Bill Text: TX HR1269 | 2015-2016 | 84th Legislature | Enrolled
Bill Title: In memory of Bishop A. LaDell Thomas of Waco.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)
Status: (Passed) 2015-04-13 - Reported enrolled [HR1269 Detail]
Download: Texas-2015-HR1269-Enrolled.html
H.R. No. 1269 |
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WHEREAS, Countless lives were touched by the inspirational | ||
leadership of Bishop Arthur LaDell Thomas of Waco, who passed away | ||
on November 11, 2014, at the age of 81; and | ||
WHEREAS, A. LaDell Thomas was born in Waco on August 13, 1933, | ||
to Ira and Vinetta Thomas; answering the call to the ministry, he | ||
accepted his first pastoral assignment at a rural church in | ||
Caldwell; he felt drawn back to his hometown to continue his work in | ||
1956, and he was later named superintendent for the Central Texas | ||
Pentecostal District; and | ||
WHEREAS, In 1987, A. LaDell Thomas was appointed and | ||
consecrated a bishop in the Church of God in Christ; while he | ||
devoted his life to spreading a message of faith, he was involved in | ||
the civil rights struggle in segregated McLennan County; active in | ||
the NAACP, he joined other African American leaders in pressing for | ||
greater minority representation on the Waco City Council, and he | ||
encouraged other citizens to take to the polls as a means of | ||
ensuring that their voices were heard; and | ||
WHEREAS, A former college instructor and school | ||
administrator, Bishop Thomas believed fervently in the power of | ||
education in securing a better life; he was the first African | ||
American to serve on the board of the La Vega Independent School | ||
District, and he personally counseled young people in his effort to | ||
steer them on the right path; and | ||
WHEREAS, This esteemed clergyman led Deliverance and Praise | ||
Temple Church of God in Christ in Harker Heights as pastor for close | ||
to a quarter-century; guiding a congregation that was primarily | ||
composed of military personnel, he was admired for his wisdom and | ||
for the humor that he often incorporated into his lessons; during | ||
his long tenure, he was present for the deployments and homecomings | ||
of numerous members of his flock, and he continued to correspond | ||
with them while they were away in distant lands; and | ||
WHEREAS, Bishop Thomas was the devoted husband of Elnora | ||
Thomas, with whom he lovingly raised six children; as a father, he | ||
stressed the need for perseverance in overcoming challenges in | ||
life, and he knew the delight of seeing his children follow in his | ||
footsteps to enter work in the ministry; when asked, he could always | ||
be counted on to attend prayer services and events within his | ||
community, and he was an empathetic listener who ensured that those | ||
who came to him felt valued and appreciated; and | ||
WHEREAS, Though he did not seek recognition for his | ||
achievements, Bishop A. LaDell Thomas was renowned among his fellow | ||
citizens as a dedicated spiritual leader and a dynamic force for | ||
good; he will be greatly missed by all who walked with him along his | ||
journey, and the compassion and insight that he shared will remain a | ||
source of comfort and joy for many years to come; now, therefore, be | ||
it | ||
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 84th Texas | ||
Legislature hereby pay tribute to the memory of Arthur LaDell | ||
Thomas and extend deepest sympathy to the members of his family: to | ||
his wife, Elnora Massey Thomas; to his children, Bishop A. LaDell | ||
Thomas Jr. and his wife, Tihara, Supervisor Joyce L. Campbell and | ||
her husband, John, District Missionary Nora Kay Thomas, | ||
Superintendent Vayne Thomas and his wife, Yolanda, Pastor Reginald | ||
K. Thomas Sr. and his wife, Johnnie, and Superintendent Richard L. | ||
Thomas Sr. and his wife, Lillian; to his grandchildren, | ||
great-grandchildren, and great-great-grandchildren; and to his | ||
other relatives and friends; and, be it further | ||
RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be | ||
prepared for his family and that when the Texas House of | ||
Representatives adjourns this day, it do so in memory of A. LaDell | ||
Thomas. | ||
Anderson of McLennan | ||
______________________________ | ||
Speaker of the House | ||
I certify that H.R. No. 1269 was unanimously adopted by a | ||
rising vote of the House on April 9, 2015. | ||
______________________________ | ||
Chief Clerk of the House | ||