[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 152 (2006), Part 12]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 16267]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




  IN MEMORY OF APOSTLE ISAIAH REVILLS, MAN OF GOD PREACHER OF THE WORD

                                 ______
                                 

                      HON. SANFORD D. BISHOP, JR.

                               of georgia

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, July 27, 2006

  Mr. BISHOP of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the memory 
of a man who I am proud to have called a friend, a constituent, and an 
inspiration: Chief Apostle Isaiah Revills.
  Apostle Revills was born on August 23, 1931 in Moultrie, Georgia, the 
son of sharecroppers. At the tender age of nine years old, Isaiah's 
father was murdered by the Ku Klux Klan. His mother was forced to lead 
the family of nine children, but her rock-solid faith in God saw her 
through.
  Isaiah went on to the Moultrie High School for Negro Youth, where he 
met a young woman named Ullainee Sanders. Ullainee became his 
sweetheart and his partner, and on June 4, 1955, Isaiah and Ullainee 
were married. For the last 51 years, they have been partners in every 
sense of the word--sharing equally in the joys and burdens of the 
journey of life.
  The young couple moved to Milledgeville, Georgia shortly after their 
marriage, and there Isaiah began to serve as the pastor of his first 
church. In 1958 they moved to Albany, Georgia, where together they 
conducted prayer meetings from house to house. So successful were these 
meetings that they opened a mission in 1959. Isaiah preached the Gospel 
there, and as far away as Harlem, as his ministry grew. His congregants 
grew rapidly in number and they moved to a new facility in the Masonic 
Hall. Apostle Revills fasted for forty days, a mission that led him to 
another church building, lovingly called ``The Shanty.'' But the growth 
continued! Isaiah, a brick mason by trade, built the new church with 
his own two hands. Shortly thereafter, he went into the ministry 
fulltime with the constant support of Ullainee.
  At the time, Newton, Georgia had a difficult racial climate, but 
Apostle Revills had a vision from God, and traveled there for a tent 
crusade. That meeting led him across Georgia, Florida, Alabama, 
Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and all the way to 
California. Apostle Revills was anointed by God in 1966 and went on to 
many more tent crusades, the largest of which became the annual Camp 
Meeting in the City of Albany, that ended every year with a baptism at 
the Mercer Mill.
  His ministry grew so large, that in 1981 they opened a new 5,000-seat 
Cathedral and organized into ten distinct operating districts. Apostle 
Revills began publishing his Miracle Guiding Star Magazine, and took to 
the radio and television to preach the Word. He preached in Kenya, 
Haiti and Israel. In 1991, he was justly recognized as one of Georgia's 
ten most prominent black pastors.
  In 1995, Apostle Revills was formally and publicly ordained as an 
Apostle of Jesus Christ. He received an honorary Doctorate of Divinity 
and his ring, staff, and crown--official symbols of his position. I was 
fortunate enough to have worshipped with him at this, and several other 
services, throughout my time as his Congressman.
  I remember when I first campaigned for Congress in July of 1992, all 
of my local political advisors told me I must meet and pray for the 
blessings of Apostle Revills. His ability to reach out and touch those 
he met showed that he was truly anointed by God. He was a man of great 
stature physically, and a giant spiritually. Apostle Revills was a true 
friend of mine and I will greatly miss his friendship and his 
guidance--both spiritual and otherwise.
  Mr. Speaker, as I rise today to honor Chief Apostle Revills. I also 
honor his darling wife Ullainee for her service to God and humanity, 
and for her loving marriage to Isaiah. Together they had five children 
and five adopted children, and now have 20 grandchildren and several 
great-grandchildren. Apostle Revills' legacy will surely live on in all 
of them, and in the faith of his followers.
  Mr. Speaker, Apostle Revills is a legend in Southwest Georgia and 
will be remembered for truthfully speaking the Word of God. I stand 
here today to honor his legacy and thank him for his friendship. He was 
truly a man of God and I was blessed to know him.

                          ____________________