Ministers Conference 
of Greater New York and Vicinity, the United Missionary Baptist 
Association and The National Baptist Convention USA. Rev. Crawford has 
received numerous awards and accolades including the Religious 
Community Leader Award in 2007 from the NAACP.
  Reverend Crawford is a pillar of our community, and it is only 
fitting that he is honored for his work on behalf of others. Mr. 
Speaker, I respectfully ask that you and my other distinguished 
colleagues join me in honoring Rev. Frederick Crawford for his 
consistently remarkable dedication to service and longstanding 
commitment to improving our community.

                          ____________________