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1998 SESSION

983015717
SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 131
Offered January 26, 1998
On the death of Dr. William L. Lumpkin.
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Patrons-- Walker, Miller, Y.B., Houck, Lucas, Marye, Maxwell, Reasor, Reynolds and Whipple
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WHEREAS, Dr. William L. Lumpkin, minister emeritus of Freemason Street Baptist Church in Norfolk and a leader in the Baptist General Association of Virginia, died on May 29, 1997; and

WHEREAS, a native of Irvington, William Lumpkin attended the University of Richmond, where he was captain of the track and cross-country teams, for his undergraduate education, then earned his master's degree in theology at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky; and

WHEREAS, William Lumpkin earned his doctorate at the University of Edinburgh with further graduate work at Oxford University; and

WHEREAS, Dr. Lumpkin's first churches were in Southside Virginia, at one of which he performed his first marriage ceremony for Mills and Katherine Godwin, later Governor and First Lady of Virginia; and

WHEREAS, following stays in Lexington and Richmond, Dr. Lumpkin became pastor at Freemason Street Baptist Church in Norfolk, where he remained for 26 years, and became prominent in statewide and national Baptist organizations; and

WHEREAS, a renowned author and historian, Dr. Lumpkin wrote 12 books, including The Stroller, a novel based on the life of famed itinerant preacher John Asplund; and

WHEREAS, for many years active in the Baptist General Association of Virginia, including a term as president, Dr. Lumpkin was influential in shaping the denomination's history in Virginia; and

WHEREAS, devoted to his church, widely known as an eloquent and effective pastor, and a powerful yet moderating force in the Southern Baptist Convention, Dr. William Lumpkin leaves an enviable and lasting legacy of service to the people of the Commonwealth; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the Senate, the House of Delegates concurring, That the General Assembly note with great sadness the death of a fine pastor, historian, and church leader, Dr. William L. Lumpkin; and, be it

RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the Senate prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to the family of Dr. William L. Lumpkin as an expression of the General Assembly's great respect for his many contributions to his church and the Commonwealth.