RESOLUTION COMMEMORATING PASTOR SAMUEL THOMAS LYNCH, SR., FOUNDER OF LECLAIRE MISSIONARY BAPTIST CHURCH
WHEREAS, LeClaire Missionary Baptist Church, located in the 22nd Ward, is celebrating 64 years of service and 40 years since its founding pastor, Samuel Thomas Lynch, Sr. retired from serving the ministry; and
WHEREAS, The Chicago City Council has been informed of this milestone by the Honorable Michael D. Rodriguez, Alderman of the 22nd Ward; and
WHEREAS, Pastor Samuel Thomas Lynch, Sr. organized LeClaire Missionary Baptist Church in 1959, realizing his longtime dream of founding a church in the community; and
WHEREAS, Born in 1911 in Hazlehurst, Mississippi, Samuel Lynch was the first of five children born to Tom and Jimmie Lynch, and he united with the New Salem Baptist Church in his hometown at an early age; and
WHEREAS, Shortly after moving to Illinois in 1936, where he worked as a cement loader and later for the Inland Steel Container Co., Samuel began fellowshipping at the Argo Temple after meeting Louise Brown, a minister's daughter whom he later united with in holy matrimony; and
WHEREAS, The Lynch family later joined the Antioch Baptist Church under the pastorage of the late Rev. Henry Blackwell; Samuel eventually answered his own call to join the ministry in 1950, and he served at Antioch until he struck out to organize the LeClaire Missionary Baptist Church; and
WHEREAS, Showing tireless dedication to the ministry, Pastor Lynch built the LeClaire Missionary Baptist Church into a longstanding ministry serving the Argo-Summit and LeClaire communities, which continues to minister to residents long after Pastor Lynch's passing in 1986; and
WHEREAS, Now under the pastorate of Rev. Dr. Ahmad R. Boyd, Sr., LeClaire Missionary Baptist Church continues to build on Pastor Samuel Thomas Lynch, Sr.'s legacy, and the City wishes to honor Pastor Lynch's service to our City; now, therefore
BE IT RESOLVED, That we, the Mayor and members of the City Council of the City of Chicago, gathered here this thirty-first day of May 2023, do hereby recognize Pastor Samuel Thomas Lynch, Sr.'s service to our City and commemorate LeClaire Missionary Baptist Church's generations of service, and extend our most heartfelt wishes for their continued success; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be prepared and presented to Rev. Dr. Ahmad R. Boyd and the LeClaire Missionary Baptist Church as a sign of our honor and respect.
micharL b.' UODIWUIZ
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