[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 169 (Tuesday, September 29, 2020)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E885]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




       COMMENDING THE LIFE AND WORK OF REVEREND LEON FINNEY, JR.

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                           HON. BOBBY L. RUSH

                              of illinois

                    in the house of representatives

                      Tuesday, September 29, 2020

  Mr. RUSH. Madam Speaker, today I rise to honor and commemorate the 
life of Reverend Leon Finney, Jr., who stood at the forefront of 
advancing the cause of justice in Chicago and throughout the nation.
  A spiritual mentor of mine at McCormick Theological Seminary, where 
he founded the African American Leadership Program, which was 
responsible for the training of innumerable African American Pastors in 
receiving their master's degrees. Rev. Finney's work in Chicago's 
spiritual, educational, and civil rights communities was deeply 
intertwined and catalyzed positive change for the most vulnerable 
members of our society.
  Rev. Finney was an organizer's organizer. Shortly after serving his 
country in the Marine Corps, he would join the Woodlawn Organization, a 
community group in Chicago's Woodlawn neighborhood where Rev. Finney 
worked tirelessly to revitalize Woodlawn after the neighborhood was 
nearly decimated in the 1960s and 1970s. Rev. Finney's activism would 
open the eyes of those across Chicago and the United States to what is 
really possible when communities come together. The arc of Rev. 
Finney's legacy is long and stretches from Congressman Ralph H. 
Metcalfe, Jr. to Reverend Jessie L. Jackson, Sr., from Mayor Harold 
Washington all the way to former President Barack Obama.
  A deeply spiritual man with an unparalleled understanding of how 
faith could help uplift entire communities, Rev. Finney served as the 
pastor of three churches, and was the founder of the Christ Apostolic 
Church, which would later merge with the Metropolitan Apostolic 
Community Church where Rev. Finney continued to serve the people of 
Chicago's South Side as a senior pastor. Rev. Finney's sense of justice 
was also evident throughout his career in public service, beginning 
with his three decades of service on Chicago's city planning 
commission, followed by a chairmanship of Chicago State University's 
board of trustees, and continuing as a board member of the Chicago 
Housing Authority for five years thereafter. His strong commitments to 
equity and community empowerment enabled these organizations to better 
serve the people of Chicago for years to come.
  Madam Speaker, I along with countless others, are in deep mourning 
due to Rev. Finney's transition, but we all remain committed to 
furthering his life's pursuit. My condolences are extended to his 
immediate family, his church, and to his many friends. His legacy lives 
on.

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