[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 152 (2006), Part 8]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 10182]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                 HONORING HAVENSCOURT COMMUNITY CHURCH

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. BARBARA LEE

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, June 6, 2006

  Ms. LEE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the Havenscourt Community 
Church, which has contributed immeasurably to the Oakland community as 
a whole as well as its own parishioners since 1925.
  Since its founding, Havenscourt has been known as a stalwart of 
service, leadership, and faith, impacting countless lives over the past 
eight decades. With this same spirit, that of addressing needs within 
the whole community in addition to the church community, Dr. Claude E. 
Wilson has served as the pastor at Havenscourt Community Church since 
the 1960s. In addition to his duties as a spiritual leader, Pastor 
Wilson has administered several long-standing programs focusing on the 
academic education of children, the public safety issues that concern 
the East Oakland area, and the physical wellness issues that concern 
the African American community.
  Pastor Wilson has been commended for his involvement in public 
education by the Oakland Public School System, in particular, for his 
personal as well as the Havenscourt Community Church's involvement in 
providing tutorial, child care, and hot meal programs for school aged 
children. Through these and numerous other activities Pastor Wilson has 
relentlessly continued throughout his tenure with Havenscourt to 
develop programs, networks, and community interconnectedness. Both 
Pastor Wilson and the Havenscourt family have strengthened our ties 
with one another and brought hope to our future through spiritual 
development and community problem solving.
  For 81 years Havenscourt Community Church has been an indispensable 
part of our community, and Dr. Wilson has been leading their 
contributions as a pastor and community member for more than half of 
the church's history. On behalf of the residents of California's 9th 
U.S. Congressional District, I join the Oakland community on this 23rd 
day of June, 2006 in saluting and thanking the Havenscourt Community 
Church and its pastor, Dr. Claude E. Wilson. Their presence has 
contributed to the fabric and vibrancy of our community both currently 
and as a salient part of our heritage.

                          ____________________