[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 156 (2010), Part 4]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 5711]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




   A TRIBUTE TO THE REV. DR. CLAUDE S. WYATT, JR.: A LIFE WELL LIVED

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. BOBBY L. RUSH

                              of illinois

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, April 15, 2010

  Mr. RUSH. Madam Speaker, mere words do not begin to do justice to the 
life, legacy and transcendent accomplishments of the Rev. Dr. Claude S. 
Wyatt, Jr., co-founder of The Vernon Park Church of God in Chicago, 
Illinois. Rev. Wyatt's life in this world came to an end at the age of 
86. Rev. Wyatt, founder emeritus of the Vernon Park Church of God, 9011 
S. Stony Island, died Sunday morning, April 11, 2010, at his South Side 
home.
  He left in his wake thousands of people from all walks of life who 
will forever remember his love for the Lord, his large and loving 
family, including his beloved wife of 70 years, the Rev. Dr. Addie 
Lorraine Wyatt, as well as men, women and young people from all walks 
of life, including me. In ways big and small, I learned from Rev. Wyatt 
important lessons in life. I am proud to count myself among those 
scattered throughout this country who, right now, are grieving the loss 
of his life but who, at the same time, are rejoicing in the Lord in 
whose arms he now has eternal peace and comfort.
  While today's young people are reveling in the fruits of what many 
call the ``Joshua Generation,'' there would be no `Joshuas' without the 
wisdom, guidance and front line courage of those Moses figures, like 
Dr. Wyatt, who stood side by side with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., 
campaigned for the release of Nelson Mandela and a free South Africa, 
or who worked alongside some of this nation's greatest labor leaders, 
like Cesar Chavez. Together, men and women of unheralded stature 
successfully created a culture, in this nation, that values the labor 
of low-income and working class families by, at the very least, 
recognizing the merit of paying them a decent, minimum living wage for 
a hard day's work. I could go on and on about the things that Rev. 
Wyatt and his amazing wife Addie have done to create the nation we live 
in today, but I offer these thoughts for future generations to read, 
revel in and, hopefully, rejoice!
  Rev. Wyatt was born November 14, 1921 in Terrell, Texas. He was the 
second of five children. A young Claude Wyatt first came to Chicago at 
the age of six. Rev. Wyatt fought honorably as part of a still, 
segregated Navy, during WWII, from which he was honorably discharged. 
And, prior to becoming a pastor, Rev. Wyatt worked as a clerk at the 
Hyde Park Post office, at 46th and Cottage Grove, part of my 
congressional district, for more than 20 years.
  Rev. Wyatt was married to his wife, Addie, since 1940. Shortly after 
they joined their lives together, the couple became involved with the 
ministry and civil rights campaign of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Rev. 
Wyatt marched with Dr. King in the famous Selma to Montgomery march to 
secure voting rights on March 7, 1965. In the midst of that infamous 
day in Alabama, now forever known as Bloody Sunday when 600 civil 
rights marchers were beaten and brutalized by the police, Dr. Wyatt was 
there. In fact, it was his job to coordinate ministers and recruit 
workers to join Dr. King on that day--a day that, in so many ways, 
helped make our nation a better place.
  Over the years, with the loving support of his wife Addie, who also 
served side-by-side with him in his ministry, the church they founded 
together grew to become a powerful, leading voice for labor and for 
human rights.
  In her husband's loving embrace, his support encouraged her to assume 
the mantle of national leadership in her own right. The Rev. Dr. Addie 
Wyatt became a labor adviser to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s Southern 
Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC). The Wyatts also worked with 
Rev. Jesse Jackson in helping to launch Operation Breadbasket when, in 
1962, it distributed food to underprivileged people in 12 American 
cities.
  His son, Claude Wyatt III, said the Lord called his father into the 
ministry in 1952 and, in 1955, he founded the Vernon Park Church of God 
where he, initially, began holding services in a garage at 93rd Street 
between Indiana and Prairie. God called Claude and Addie Wyatt to carry 
a message of salvation and hope to a small but spirit-filled group of 
people. Together, they worshipped under the name of the Mount Zion 
Baptist Church. Under their leadership, the church was converted to the 
Church of God Reformation and, because of its location, was eventually 
named the Vernon Park Church of God.
  Over the years, through much effort, mutual support and abiding 
faith, the Wyatts continued to build their church and, as the size of 
their congregation grew so, too, did the location of the church. 
Finally, after much prayer and perseverance, the present worship 
facility was erected. Today, this multi-million dollar complex, with a 
membership of more than 1,000, stands as a monument to the faith, hope 
and vision of a people who not only had a mind to build but an 
unshakable determination to do great things to honor God and to serve 
His people here on Earth.
  Rev. Wyatt's accomplishments are legendary and could fill an entire 
Congressional Record. But of all the things I could say, on behalf of 
my beloved wife, Carolyn, my family and, indeed, a grateful nation, I 
salute the life and legacy of Rev. Dr. Claude S. Wyatt, Jr. His was a 
life well lived, indeed.

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