[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 158 (2012), Part 3]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 3330]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




   TO CELEBRATE THE LIFE AND COMMEMORATE THE 15TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE 
                 PASSING OF PASTOR LENWOOD GRAHAM, SR.

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. GERALD E. CONNOLLY

                              of virginia

                    in the house of representatives

                         Friday, March 9, 2012

  Mr. CONNOLLY of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate the 
life and commemorate the 15th anniversary of the passing of Pastor 
Lenwood Graham, Sr. Pastor Graham served his community and his faith as 
Pastor of the First Baptist Church of Merrifield from 1983 to 1997.
  Pastor Graham devoted his life to serving his God, his church, his 
family, his country, and his community. He was a loving and devoted 
husband to his wife, Ruth, a wonderful father to his children, Lenwood, 
Jr., and Lanya, and a doting grandfather. Pastor Graham served in the 
United States Army during the Vietnam war, achieving the rank of 
Sergeant. During his life, he was involved in numerous community 
organizations and activities including the NAACP, the Northern Virginia 
Baptist Association, and the Northern Virginia Ministers Conference. 
Always passionate about learning, he was enrolled in a Masters of 
Divinity program at the time of his passing on March 27, 1997, at the 
age of 50.
  Pastor Graham led the First Baptist Church of Merrifield for 14 
years. During this time, the membership of the church grew to more than 
750, and the church became more active in foreign and domestic 
missionary work. Under his leadership, the Merrifield Child Development 
Center was established and continues to provide faith-based 
comprehensive pre-school and kindergarten educational programs as well 
as before and after school child care for local elementary schools.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask that my colleagues join me in commemorating the 
life of my friend, Pastor Lenwood Graham, Sr. The contributions he made 
during his much-too-short life continue to this day as a living 
testament to his faith and his service to our community, and they are 
worthy of our highest praise and commendation.

                          ____________________