[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 145 (1999), Part 11]
[House]
[Page 16335]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



                TRIBUTE TO BISHOP ANDREW CHARLES JACKSON

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. JAMES E. CLYBURN

                           of south carolina

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, July 15, 1999

  Mr. CLYBURN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to Bishop 
Andrew Charles Jackson who for over 36 years, tirelessly served his 
community and congregation as a spiritual leader and model citizen.
  Bishop Jackson was born in Columbia, South Carolina, to Malcolm and 
Charlotte Jackson. He was educated in the public schools of Richland 
County, and Columbia Bible College. He married Jennie Lumpkin. They had 
5 children, and currently have 7 grandchildren.
  Early in his life, Bishop Jackson was baptized and immediately began 
strengthening his ties to the church. He served as a Sunday School 
teacher and Superintendent, Youth Leader, and Deacon at the Bible Way 
Church of Hampton Street. He was called to the ministry in 1963 and 
installed as a pastor in 1964.
  In January, 1966 the Church building burned and he and the 
congregation held services in homes and a school on Atlas Road. In 
October, 1967 Bishop Jackson, ``Mother'' Elizabeth Simmons and 11 
members established a new church on Bluff Road in Columbia, South 
Carolina.
  In 1969, Bishop Jackson dedicated a new 350 seat sanctuary on Atlas 
Road and established a Nursery School. He was also ordained and Elder 
in 1969 and appointed a District Elder in 1970. He continued his 
building program on Atlas Road, adding a youth center and dining hall 
in 1971. He established a radio broadcast the following year.
  In May of 1972, Bishop Jackson was appointed Diocesan Bishop of South 
Carolina, Eastern North Carolina and Prince Frederick, Maryland, and 
served in this capacity for many years. It was during this time that he 
established the Bible Way Social Action Foundation (BSAF) to serve 
needy community members. In 1980, he was appointed as Liaison Bishop 
for West Africa, and a school was named in his honor in West Africa in 
1988. While sharing his faith around the world, he continued serving 
his home church and in 1981 they built a 1,000 seat sanctuary. From 
1983-1988, Bishop Jackson assisted Bishop Chester Byrd with the Florida 
Diocese and was appointed Bishop of the Florida Diocese in addition to 
South Carolina, and was later appointed as Director of Finance for 
Bible Way Church World Wide.
  Still remaining in the Columbia area, Bishop Jackson helped to 
establish a state of the art Family Life Center in May of 1995, and he 
was consecrated as Co-Vice Presiding Bishop of Bible Way Church in July 
of 1995. He retired from full time pastorate in November of 1996, after 
over 33 years in the ministry, and is now Pastor Emeritus of the Atlas 
Road Bible Way. Throughout his ministry, Bishop Jackson has received 
numerous honors and recognitions. Of particular note was his 1997 
induction into the South Carolina Black Hall of Fame.
  Mr. Speaker, we seldom meet people who give so tirelessly of their 
time and resources as Bishop Andrew Charles Jackson. Please join me in 
paying tribute to this wonderful South Carolinian, devoted Christian, 
and personal friend.

                          ____________________