[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 61 (Wednesday, April 10, 2024)]
[House]
[Page H2255]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 HONORING THE RETIREMENT OF THE REVEREND DR. TOMMIE L. LEWIS AS PASTOR 
                  OF BETHEL BAPTIST CHURCH PRATT CITY

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from 
Alabama (Ms. Sewell) for 5 minutes.
  Ms. SEWELL. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay honor and tribute to the 
extraordinary career of a faithful servant leader, the Reverend Dr. 
Tommie L. Lewis, as we celebrate his retirement as the senior pastor of 
Bethel Missionary Baptist Church in Pratt City after 42 years of 
service.
  Throughout his life, Pastor T.L. Lewis has poured into his community 
as both a faith leader and a public servant. After answering the call 
to ministry in 1973, he led several congregations before settling at 
Bethel Missionary Baptist Church in Pratt City in 1982.
  As Pastor, Dr. T.L. Lewis worked to expand Bethel's congregation and 
deepen its impact by establishing a new worship center in 1990, which 
included a sanctuary with a seating capacity of 1,800. He commissioned 
a family life center, which became the Bethel Community Learning Center 
that garnered thousands of State and Federal dollars to support 
community development and educational initiatives.
  After a tornado destroyed these buildings in 2011, it was Pastor 
Lewis who rallied the community together and rebuilt a beautiful new 
sanctuary that was completed and consecrated on August 24, 2014.
  On a personal note, I have been blessed to call Pastor Lewis a dear 
friend, a trusted spiritual leader, and a mentor. It is because of him 
that so much has changed in Pratt City and Birmingham, and we are 
eternally grateful.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in congratulating Dr. 
T.L. Lewis on his retirement as senior pastor at Bethel Missionary 
Baptist Church in Pratt City after 42 years.


Celebrating the Retirement of Dr. Glenda Baskin Glover as President of 
                       Tennessee State University

  Ms. SEWELL. Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor a trailblazing leader, Dr. 
Glenda Baskin Glover, as she retires after 11 years as president of 
Tennessee State University in Nashville, Tennessee.
  The first woman to ever hold this position, Dr. Glover has spent her 
career breaking down barriers and shattering glass ceilings. A native 
of Memphis, Dr. Glover has had an accomplished career both in academia 
and in business. She is one of two African-American women nationwide to 
hold the combination of Ph.D., CPA, and J.D.
  As president of Tennessee State University, Dr. Glover oversaw 
significant growth and further solidified TSU's status as one of 
America's premier HBCUs. Her efforts have earned her the role of vice 
chair of President Biden's HBCU board of advisers.
  On a personal note, I know Dr. Glover as my sorority sister and as my 
mentor. Among her many affiliations, she is a lifetime member of Alpha 
Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., and has served as immediate past 
international president. It was my mother, Nancy Gardner Sewell, who 
mentored Dr. Glover in her ascension and was so proud of her when she 
became the international president of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority and 
the president of TSU.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in celebrating the 
retirement of Dr. Glenda Baskin Glover, the first woman president of 
Tennessee State University.
  I know that her retirement does not mean the end of her commitment to 
community service. I know it will allow her some much-needed rest and 
time to spend with her family and friends. We wish her nothing but the 
best in her future endeavors.

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