[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 35 (Friday, February 25, 2022)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E174]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   HONORING REV. DR. MELVIN T. JONES

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. ELISSA SLOTKIN

                              of michigan

                    in the house of representatives

                       Friday, February 25, 2022

  Ms. SLOTKIN. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor Reverend Doctor 
Melvin T. Jones as the dedicated Senior Pastor of the Union Missionary 
Baptist Church in Lansing, Michigan. He has stood at the forefront of 
fighting for justice since he was a child, and continues to do so 
throughout the Greater Lansing community today. He is a living 
testimony of using one's life to serve others.
  At 78 years old, Pastor Jones is a model and inspiration for 
generations of citizens and faith leaders in our community. He has 
served at Union Missionary Baptist Church for 37 years, and is often 
referred to as ``The Patriarch,'' because nothing happens in the 
Lansing community without seeking his wisdom, guidance, and support.
  Every community has a guiding light, that someone who serves as the 
force to bring others together to drive change, and in the Lansing 
faith community, that someone is Pastor Melvin T. Jones. More than a 
decade ago, he became founder and Chairman of GLADE, currently known as 
ACTION of Greater Lansing, an interdenominational justice ministry of 
churches. Pastor Jones has served as President of The Greater Lansing 
Clergy Forum, Co-President of ACTION of Greater Lansing, and most 
recently helped shape the Assembly of Lansing Pastors to address gun 
violence.
  He has received numerous awards and honors, both civic and national 
including an Honorary Doctor of Divinity degree from Dallas Baptist 
Christian College, and he is currently completing a Doctor of Ministry 
degree program at Ashland Theological Seminary.
  Pastor Jones has accomplished all of this while still devoting 
himself to his family: his wife Sallie of more than 50 years, and their 
five grown children.
  As Pastor Jones prepares for retirement, he will be remembered for 
his faithful leadership that positively changed the direction of the 
city and impacted individuals and families for the better. He will be 
known for the inspiration and love he brought to Lansing, but also for 
the many pastoral leaders he mentored over many decades.
  I have no doubt that even after retirement he will continue to be a 
voice for Lansing, and a strong supporter for those in need. While we 
will miss his voice in the house of worship, it is my great honor to 
record his many good works in so that they may live forever.

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