[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 159 (2013), Part 3]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages 3792-3793]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




   ON THE OCCASION OF REVEREND DOCTOR MICHAEL C.R. NABOR'S FIFTEENTH 
     PASTORAL ANNIVERSARY AT NEW CALVARY BAPTIST CHURCH OF DETROIT

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. GARY C. PETERS

                              of michigan

                    in the house of representatives

                         Friday, March 15, 2013

  Mr. PETERS of Michigan. Mr. Speaker, I am honored to rise today to 
recognize my friend, Dr. Michael C.R. Nabors as he and his congregation 
of New Calvary Baptist Church of Detroit celebrate his Fifteenth 
Pastoral Anniversary.
  Dr. Nabors has a distinguished and extensive record of leadership in 
the communities he has served over several decades as a spiritual 
minister. His work began more than 30 years ago when he joined Galilee 
Missionary Baptist Church as its Youth Minister. In that position, he 
worked with the youth of the congregation to provide guidance at a 
pivotal point in their development. Dr. Nabors then served as a senior 
leader to two congregations in New Jersey before coming to Detroit and 
New Calvary in 1998.
  Throughout his career, Dr. Nabors has employed a philosophy of 
leadership by example in all facets of his life. As a believer in the 
teachings of Christ, he has sought to be an active participant in 
shaping a more just and fair society. In his professional work, as a 
case worker for The Children's Home Society in New Jersey, Dr. Nabors 
sought to guide youth in the development of their leadership skills and 
then find employment after they graduated. He then went on to serve as 
Executive Director for the Joint Commission on Civil Rights in 
Princeton, New Jersey, where he played a central role, developing 
programs

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that fostered sensitivity and understanding between residents of a 
diverse community.
  When he came to Detroit to lead the congregation of New Calvary, Dr. 
Nabors brought with him the same passion and zeal for strengthening his 
new community that he displayed earlier in his career. While serving as 
Senior Pastor of New Calvary, he has overseen the spiritual needs of 
his 600-member congregation and has held true to his vision of equality 
by hiring the congregation's first female assistant pastor and 
licensing its first female ministers. He worked with members to 
establish ministries that helped them explore arts, provide basic human 
necessities for the community and support people in times of grief. In 
his professional work, he has continued to hold true to his faith 
through his service as an educator to future spiritual leaders, 
instilling in them the value of actively engaging the community in the 
pursuit of justice and equality.
  The pursuits of his spiritual and professional work in Southeast 
Michigan have been mirrored in his volunteer work with the residents of 
the Greater Detroit region. In his position on the boards of Gateway 
Community Health and Gateway-Detroit East, Inc., Dr. Nabors has 
endeavored to build better mental healthcare and substance abuse 
services that empower the residents of the community. He also serves on 
the advisory board for United Voices for Michigan's Children, which 
serves as the State's largest non-profit advocate for youth. As a past 
advisory board member for The Skillman Foundation, Dr. Nabors has also 
continued to support the development of youth in the establishment of 
the ``Call to Service'' outreach program that created academic 
mentoring opportunities.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me today in recognition of 
Dr. Michael C.R. Nabors' great milestone in his service to the 
congregation of New Calvary Baptist Church and the people of Greater 
Detroit. His commitment to be a leader of his peers, a staunch advocate 
for our youth and a crusader for social justice values are a testament 
to his faith. I know his work has touched many lives and strengthened 
the fabric of the entire Southeast Michigan region. I congratulate Dr. 
Nabors on his fifteen years as Senior Pastor and look forward to 
working with him in our shared endeavor to create a more just and 
vibrant community.

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