[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 163 (2017), Part 6]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 8010]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




IN CELEBRATION OF PASTOR LAWRENCE BINION SR. AND LADY VALARIE BINION'S 
     40 YEARS OF SERVICE AS SENIOR PASTOR AT WESTSIDE CHURCH OF GOD

                                 ______
                                 

                             HON. JIM COSTA

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, May 17, 2017

  Mr. COSTA. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the service of Pastor 
Lawrence Binion Sr. and his wife, Valarie Jean Metoyer Binion, as they 
celebrate 40 years of service as Senior Pastor and First Lady at West 
Side Church of God in Fresno, California. Residing in Fresno since 
1977, Pastor Binion and Lady Binion have been a blessing to our Valley, 
and have dedicated their lives to serving others and bettering our 
community.
  Born in Fairfield, Alabama, Pastor Binion eventually moved to Los 
Angeles, California where he later met his wife, Valarie. He is a 
graduate of Susan Miller Dorsey High School in Los Angeles, California 
State University, Los Angeles (UCLA) with a Bachelor's Degree in 
History, Fuller Theological Seminary with a Master's Degree in 
Divinity, and was conferred the Doctor of Divinity by the Southern 
California School of Ministry.
  Following his education, Pastor Binion moved to Fresno, California, 
becoming the Senior Pastor of Westside Church of God. One year later, 
he married the love of his life, Valarie Jean Metoyer, who continued 
her education in the Central Valley. Lady Binion is a graduate of 
Fresno Pacific University with a Bachelor's Degree in Business 
Management and Organization Development, and served our community as an 
employee of Fresno Unified School District until retiring in 2013.
  Pastor Binion and Lady Binion have dedicated their lives to serving 
our Valley with a passion for serving the Lord and bettering the 
community. Pastor Binion is known for being a Pastor of Pastors, 
advising numerous individuals, ministries, and organizations in our 
city and throughout the Central Valley. He has been a member of various 
community organizations dedicated to improving our community, including 
West Fresno Ministerial Alliance, West Fresno Healthcare Coalition, 
City of Fresno Police Advisory Council, and the Central California 
Prison Fellowship, to name a few. He is also the founder and chairman 
of Southwest Fresno Development Corporation; an organization dedicated 
to promoting economic development in West Fresno.
  Lady Binion has spent the last 38 years serving Westside Church 
alongside her husband, assisting him in ministry and serving as the 
Minister of Music and Worship Arts. Like her husband, she has also 
served with several organizations for the betterment of our community, 
including Bringing Broken Neighborhoods Back to Life, Feed Fresno Food 
Giveaways, and the West Fresno Ministerial Alliance, to name a few.
  Mr. Speaker, today I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing 
Pastor Binion and Lady Binion, whose passion, kind hearts, and selfless 
service have made an instrumental impact on the lives of those in our 
Central Valley communities. I join the community in honoring Pastor 
Lawrence Binion Sr. and First Lady Valarie Jean Metoyer Binion for 
their contributions and devotion to our community.

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