[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 156 (2010), Part 5]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 6606]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




 HONORING THE WORK OF THE REVEREND DR. WALTER THOMAS RICHARDSON ON THE 
  OCCASION OF HIS RETIREMENT FROM SWEET HOME MISSIONARY BAPTIST CHURCH

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. MARIO DIAZ-BALART

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                       Wednesday, April 28, 2010

  Mr. MARIO DIAZ-BALART of Florida. Madam Speaker, today I rise to 
honor and thank The Reverend Dr. Walter Thomas Richardson of South 
Florida for his 26 years of service to Sweet Home Missionary Baptist 
Church.
  Pastor Richardson's historic tenure at Sweet Home began in October of 
1983, and for nearly three decades, he has dedicated his life to 
serving others. Under his leadership, the parish has achieved great 
things. Sweet Home transitioned from two-Sunday a month worships to 
weekly Sunday worships, as well as going from one-morning service to 
two-morning services. Sweet Home also grew from a small facility to a 
modern and up-to-date facility with classrooms, offices and seating 
capacity for 500 in 1991. In 2009, the facility grew yet again to house 
more than 1000 people and sits on 24 acres of land. The staff at Sweet 
Home also grew and now has full-time employees. During his tenure, 
Sweet Home has also been involved in advocating for social justice and 
multicultural integration, protesting against hate crimes, drugs and 
corruption, and taken part in building the first Habitat for Humanity 
housing project in Miami-Dade County.
  Pastor Richardson has preached and ministered across our great nation 
and around the world, including places like Korea, South Africa, Haiti 
and the Caribbean. More than 51 associate ministers have served with 
him at Sweet Home, and at least 16 are now serving as senior pastors 
and chaplains throughout the country. He has counseled more than 200 
couples, married more than 100 couples, performed more than 1000 
funerals, baptized more than 2000, and preached more than 5,000 
sermons. Pastor Richardson currently serves as an adjunct professor at 
St. Thomas University in South Florida, and will continue to lecture, 
speak, and preach at conferences, churches and seminars in the U.S. and 
around the world.
  Pastor Richardson retires in the coming weeks but the end of his 
tenure as Senior Pastor at Sweet Home, does not mark the end of his 
work in our community, our nation and the world. I am certain that 
Pastor Richardson will continue to serve and inspire others and change 
lives. I ask you to join me in honoring the work of Pastor Richardson, 
thanking him for his service to our community, and wishing him the best 
in future endeavors.

                          ____________________