HR646 - Honoring Brentwood Baptist Church in Houston.

      H.R. No. 646       R E S O L U T I O N          WHEREAS, Congregants from Brentwood Baptist Church in   Houston are gathering in Austin on March 25, 2025, to visit the   State Capitol; and          WHEREAS, On June 17, 1965, Brentwood Baptist was founded by   12 members who held meetings at a local elementary school until a   parcel of land could be purchased; in its early years, the church   benefited from the leadership of pastors Dr. Donald Carroll and   Dr. Herbert Nash; the Reverend Dr. Joe Samuel Ratliff was elected   pastor of the congregation in 1980, and he has since guided it   through more than four decades of substantial growth; his wife,   Doris Ernestine Gardner Ratliff, serves alongside him as the first   lady of the church; and          WHEREAS, Under Reverend Ratliff's leadership, the church saw   the addition of several new buildings throughout the 1980s,   including a prayer chapel and a worship center, and in 1997, the   Brentwood Cottages were constructed to serve as transitional   housing for individuals living with HIV/AIDS; by 2000, the church's   membership had grown from 500 to 12,000, and it had acquired 105   additional acres of land; moreover, the Doris Gardner Ratliff   Center for Child Development was completed in 2000, and the   75,000-square-foot Joe Samuel Ratliff Lifelong Learning Center was   added in 2001; and          WHEREAS, This venerable religious institution has played a   vital role in the community, providing its members with myriad   opportunities for spiritual growth, fellowship, and outreach; its   75 ministries include the Brentwood Community Foundation, which   works to improve the quality of life of the greater Houston   community, and the church also has special programs for congregants   of all ages; and          WHEREAS, Countless Houston residents have looked to   Brentwood Baptist Church for spiritual guidance through the years,   and it is a pleasure to join in welcoming the congregation to the   State Capitol; now, therefore, be it          RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 89th Texas   Legislature hereby honor Brentwood Baptist Church and extend to its   members sincere best wishes for a meaningful and memorable stay in   Austin; and, be it further          RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be   prepared for the church as an expression of high regard by the Texas   House of Representatives.     Allen     ______________________________   Speaker of the House                 I certify that H.R. No. 646 was adopted by the House on April   9, 2025, by a non-record vote.     ______________________________   Chief Clerk of the House