[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 148 (2002), Part 4]
[House]
[Page 4732]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




 WELCOMING REVEREND NORVEL GOFF, SR., PASTOR, BABER AFRICAN METHODIST 
                 EPISCOPAL CHURCH, ROCHESTER, NEW YORK

  (Ms. SLAUGHTER asked and was given permission to address the House 
for 1 minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)
  Ms. SLAUGHTER. Mr. Speaker, today we opened this legislative day with 
a prayer from the Reverend Norvel Goff, Sr. I would like to take a 
moment to tell my colleagues and the country about Reverend Goff and 
the significant role he plays in my community.
  Reverend Goff has served as pastor of Baber African Methodist 
Episcopal Church in Rochester since 1991. He has been an outstanding 
advocate in civil rights, economic justice, and peace issues in the 
Rochester community.
  Reverend Goff is joined here today by his wife, Anna Marie, and his 
son, Norvel, Jr., who is a law student at Howard University; and they 
have a younger son, John, who is a student at Morehouse College in 
Atlanta.
  Reverend Goff is a teacher, a lecturer, a writer and an outstanding 
orator. He has served on numerous community boards and committees in 
Rochester, including the Monroe County Public Defender's Advisory 
Board, the Community Energy Board, and Fleet Bank's Community 
Development Corporation Board.
  Reverend Goff currently serves as the president and CEO of the 
Greater Rochester NAACP and is chairman of the Black Ministers Alliance 
in Rochester. Under his leadership, the Black Ministers Alliance 
founded the Footprints Program, which is a partnership with local banks 
that has provided more than $10 million in mortgages for first-time 
homeowners. The Rochester chief of police recently appointed Reverend 
Goff as the chairman of the Faith Community Subcommittee Initiative 
Against Illegal Drugs in Rochester.
  Reverend Goff continuously displays extraordinary commitment to the 
children of the Baber African Methodist Episcopal community and to all 
the other children in Rochester. He serves as a mentor and encourages 
academic achievement among the area youth. Reverend Goff recognizes the 
children of his church who make the honor roll at a church service and 
takes the time to visit and have lunch with them at school and check on 
their progress.
  Reverend Goff's accomplishments in the area of civil rights, 
business, community and religious affairs have earned him numerous 
awards, including the Annual Friends of Education Award from the 
Rochester City School District and the Winn Newman Pay Equity Award 
from the National Committee on Pay Equity.
  Reverend Goff is truly a modern-day crusader for justice, and I am 
grateful for his valuable work in our community. I am pleased that the 
House of Representatives could have him lead us in such a powerful 
prayer.

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