[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 157 (2011), Part 8]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 11841]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




IN TRIBUTE TO THE REVEREND DR. ROLEN LEWIS WOMACK, JR. AND REVEREND DR. 
                        BETTY WASHINGTON WOMACK

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. GWEN MOORE

                              of wisconsin

                    in the house of representatives

                         Friday, July 22, 2011

  Ms. MOORE. Mr. Speaker, I rise to pay tribute to Reverend Dr. Rolen 
Lewis Womack, Jr. and Reverend Dr. Betty Washington Womack, the 
founding pastor and first lady of Milwaukee's Progressive Baptist 
Church. After 23 years of dedicated service to their congregation and 
the greater Milwaukee community, they are retiring to their native 
Texas.
  While fulfilling his role as pastor/teacher/prophet, Dr. Rolen Womack 
completed his Doctor of Ministry degree at United Theological Seminary 
in Dayton, Ohio. He is a native of Houston, Texas and is a graduate of 
Texas Southern University with an earned Masters of Divinity degree 
from Northern Baptist Theological Seminary in Lombard, Illinois. Dr. 
Betty Womack is a native of Galveston, Texas, a graduate of Huston-
Tillotson College and an earned Masters of Education degree from Sam 
Houston State University in Huntsville, Texas. She served as Director 
of Student Services in the Beaver Dam School District and received her 
administrative certification at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. 
She received a Doctorate of Education from Milwaukee's Cardinal Stritch 
University.
  Dr. Rolen Womack has a social justice activism and community advocacy 
ministry that features an Afrocentric frame of reference. He is one of 
the strongest advocates in the community and is a frequent guest on 
local radio talk shows and local television on issues related to 
justice and public education. Dr. Rolen Womack has been featured in 
Education Weekly and other periodicals and has participated in 
educational forums in many major cities.
  The ministry at Progressive Baptist includes a Youth Ministry, Music 
and Stage Ministry, Discipleship and Men's Fellowship, Women's 
Fellowship, W.I.N.G.S. HIV-AIDS ministry and Custodial and Fiscal 
Ministries. Dr. Betty Womack has a strong commitment to the development 
of youth and youth programs at Progressive. She has fostered the 
Christian development of youth by organizing and administering Vacation 
Bible School and Youth Outings to historic and scientific sites. 
Together they actively work with new members in Foundation classes to 
integrate them into the life of Progressive Church. Dr. Betty Womack is 
the past president of the W.I.N.G.S. HIV-AIDS ministry.
  She is the past President of the Wisconsin Pastor's Wives Association 
and the former Executive Board Member of the American Baptist Education 
Association of Wisconsin. He is the past president of the Wisconsin 
Baptist Pastors Conference, a director of the Minority Ministers 
Alliance, past General Secretary of the Wisconsin General Baptist State 
Convention, and serves on the boards of various organizations. They are 
the proud parents of two daughters: Cheray and Brooke.
  Mr. Speaker, I am proud that I can call them friends. I commend them 
for their many years of valued service to citizens of the 4th 
Congressional District. I wish them the very best in their retirement.

                          ____________________