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2015 SESSION

15104726D
HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 884
Offered February 19, 2015
Commending the Reverend Dr. Clifton Whitaker, Jr.
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Patrons-- McQuinn, Carr and McClellan; Senator: McEachin
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WHEREAS, the Reverend Dr. Clifton Whitaker, Jr., a Richmond native and the longtime and esteemed senior pastor of Grayland Baptist Church, was reared in a spirit-filled home by loving parents; and

WHEREAS, the Reverend Dr. Clifton Whitaker, Jr., attended the Richmond Public Schools and graduated from Armstrong High School; he studied at Virginia Union University before becoming a member of the Richmond Police Department, where he served for 17 years and became the first African American officer promoted to the Detective Division after serving on the force for eight months and one of the first African Americans to receive the Excellence Police Duty Medal; he also was awarded the Medal of Valor and the Dale Carnegie Award for Highest Achievement during his tenure as a law-enforcement officer; and

WHEREAS, after retiring from the Richmond Police Department, the Reverend Dr. Clifton Whitaker, Jr., earned a bachelor of arts degree in English from Virginia Union University; in 1979, he delivered his initial sermon, was licensed to the Gospel ministry, and was ordained as a Baptist minister; in addition, he earned a master of divinity degree and a doctor of divinity degree from the Samuel DeWitt Proctor School of Theology at Virginia Union University and received a doctor of humane letters from Richmond Virginia Seminary; and

WHEREAS, in 1982, the Reverend Dr. Clifton Whitaker, Jr., accepted the call to the pastorate at Grayland Baptist Church, where he has served as senior pastor for 32 years; God’s anointing on his pastorate has been evidenced by unprecedented numerical and spiritual growth and successful community outreach services; and

WHEREAS, the Reverend Dr. Clifton Whitaker, Jr., a superb orator, highly sought-after evangelist, and an excellent singer, is a true visionary leader who executes his responsibilities far beyond the restraints of traditionalism; and

WHEREAS, as a part of his ministerial work, the Reverend Dr. Clifton Whitaker, Jr., was recognized as Minister of the Year for three consecutive years by the Ushers Union of Richmond and Vicinity; he completed a class in Chaplaincy with the Richmond Police Department and he was recognized as a “Living Legend” by Grayland Baptist Church, an honor bestowed by the church upon persons throughout the Richmond metropolitan area during the celebration of Black History Month; and

WHEREAS, a member of numerous community and civic organizations and a leader among his fellow clergymen, the Reverend Dr. Clifton Whitaker, Jr., devotes his considerable gifts, talents, and time to the Baptist Ministers’ Conference of Richmond and Vicinity, the Richmond Ministers’ Union, and the Richmond Committee of Ecumenical Clergy; he has served as president of the National Christian Education Convention, past president of the Division of Clergy of the Baptist General Convention of Virginia, is a former member of the Bethlehem Senior Center board of directors and former dean of academics at the Richmond Virginia Seminary, and belongs to E9, an organization of retired Richmond police and firefighters; and

WHEREAS, an avid reader and fisherman, the Reverend Dr. Clifton Whitaker, Jr., also loves traveling and devoting time to community service, and his plans for retirement include relaxation, spending time with family, and thriving physically and spiritually by immersing himself in the Word, preaching the Gospel, and authoring a book; and

WHEREAS, the Reverend Dr. Clifton Whitaker, Jr., a gifted man of God, whose favorite scripture is “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths,” Proverbs 3:5-6, has hidden the Word in his heart and this scripture illuminates his path and understanding; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, the Senate concurring, That the General Assembly hereby commend the Reverend Dr. Clifton Whitaker, Jr., upon his retirement as senior pastor from Grayland Baptist Church; and, be it

RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to the Reverend Dr. Clifton Whitaker, Jr., as an expression of the General Assembly’s gratitude for his exemplary service to the Grayland Baptist Church and the Richmond metropolitan community and best wishes in his future endeavors.