[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 197 (Friday, November 12, 2021)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1229]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




             HONORING THE LIFE OF DR. CHARLES E. HAWTHORNE

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. DEBBIE DINGELL

                              of michigan

                    in the house of representatives

                       Friday, November 12, 2021

  Mrs. DINGELL. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the life of Doctor 
Charles E. Hawthorne of Ann Arbor, Michigan, who passed away on 
November 1st. His lifetime of service and dedication to our community 
is worthy of commendation.
  The son of Jesse and Cleanna Hawthorne, Dr. Hawthorne felt the call 
to serve from a young age. A graduate of Cooley High School in Detroit, 
Michigan, he started and led a campus ministry called Youth For Christ. 
In college, Dr. Hawthorne founded the United Students for Christ 
ministry. He graduated from the University of Michigan with a B.A. in 
Sociology and M.A. in Guidance & Counseling. While still studying in 
university, he became a licensed minister in 1976 through Pastor James 
E. Slappy, Jr. and was ordained to the ministry in 1978 by Bishop J.S. 
Bailey. He later graduated summa cum laude from Trinity Theological 
Seminary with a Ph.D. in Biblical Counseling in 1987.
  As soon as Dr. Hawthorne graduated from the University of Michigan he 
stepped into ministry full-time with United Ministries in Higher 
Education at Eastern Michigan University. A talented preacher, he 
spread his passion at college campuses across Michigan and touched the 
lives of countless students. In 1980, he founded Labor of Love 
Ministries, and in 1982 it officially became a church. Labor of Love 
Ministries located in Ypsilanti, Michigan, where Dr. Hawthorne served 
as Senior Pastor, has been a faithful gathering place and spiritual 
home for so many.
  Described by those who knew him as a visionary leader and passionate 
teacher, Dr. Hawthorne sought to spread his faith around the nation and 
the world but felt strongest about serving his home church and loving 
community here in Michigan. A leader not only in the world of ministry, 
he was a member of the Ministerial Alliance of Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti 
and the Pastors Alliance for County Transformation. Dr. Hawthorne also 
served as President and CEO of Hawthorne Ministries, President of 
Samaritan Community Development Corporation, Superintendent of the 
Northeast Michigan Headquarters District, and as a Board Member of the 
Church of God in Christ Missions Department, A man with a tremendous 
heart, beloved by his family, students, and congregation alike--he will 
never be forgotten.
  Madam Speaker. I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring the life of 
Dr. Charles E. Hawthorne, a pillar of our community and a man of true 
faith. His legacy is one that will remain for years to come in the 
hearts of those who knew him. Our thoughts are with his family--wife 
Donna, children Charles II and LaDonna--friends, and their congregation 
at this time.