South Carolina H 5679: Bishop Joseph Parks Sr., service

Bill Text

2025-2026 Bill 5679 Text of Previous Version (May. 07, 2026) - South Carolina Legislature Online 

South Carolina General Assembly
126th Session, 2025-2026

Bill 5679

Indicates Matter Stricken
Indicates New Matter

(Text matches printed bills. Document has been reformatted to meet World Wide Web specifications.)

A house RESOLUTION

TO HONOR BISHOP Joseph Parks Sr. FOR HIS 
FAITHFULNESS IN GOSPEL MINISTRY; TO THANK HIM FOR HIS SERVICE TO HIS CHURCH, 
THE COMMUNITY, AND OUR STATE; AND TO WISH HIM GOD'S RICHEST BLESSINGS AS HE 
CONTINUES TO SERVE THE LORD.

Whereas, it is entirely 
appropriate to celebrate those individuals who give tirelessly of themselves to 
nurture the souls of men. Bishop Joseph Parks Sr. stands among their number as 
an outstanding minister of the gospel, one much admired by colleagues, 
congregations, and area residents at large; and

Whereas, Bishop Joseph 
Parks Sr. has been a preacher of the gospel of Jesus Christ for over forty 
years. In addition to serving at the Grace Community Baptist Church of 
Spartanburg, he is also president of Dothan School of Ministry and Church 
Leadership Institute. Having been trained in counseling, arbitration, and other 
disciplines and having been awarded a doctoral degree in strategic leadership, 
he is now serving as president of the National Employment Counseling 
Association, an affiliate of the American Counseling Association. He is a 
motivational speaker, counselor, and a certified church consultant and trainer 
who conducts workshops on church arbitration, Christian education, and the 
future of the black man in America; and

Whereas, academically 
prepared for the work of ministry, Dr. Parks is well trained with a Master of 
Divinity from the Virginia Union University and the Samuel DeWitt Proctor 
School of Theology. Bishop Parks serves as an intentional interim, spiritual 
overseer, and consultant for five different congregations in South Carolina, 
North Carolina, and Maryland. As an intentional interim and pastor, he guides 
churches through their periods without a pastor and trains churches for 
Christian service; and

Whereas, all these 
activities have been demonstrated through his work with such churches as Reeder 
Memorial of Charlotte, North Carolina, Elm Grove of Reidsville, North Carolina, 
Connexion Point Church of Baltimore, Maryland, Emmanuel Baptist Church of Thomasville, 
North Carolina, and now Tabernacle Missionary Baptist Church in Asheville, 
North Carolina, to name only a few. In each of these situations, he has been 
attributed with "setting in order the things that are wanting" to smooth the 
transition for, and the acclimation to, a new senior pastor and to strengthen 
the household of faith for service through individual Christian growth; and

Whereas, on the 
national level, he served in official capacities in the Southern Baptist 
Convention, National Baptist Congress, and National Baptist Convention. He is 
also active with many other city, state, and national civic and religious 
organizations, including the Spartanburg Clergy Initiative and the National 
Clergy Initiative (a consortium of more than ninety-three various faith 
institutions and denominations), which he serves as director. On a global 
level, he serves on the board of directors of Global Missions, an ecumenical 
mission institute that provides aid to hospitals and schools abroad. Having 
traveled quite extensively throughout the United States and many other 
countries, including El Salvador, South Korea, Grenada, Germany, Nigeria, Ghana, 
South Africa, and Israel, he has preached at the Religious and Government Forum 
sponsored by the United Nations Faith Institute for the sole purpose of 
preaching and sharing the gospel; and

Whereas. Dr. Parks and 
his wife, Evelyn, have been married for thirty-four years. As a husband, proud 
father, and doting grandfather, he considers himself richly blessed to have a 
wonderful family. With all he is involved in, he is, most of all, a willing 
servant of the Lord to preach His powerful gospel, and he is humbled that God 
would still consider him a worthy vessel. As a persevering minister who truly 
loves people, he simply wants to be known as a friend of God and a messenger 
for Christ; and

Whereas, because of his 
many years of spiritual nourishment of the people of South Carolina, Bishop Parks 
is due grateful thanks and best wishes as he continues to run the race the Lord 
has set before him. Now, therefore,

Be it resolved by the House of Representatives:

That the members of the 
South Carolina House of Representatives, 
by this resolution, honor Bishop Joseph Parks Sr. for his faithfulness in 
gospel ministry; thank him for his service to his church, the community, and 
our State; and wish him God's richest blessings as he continues to serve the 
Lord.

Be it further resolved 
that a copy of this resolution be presented to Bishop Joseph Parks Sr.

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