PRINTER'S NO. 3013
No. 377 Session of 2000
INTRODUCED BY HORSEY, BISHOP, CARN, EVANS, JAMES, KIRKLAND, MYERS, OLIVER, PRESTON, RAMOS, ROBINSON, ROEBUCK, THOMAS, WASHINGTON, WATERS AND YOUNGBLOOD, FEBRUARY 15, 2000
INTRODUCED AS NONCONTROVERSIAL RESOLUTION UNDER RULE 35, FEBRUARY 15, 2000
A RESOLUTION 1 Commending Reverend Vernal E. Simms, Sr., the other officers and 2 all members of the Black Clergy of Philadelphia and Vicinity 3 for the energy and dedicated commitment it demonstrates daily 4 to the people of Philadelphia and calling upon all persons to 5 recognize Sunday, February 27, 2000, as Black Clergy Day. 6 WHEREAS, Reverend Vernal E. Simms, Sr., was invested as 7 President of the Black Clergy of Philadelphia and Vicinity in 8 early February and has pledged that its members will work 9 together for the social and religious well-being of Philadelphia 10 and especially of its black community; and 11 WHEREAS, Reverend Simms recognizes that the black church has 12 always been the center of the black community and needs to 13 continue addressing urban and social ills through its ability to 14 provide spiritual impact and mobilization of diverse groups; and 15 WHEREAS, Reverend Simms is pastor of Morris Brown African 16 Methodist Episcopal Church in North Philadelphia and Vice 17 President of the A.M.E. Preacher's Meeting of Philadelphia, a 18 graduate of Springfield College and Andover Newton Theological
1 School, the Chief Executive Officer of the Kelsey G. Keys 2 Community Development Corporation, the husband of the former 3 Mary L. Boxley and father of four children and grandfather of 4 two; and 5 WHEREAS, Reverend Simms will be assisted in the energetic 6 work of the Black Clergy by Reverend Robert Shine, First Vice 7 President; Reverend Henry Pinckney, Second Vice President; 8 Reverend C.B. Harris-Ramsue, Third Vice President; Reverend 9 James Moore, Sr., General Secretary; Reverend Cleveland W. 10 Secretary, Financial Secretary; Reverend Albert Davis, 11 Treasurer; Reverend Elijah Morris, Chief Marshall; and Reverend 12 Benjamin Fisher, Assistant Marshall; and 13 WHEREAS, It behooves this House of Representatives to 14 recognize the powerful and important impact the Black Clergy of 15 Philadelphia and Vicinity has upon the society in its charge; 16 therefore be it 17 RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives does commend 18 Reverend Vernal E. Simms, Sr., the other officers and all 19 members of the Black Clergy of Philadelphia and Vicinity for the 20 energy and dedicated commitment it demonstrates daily to the 21 people of Philadelphia and calls upon all persons to recognize 22 Sunday, February 27, 2000, as Black Clergy Day. B14L82RLE/20000H0377R3013 - 2 -