HR592 - Honoring Bishop Ronnie Elijah Brailsford Sr. for his outstanding contributions as a spiritual leader.

      H.R. No. 592       R E S O L U T I O N          WHEREAS, Bishop Ronnie Elijah Brailsford Sr. has inspired and   uplifted countless people through his lifetime of service in the   ministry and the African Methodist Episcopal Church; and          WHEREAS, Ronnie Brailsford was elected and consecrated as the   136th bishop of the African Methodist Episcopal Church during the   50th Quadrennial General Conference held in Philadelphia,   Pennsylvania, in July 2016; he has since distinguished himself   through his tenure as president of the AME Church's Council of   Bishops, and since August 2024, he has proudly served as the   presiding prelate of the 10th Episcopal District of the AME Church   in Texas; and          WHEREAS, Over the years, Bishop Brailsford has upheld and   advanced the humanitarian mission of the AME Church; he previously   served the 19th and 20th Episcopal Districts, which together   encompass more than 77,000 members in South Africa, Malawi,   Zimbabwe, Tanzania, Uganda, and Mozambique; he has visited hundreds   of churches and dozens of AME schools in Africa, and he has helped   oversee a number of fundraisers, medical mission trips, and   disaster relief efforts that have provided aid to thousands of   people; and          WHEREAS, A native of South Carolina, Bishop Brailsford   graduated from the University of South Carolina and earned his   master of divinity degree from the Interdenominational Theological   Center in Atlanta, Georgia, where he was a Benjamin E. Mays Fellow   and a John Middleton Scholar; he received his doctor of ministry   degree from United Theological Seminary, and he has been recognized   with many academic, professional, and community accolades, as well   as an honorary doctor of divinity degree from the African Methodist   Episcopal University in Monrovia, Liberia; and          WHEREAS, Licensed to preach at the Historic Liberty Hill AME   Church in Summerton, South Carolina, in 1980, Bishop Brailsford   went on to pastor at churches in South Carolina and Georgia before   assuming the pulpit of Bethel AME Church in Columbia, South   Carolina, and guiding the congregation from 1992 to 2016; during   that time, his leadership brought about significant growth in the   church's membership and financial standing; and          WHEREAS, In all his endeavors, Bishop Brailsford has enjoyed   the love and support of his wife of more than 40 years, Carolyn   Brailsford, as well as their three children and seven   grandchildren; and          WHEREAS, This esteemed clergyman has demonstrated a   wholehearted commitment to his church and his wider community of   faith, and his many good works have earned him the respect and   admiration of all who know him; now, therefore, be it          RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 89th Texas   Legislature hereby honor Bishop Ronnie Elijah Brailsford Sr. for   his outstanding contributions as a spiritual leader and extend to   him sincere best wishes for the future; and, be it further          RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be   prepared for Bishop Brailsford as an expression of high regard by   the Texas House of Representatives.     Reynolds     ______________________________   Speaker of the House                 I certify that H.R. No. 592 was adopted by the House on April   17, 2025, by the following vote:  Yeas 133, Nays 7, 2 present, not   voting.     ______________________________   Chief Clerk of the House