[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 72 (Friday, April 26, 2024)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E391-E392]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                 APPRECIATING MRS. BEVERLY JEAN LaHAYE

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. JOE WILSON

                           of south carolina

                    in the house of representatives

                         Friday, April 26, 2024

  Mr. WILSON of South Carolina. Mr. Speaker, today I am grateful to 
honor the remarkable life of Mrs. Beverly Jean LaHaye, founder, and 
former chairman of Concerned Women for America (CWA), the Nation's 
largest public policy women's organization. On Sunday, April 14, 2024, 
she passed from this life, leaving behind a legacy that will endure 
through the ages, shaping the lives of countless individuals. I am 
grateful for the profound impact Mrs. LaHaye left upon us all and her 
unwavering commitment to God and public ministry and offer my sympathy 
to her family. Included in the Congressional Record is the following 
obituary for Mrs. Beverly Jean LaHaye:


[[Page E392]]


  

       Beverly Jean Davenport was born on April 30, 1929, in 
     Detroit, Michigan, the second daughter of Lowell and Nellie 
     Davenport. Her father died when she was merely two years old, 
     and her mother got remarried to a kindly neighbor man with 
     whom she had two more children. Raised in an evangelical 
     household, Beverly's faith was a very important part of her 
     life.
       Beverly attended Bob Jones University in Greenville, South 
     Carolina, where she met ministerial student Tim LaHaye, who 
     was an Army Air Force veteran of WWII. The two fell in love, 
     and he was ready to propose marriage by Christmas break of 
     their first year. They married the following summer before 
     returning to school, Not long after, they welcomed their 
     first child, Linda, into their family. After graduating, the 
     young family moved to Minnetonka, Minnesota, where Tim 
     pastored a small church, and together, they served the people 
     of that community. Their two sons, Larry and Lee, were born 
     there.
       In 1956, they relocated to San Diego, California, to begin 
     their ministry at Scott Memorial Baptist Church. Their 
     youngest daughter, Lori, was born soon thereafter. Throughout 
     their ministry together, Beverly served as an integral part 
     of whatever God had called them to do. When the church needed 
     a secretary, Beverly stepped up to fill the role. When the 
     junior Sunday school department needed a director, the young 
     pastor's wife met the need.
       During that time of life, Beverly had the opportunity to 
     hear from a well-known Christian speaker who taught on the 
     importance of being fitted with the Holy Spirit. She was 
     introduced to the concept that walking in the Spirit meant 
     full dependence on Christ, no matter what she was called to 
     do. She was challenged to commit an aspects of her life . . . 
     her marriage, her parenting, her fears, and her insecurities, 
     into the hands of her Savior. This teaching changed her 
     world.
       God began to direct her steps to do more public ministry, 
     including speaking at women's ministry events and working 
     alongside her husband in his ministry to married couples 
     through Family Life Seminars. Additionally, she was 
     challenged to write, and over the course of her life Beverly 
     had written or co-written many books, including The Spirit-
     Controlled Woman, How to Develop Your Child's Temperament, 
     and The Desires of a Woman's Heart. Her books were one more 
     way she could communicate God's truth to women on subjects 
     that were increasingly coming under attack in the culture 
     around her, namely womanhood, motherhood, and devotion to 
     family.
       In 1978, Beverly saw Barbara Walters' interview with Betty 
     Friedan, the founder of the National Organization for Women. 
     While watching, Beverly was convicted that she must speak on 
     behalf of millions of women who were not being represented by 
     the feminist philosophy. Friedan's purpose, according to 
     LaHaye, was to promote homosexuality, abortion on demand, and 
     thoroughly ``undermine the core of American culture: the 
     family.''
       God led Beverly to begin an organization that would provide 
     a platform to advance conservative values in politics and 
     policy. Concerned Women for America was launched at a rally 
     hosted by LaHaye in a local San Diego theatre. CWA began as a 
     local interest, but within two years, it had grown to become 
     a national organization aimed at protecting and promoting 
     Biblical and constitutional principles through prayer, 
     education, and advocacy.
       Believing that prayer was vital to the success of every 
     endeavor, Beverly founded CWA on the principles of prayer and 
     action. CWA became a fast-growing grassroots organization of 
     conservative women and men who were challenged and educated 
     to pray for their country and its leaders, as well as to take 
     action in their communities, states, and even at the national 
     level.
       In 1985, Beverly moved CWA headquarters from San Diego to 
     Washington, D.C. Both she and Tim believed this move was 
     vital in order for CWA to have its greatest impact on the 
     culture as the organization continued to expand. Beverly's 
     growing influence in the conservative movement, as well as 
     Republicans holding a majority place in office, led to 
     LaHaye's prominence during the presidencies of Ronald Reagan 
     and George H.W. Bush. She regularly testified in 
     congressional hearings, including Supreme Court nomination 
     hearings for Antonin Scalia, Robert Bork, and Clarence 
     Thomas.
       Initially, Mrs. LaHaye jumped into the debate over the 
     Equal Rights Amendment, helping lead the opposition to it as 
     well as advocating for the life of the unborn. As time went 
     on, other vital family-oriented issues arose that demanded 
     attention. She led CWA to speak out on the protection of 
     marriage, support for Israel, and more. Additionally, God led 
     Beverly to add a legal defense department to CWA's growing 
     list of involvement as opportunities arose to be a voice on 
     behalf of women and men embattled in the court in the areas 
     of life, marriage, education, and freedom of religion.
       During the 1980s, Beverly's heart of compassion led her to 
     reach out to Nicaraguan families who were displaced by the 
     communist regime in their country. On numerous occasions, 
     Mrs. LaHaye led teams of volunteers to the jungles of Costa 
     Rica, where they provided much-needed aid to refugees fleeing 
     from their own country. CWA established a refuge station in 
     the jungle which provided clothes, food, education, medical 
     assistance, and, most importantly, hope to these struggling 
     people.
       The influence of CWA has spread throughout the country, 
     with chapters in almost every state. As chair and founder, 
     Beverly hosted an award-winning radio talk show and appeared 
     in numerous media interviews. Beverly would not hesitate to 
     accept the opportunity to be the voice of Christian women on 
     national television, often in direct debate against some of 
     the leading feminist and pro-choice voices of the day. She 
     always conducted herself with grace and dignity and spoke 
     truth with strength and clarity.
       Throughout her years in leadership, Beverly has received 
     many awards, including Christian Woman of the Year, the 
     Southern Baptist Convention's ``Religious Freedom Award,'' as 
     well as ``Talk Show of the Year'' in 1993 or the Beverly 
     LaHaye Live radio program. In 1994, she was honored by the 
     U.S. House of Representatives for service to her country, and 
     in 2016, she was recognized by the Faith and Freedom 
     Coalition with the ``Winston Churchill Lifetime Achievement 
     Award.'' Most recently, in 2023 Beverly was named one of the 
     50 greatest pro-life leaders in the past 50 years.
       Mrs. LaHaye retired from her role as President of CWA in 
     2006. She and Tim returned to Southern California, where they 
     were closer to family. She continued to serve as Chairman of 
     the board for CWA until her retirement in 2020. In addition, 
     she continued to accept speaking engagements and served on 
     various boards for Christian colleges and organizations. Well 
     into her eighties, Beverly still loved to be a voice in the 
     cause and to educate future generations of Christian 
     activists.
       Throughout her life, Beverly's family was very important to 
     her. She invested in them personally and prayerfully. While 
     her life was very busy, whenever possible, she tried to carve 
     out time to visit her children and grandchildren wherever 
     they were living. She organized family trips and 
     opportunities for them all to be together.
       In 2016, Beverly lost the love of her life, Tim, to a 
     stroke at the age of 90. They had been married for 69 years. 
     He was her greatest champion, her encourager, and true 
     soulmate. Ten months later, her son, Lee, also passed away. 
     It was a year of incredible loss for her. She took great 
     solace in the company of her remaining children, nine 
     grandchildren, and 20 great-grandchildren.
       Beverly LaHaye was not born into privilege nor blessed with 
     extraordinary skills and abilities. Her life is a beautiful 
     demonstration of what God can do with a person who is fully 
     devoted to Him. She was a faithful follower of Jesus Christ 
     all the days of her life and God used her in extraordinary 
     ways to make a difference in the world around her.

                          ____________________