Bill Text: VA HJR293 | 2022 | Regular Session | Enrolled
Bill Title: Commending the Reverend Dr. Robert G. Murray.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 15-0)
Status: (Passed) 2022-03-10 - Bill text as passed House and Senate (HJ293ER) [HJR293 Detail]
Download: Virginia-2022-HJR293-Enrolled.html
WHEREAS, the Reverend Dr. Robert G. Murray, a dedicated spiritual leader in Norfolk, retired as Senior Pastor of First Baptist Church after decades of service to the community; and
WHEREAS, Dr. Robert Murray holds degrees from Hampton University and the Boston University School of Theology and had served as a pastor for nearly five decades; and
WHEREAS, Dr. Robert Murray joined the historic First Baptist Church in Norfolk in 1983 and upheld the church's legacy of excellence that spans more than 220 years through his visionary leadership and high emphasis on modern relevance in his sermons; and
WHEREAS, Dr. Robert Murray guided the First Baptist Church congregation to become a force for change in the community and oversaw the renovation of a local assisted living facility and the construction of the Murray Center, a multipurpose community center that houses the READY Academy Christian School, of which he served as superintendent for 18 years; and
WHEREAS, Dr. Robert Murray has served as an adjunct professor of African American studies and religious studies at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU), and he taught courses on social ethics and homiletics at the Samuel DeWitt Proctor School of Theology at Virginia Union University; and
WHEREAS, Dr. Robert Murray previously offered his leadership and expertise to the Lott Carey Baptist Foreign Missionary Convention and the Baptist General Convention of Virginia and has served on the VCU Board of Trustees and the William A. Hunton YMCA Board of Directors; and
WHEREAS, Dr. Robert Murray touched countless lives over the course of his 38 years as Senior Pastor of First Baptist Church; and
WHEREAS, Dr. Robert Murray could not have done any of this work without his wife, Amanda, by his side, and they leave the church well prepared to meet the challenges of the future and continue serving the residents of Norfolk; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, the Senate concurring, That the General Assembly hereby commend the Reverend Dr. Robert G. Murray on the occasion of his retirement as Senior Pastor of First 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. Robert G. Murray as an expression of the General Assembly's admiration for his legacy of contributions to the Norfolk community.
