[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 171 (Tuesday, October 24, 2017)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1409]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  CELEBRATING THE THIRTIETH ANNIVERSARY OF REV. JONATHAN L. WEAVER AS 
   PASTOR OF THE GREATER MT. NEBO AFRICAN METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH

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                          HON. STENY H. HOYER

                              of maryland

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, October 24, 2017

  Mr. HOYER. Mr. Speaker, I rise to congratulate Rev. Jonathan Leslie 
Weaver on his thirtieth pastoral anniversary with the Greater Mt. Nebo 
African Methodist Episcopal Church in Bowie, Maryland. Throughout the 
past three decades, Rev. Weaver has been ministering to a growing 
community of worshippers in Bowie and the greater Washington metro 
area. I've been honored to know him, to call him a friend, and to work 
closely with him to strengthen our communities in Maryland's Fifth 
District.
  Since 1988, Rev. Weaver has overseen both the expansion of his church 
and a plethora of charitable endeavors through more than fifty 
ministries serving its members and the wider community. These have 
included programs to prevent domestic violence, to empower families 
through economic literacy, and to combat hunger. Under his guidance, 
Greater Mt. Nebo A.M.E. Church members have participated in Christmas 
in April, Tools for School, and other social service projects. Rev. 
Weaver has also carried his ministry across the ocean, visiting Rwanda, 
the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Benin to engage in mission 
projects there for more than a quarter century.
  As National President of the Collective Empowerment Group, Rev. 
Weaver has helped build a network of churches across seven states and 
the District of Columbia that host financial literacy seminars, 
educational programs, health care screenings, and homeownership 
clinics. The Collective Empowerment Group also partners with banks and 
local businesses to facilitate wider access to economic opportunities 
for those living in their communities. I have participated in a number 
of Collective Empowerment Group programs, and I can attest to the 
wonderful work the organization performs to help families reach for the 
American Dream.
  Rev. Weaver holds degrees from Washington University in St. Louis, 
Missouri; St. Mary's Seminary in Baltimore, Maryland; and Harvard 
Business School in Cambridge, Massachusetts. When he arrived at Greater 
Mt. Nebo A.M.E., the church had 100 members; today, he has overseen its 
growth to more than 1,600 members. It is a testament to his vision, his 
inspiration, and his faith. Rev. Weaver also has overseen the 
construction of the community's present church building as well as its 
Christian Academy school and Family Life and Wellness Intergenerational 
Center assisted-living facility.
  I hope all my colleagues will join me in congratulating Rev. Weaver 
and his wife, Pamela Lynn Weaver--who have two daughters and four 
grandchildren--on reaching this milestone. I thank them both for their 
work and spiritual guidance to so many in Maryland's Fifth District and 
for their friendship over the years.

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