[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 150 (2004), Part 3]
[Senate]
[Page 2966]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                         REVEREND MICHAEL JONES

 Mr. TALENT. Mr. President, I honor Reverend Michael Jones, who 
is the senior pastor of Friendly Temple Missionary Baptist Church in 
St. Louis. I was moved to do this after recently attending a wonderful 
service at the church in celebration of the 10th anniversary of 
Reverend Jones becoming pastor.
  Reverend Jones accepted a call into ministry at Friendly Temple in 
1979, and he worked for several years under the tutelage of his 
grandfather, Reverend R.F. Davis. After his grandfather's passing, he 
was commissioned to serve as senior pastor in 1994. During Reverend 
Jones' 9 years as senior pastor, the church has been very active in 
meeting the needs of the community around it, helping to feed the 
hungry, house the homeless and educate the unskilled to prepare them 
for jobs.
  Friendly Temple also has a jail ministry, an alcohol and drug 
ministry and a youth ministry, among others, which seek to provide a 
hand up to many of society's most troubled members. In all its efforts, 
the church reaches out to people with a message of rebirth, renewal, 
restoration, revival and resurrection based on the teachings of the 
Gospels. That is because Pastor Jones and the leaders of the church are 
committed to the glory service of their Lord and Savior.
  Reverend Jones and his wife Phyllis are proud parents of three 
children, Kawonza, Mike and Joshua. In addition, Reverend Jones has a 
bachelor's degree in business management and marketing management and a 
master's degree from Covenant Theological Seminary in General 
Theological Studies.
  I commend Reverend Jones and the congregation of Friendly Temple 
Missionary Baptist Church for their outstanding service to the 
community. His message of hope and strong moral values is an 
inspiration and a blessing to all of us. I am honored to share his 
successes with my colleagues, and I wish him and his congregation all 
the best for the future.

                          ____________________