[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 154 (2008), Part 2]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 2449]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                       HONORING DR. ELVIS HESTER

                                 ______
                                 

                       HON. LYNN A. WESTMORELAND

                               of georgia

                    in the house of representatives

                       Monday, February 25, 2008

  Mr. WESTMORELAND. Madam Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to a man 
of God who has dedicated the past 28 years of his life to a church in 
Georgia's 3rd Congressional District.
  Only those who have never darkened the door of a church hold the 
mistaken impression that preachers work 1 day a week. The writing and 
delivery of the Sunday morning sermon comprises just a small portion of 
what a minister does in the service of God each week. In addition to a 
teacher, a great minister also serves as a CEO of a nonprofit and as a 
shepherd of the flock, who tends to the sick, the lost and those in 
need.
  Dr. Elvis Hester has fulfilled all of these roles, and his leadership 
in the service of the Lord has blessed his flock at Eagle's Landing 
Church of God in McDonough.
  As CEO of a big church, a minister often is as deeply involved in 
management and logistics as he is in pastoral care. Dr. Hester started 
his career working in logistics for the Federal Government. He went on 
to serve a stint as an adviser to the nation of Bahrain. There in the 
Middle East, he helped establish a Church of God populated with 100 
Christian converts. A colleague established a sister church in 
Pakistan.
  Upon Dr. Hester's return to the United States he went into the 
ministry full time, first working at a church in Franklin, GA. In 1980, 
he took the helm of the church that would become Eagle's Landing Church 
of God. Under Hester's leadership, the church experienced tremendous 
growth, with membership topping 1,000.
  But Dr. Hester's church members don't focus on how he has affected 
membership numbers. They reflect on how he has touched their lives.
  ``The pastor has led our congregation by example for 28 years, 
serving us all through thick and thin,'' said church member Janice 
Ross. ``My family remembers when a life- and-death crisis kept us up 
all night and the next day. After going through a horrible operation, 
we were blessed by the sound of the pastor in prayer. We are thankful 
that our pastor has stayed faithful to the Lord and the Word of God.''
  One of his staff members, youth minister Brian Coody, said: ``Our 
Pastor is the type who is open for everyone to talk to, often going out 
of his way when you need counsel. He is very much filled with the 
spirit and he touches the lives of all those he meets. I have 
personally seen him moved to tears when a troubled soul was touched by 
Christ. Pastor Hester is a great man of God.''
  Dr. Hester's ministry has extended far beyond Henry County. He spread 
the Word in many countries throughout South America, Africa, Europe and 
Asia.
  ``While they say there are no absolutes in life, I truly believe that 
the one absolute that does exist is that long after Pastor Hester and 
his wife, Rita, are gone, the things that were done and said by our 
once-in-a-lifetime pastors will be treasured and used by generations to 
come to spread goodwill and bring the light of Christ into people's 
hearts and minds,'' said a friend in the mission field, Charles 
Lambert.
  Madam Speaker, I join Dr. Hester's church members and friends in 
honoring his 28 years of service at Eagle's Landing Church of God and 
wish him the best in all his future endeavors.

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