WHEREAS, Pastor Darrell L. Jackson is a native Chicagoan and a strong man of faith, family and God who was raised on Chicago's south side, where he spent his childhood and still resides; and
WHEREAS, The family of Pastor Darrell L. Jackson have been the spiritual leaders of Chicago's Liberty Baptist Church located in the Bronzeville community of Chicago for three generations; and
WHEREAS, Pastor Jackson graduated from Hirsch High School in Chicago and is a second-generation graduate of Morehouse College in Atlanta, Georgia, with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology; and
WHEREAS, Pastor Jackson is a second-generation honors graduate of Northwestern University's Garrett Theological Seminary in Evanston, Illinois with a Masters of Divinity degree in Divinity (M.Div.); and
WHEREAS, Pastor Jackson became the Pastor of Liberty Baptist Church, after the spiritual, and physical transition of Rev. A.P. Jackson in 1994; and
WHEREAS, Over the years, Pastor Jackson has understood the diverse needs of the historic Bronzeville neighborhood where the 95-year-old Liberty Baptist Church has proudly stood for over fifty years at the corner of 49th & Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Drive; and
WHEREAS, Pastor Jackson initiated The Couples & Singles Ministry, the Grief and After-Care Group, a Free N One (Substance & Alcohol Abuse) Ministry, Feed the People, The Sisterhood, and the 'Godfathers of Wisdom' Male Mentoring Program among others; and
WHEREAS, Pastor Jackson he helped lead the effort to establish, build and operate 'Vision House', a supportive residence for families that are HIV positive or battling AIDS, and also served as Chairman of the Board of Directors for over 11 years; and
WHEREAS, Pastor Jackson has led this Bronzeville religious institution with its flock of committed believers for twenty years, and will celebrate this achievement on August 17, 2014; now therefore
BE IT RESOLVED, That we, the Mayor and members of the City Council of the City of Chicago gathered here this tenth day of September, 2014, do hereby express our sincere congratulations on the occasion of the twentieth anniversary of Pastor Darrell L. Jackson's leadership at Liberty Baptist Church; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be presented to Pastor Darrell L. Jackson as a collective sign of our respect, appreciation and esteem for his many years of excellent ecumenical leadership to the residents of the Bronzeville/Grand Boulevard community in the City of Chicago.
Pat Dowell Alderman, 3rd Ward