[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 36 (Monday, March 7, 2016)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E280]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]





   RETIREMENT OF BISHOP T. LARRY KIRKLAND FROM THE AFRICAN METHODIST 
                            EPISCOPAL CHURCH

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. KAREN BASS

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                         Monday, March 7, 2016

  Ms. BASS. Mr. Speaker, today I would like to make note of the 
retirement of The Right Reverend Theodore Larry Kirkland, Sr. from 
active service after over a half century of ministry, as he steps down 
at the African Methodist Episcopal Church Fifth District General 
Conference today.
  Bishop Kirkland's ministry of over 50 years has often placed him in 
the public eye and in the company of dignitaries. For example, he 
presided over the Homegoing Services of Deaconess Rosa Parks at Brown 
Chapel AME Church in Montgomery, Alabama, an event broadcast worldwide, 
and he welcomed then-Senator Barack Obama to the Ninth District's 
observance of Bloody Sunday, in Selma. He is the author of several 
books on church growth and he has become known for developing strong 
relationships across denominational and cultural lines.
  Educated at Alcorn State University, University of Mississippi, 
Claremont School of Theology, and California School of Theology, Bishop 
Kirkland was the founding pastor of Brookins Community AME Church in 
Los Angeles, California. Arriving in 1977, he grew the congregation 
from twelve early members to over eight thousand during his twenty-year 
tenure.
  Elevated in 1996, he became the 114th elected and consecrated bishop 
of the African Methodist Episcopal Church. His first assignment was to 
the Seventeenth Episcopal District encompassing the countries of Zaire, 
Zambia, Tanzania, Rwanda, Burundi, Malawi and Zimbabwe. In 2000 he 
returned to appointment as Ecumenical Officer for the Denomination, 
served a term as President of the Council of Bishops, and from 2002 led 
the Ninth Episcopal District in Alabama, where he sought to support the 
community beyond the pulpit through a range of programs including 
computer literacy training and high-quality health services for the 
needy.
  For the past eight years, Bishop Kirkland has presided over the Fifth 
Episcopal District which includes fourteen western states. During this 
time, Bishop Kirkland has focused on inspiring ministry and serving the 
greater community. I would like to salute Bishop Kirkland and his 
family, especially his wife Mrs. Mary Kirkland, and thank him for his 
service to the faith and the community.

                          ____________________