Congressional Record: Visclosky Honors Reverend Charles Emery

Click here for a PDF of Congressman Visclosky's statement for the Congressional Record.

In honor of Reverend Charles Emery's 34 years of service to the Pilgrim Missionary Baptist Church in Gary, Congressman Visclosky entered the following statement into the Congressional Record on November 13, 2012.

Mr. Speaker:  It is with great pleasure and admiration that I stand before you today to congratulate Reverend Charles Emery on his 34th anniversary as Pastor of Pilgrim Missionary Baptist Church in Gary, Indiana.  For his many years of dedicated service to the church and the surrounding community, he was honored at a celebratory banquet on Monday, October 15, 2012 at the Genesis Convention Center in Gary, Indiana.

Reverend Charles Emery was born in Madison County, Tennessee to W.A. and Macie Emery.  Pastor Emery attended religious services throughout his childhood and accepted Christ into his life at the very young age of nine.  While attending college in Tennessee, Pastor Emery chose to enlist in the United States Air Force.  Throughout his military service, Pastor Emery felt he was being called into the ministry.  Reverend Emery decided to pursue religious studies and was the first of his family to graduate from college.  He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Religious Education from Toledo Bible School in Ohio and a Bachelor of Arts degree from Trinity Theological Seminary in Newburg, Indiana.  He has also taken specialized courses in church administration, youth evangelism, and personal counseling at Moody Bible College of Chicago, Illinois.  In 1968, Pastor Emery married his adoring wife, Willie Ruth Bonds, and they have four beloved children:  Mary, Bernard, Victoria, and Kim.

In 1978, Reverend Emery became Pastor of Pilgrim Missionary Baptist Church.  Throughout the years, Pastor Emery has worked diligently to serve the members of the congregation, the community of Gary, and all of Northwest Indiana.  Reverend Emery has served as President of the Baptist Ministers Conference of Gary and Vicinity, Vice President-at-Large for the General Missionary Baptist Convention of Indiana, Incorporated, teacher of the National Baptist Congress of Christian Education Youth Division, President of the Gary Police Chaplain Association, and Secretary of the Gary/Chicago Airport Board.  Currently, Reverend Emery serves as President of the General Missionary Baptist Convention of Indiana, Incorporated.  He continues to work hard for people most in need and does not hesitate to get involved in the tough struggles that face the surrounding community.  For his constant and passionate devotion to public service, Reverend Emery is worthy of the highest praise.

Mr. Speaker, Reverend Charles Emery is a man of God and a man concerned with creating a just society for his congregation, his community, and our nation.  He has selflessly devoted his life to the service of others and it is an honor to consider Pastor Emery a friend.  For his uncompromising dedication over the past 34 years, Reverend Emery is truly an inspiration to us all, and it is right to honor him today.