[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 82 (Friday, May 10, 2024)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E473-E474]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




RECOGNIZING THE 10TH ANNIVERSARY OF DR. VERNON C. WALTON, SENIOR PASTOR 
                   OF FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH OF VIENNA

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. GERALD E. CONNOLLY

                              of virginia

                    in the house of representatives

                          Friday, May 10, 2024

  Mr. CONNOLLY. Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize Dr. Venron C. Walton 
for his 10th Anniversary as Senior Pastor of First Baptist Church of 
Vienna.
  Church and community have always been staples of the ministry of Dr. 
Vernon C. Walton. Dr. Walton, a native of Jersey City, New Jersey, has 
served as Senior Pastor of the First Baptist Church of Vienna, 
Virginia, since February, 2014. He is the 19th Senior Pastor in the 
history of this 156-year-old congregation, First Baptist Church of 
Vienna.
  Dr. Walton's primary mission is to ``make a difference in our 
community and be a light of hope for the World.'' His charismatic, 
energetic, and innovative leadership has led the congregation of First 
Baptist into a season where they are ``Empowered by the Past and 
Excited About the Future.'' As a result of his leadership, First 
Baptist has increased its community engagement, mission opportunities, 
and strengthened the capacity of its 33 ministries--making a difference 
in the lives of those within and outside of the church.
  During his tenure at First Baptist, Dr. Walton has focused much of 
his ministry efforts on missions, cultural awareness, and social 
justice. Under his leadership. First Baptist Vienna has been on the 
forefront, helping to ensure that the needs of Fairfax County's 
marginalized communities are addressed by implementing programming 
geared toward education and justice such as the annual Juneteenth 
Celebration and Justice and Legislative Sunday.
  First Baptist also partners with area elementary schools and 
community partners to provide tutoring, Thanksgiving meals, and 
Christmas presents for students and families. At the height of the 
Covid-19 pandemic, the church distributed over 25,000 boxes of food 
throughout Northern Virginia and held multiple vaccine clinics 
delivering over 3,000 vaccinations. First Baptist has also provided 
meals to nearly 1 million food insecure people around the world by 
partnering with Rise Against Hunger and hosting meal packaging events. 
He also initiated ``Be the Church Sundays'' which serve as 
opportunities for church members to go outside the walls of the church 
to serve others throughout Northern Virginia.

[[Page E474]]

  Dr. Walton serves on Fairfax County's Affordable Housing Advisory 
Council, the Police Reform Task Force, and the Fairfax County Public 
Schools Strategic Planning Team. Most recently, he has served on the 
Chairman's Task Force on Equity and Opportunity in Fairfax County, 
chairing the Public Safety Committee, and is a founding member of 
Voices of Black Fairfax.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask that my colleagues join me in honoring Dr. Walton 
for his tremendous efforts as a leader in our communities, as he 
celebrates his 10th Anniversary, as Senior Pastor of First Baptist 
Church of Vienna.

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