[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 145 (1999), Part 21]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 31287]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



                     HONORING BISHOP ODIS A. FLOYD

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. DALE E. KILDEE

                              of michigan

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, November 18, 1999

  Mr. KILDEE. Mr. Speaker, I rise before you and my colleagues in the 
U.S. House of Representatives today on behalf of not only one of Flint, 
Michigan's top citizens, but a man whom I am happy to call colleague 
and friend. On November 20, the congregation of New Jerusalem Full 
Gospel Baptist Church in Flint will gather to recognize and honor 
bishop Odis A. Floyd, and celebrate his 30 years of commitment as 
pastor to spreading the Word of the Lord.
  Odis Floyd came to our community in 1948, and has established himself 
as one of its favorite sons. He served his country in the U.S. Army in 
1958. And he has served the Flint community for many years as a well-
respected man of God.
  Bishop Floyd attended Monterey College, Pensacola Junior College, 
Mott Community College, Toledo Bible College, and the United 
Theological Seminary from which he received his DD degree in 1990.
  It was in 1964 that he accepted his call to ministry, for which all 
of us in the Flint community are forever grateful. In 1965 he began 
assisting his grandfather, the Rev. L.W. Owens in the organization of 
the New Jerusalem Missionary Baptist Church. Bishop Floyd was ordained 
in 1969, and became pastor in November of 1969 when his grandfather 
retired. In 1991 the church's name was changed to the New Jerusalem 
Full Gospel Baptist Church. In 1993 he was consecrated to the office of 
Bishop by Paul S. Morton, Presiding Bishop of the Full Gospel Baptist 
Fellowship.
  During his tenure at New Jerusalem, Bishop Floyd has presided over a 
growth in membership from 450 to more than 3,000. Following a terrible 
fire which destroyed the church, Bishop Floyd continued to serve the 
spiritual needs of his flock in a temporary facility. It was under his 
good guidance that the New Jerusalem congregation was able to construct 
a new, beautiful church in Flint. One need only step inside this 
stunning building to feel the warmth and the welcome of the people who 
helped make it possible.
  Bishop Floyd is known not only in the Flint community, but throughout 
the country as a dynamic preacher, spiritual leader, moving gospel 
singer, and community activist. God has blessed him with a tremendous 
singing voice. Indeed, Bishop Floyd has been nominated for a Grammy 
award for the Best Soul Gospel Male Performance. His Sunday services 
are broadcast live on the church's radio station, and are a favorite 
for those in the community who are home-bound or otherwise unable to 
attend church services.
  I and many other local political and community leaders of all levels 
have long sought Bishop Floyd's guidance and insight, and after 30 
years, he continues to make a tremendous impact wherever he goes. In 
addition to New Jerusalem, Bishop Floyd has been found working with 
groups such as the Community Alliance, Resource, Environment [CARE] 
Drug Rehabilitation and Prevention Center.
  Mr. Speaker, our community would not be the same without the presence 
and influence of Bishop Odis Floyd. I know that I am a better person 
and a better Member of Congress because of his commitment to the Lord's 
work. And I know that our community is a better place to live in 
because of Bishop Floyd's spiritual mission. I am pleased to ask my 
colleagues in the 106th Congress to join in congratulating his 30 years 
of pastoral service.

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