congressional_record: CREC-2026-05-07-pt1-PgE417-3
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| CREC-2026-05-07-pt1-PgE417-3 | 2026-05-07 | 119 | 2 | HONORING THE LIFE OF REVEREND FELTON LAMAR | HOUSE | EXTENSIONS | HONORING | E417 | E417 | [{"name": "Sanford D. Bishop, Jr.", "role": "speaking"}] | 172 Cong. Rec. E417 | Congressional Record, Volume 172 Issue 78 (Thursday, May 7, 2026) [Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 78 (Thursday, May 7, 2026)] [Extensions of Remarks] [Page E417] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov] HONORING THE LIFE OF REVEREND FELTON LAMAR ______ HON. SANFORD D. BISHOP, JR. of georgia in the house of representatives Thursday, May 7, 2026 Mr. BISHOP. Mr. Speaker, I rise today with to honor and celebrate the life of Reverend Felton Lamar, who peacefully transitioned from this life on May 1, 2026. A Homegoing service to celebrate his remarkable and dedicated life will be held on Friday, May 8, 2026, at the Mount Zion Missionary Baptist Church in Albany, Georgia. Born the fifth of nine children to the late William ``Bosie'' Lamar and Bertha Lamar, Reverend Lamar's life was rooted in faith, family, and service. At an early age he accepted Christ as his Lord and Savior and joined Pleasant Grove Baptist Church near Sylvester, Georgia. His faith guided every aspect of his life--his family life, his work, and the decades of ministry that followed. Reverend Lamar received his early education in the public schools of Worth County and later earned a Bachelor of Applied Science in Bible from Bethany Divinity College & Seminary in 1994. In 1962, he was united in holy matrimony to Elizabeth Roberts Lamar. From this loving union, three children were born--Gary, Harold, and Katrina--and they, along with fourteen grandchildren and twenty-four great-grandchildren, remain living testaments to his devotion as a husband, father, and grandfather. Before answering the call to full-time ministry, Reverend Lamar worked faithfully at MacGregor Golf and Firestone Tire & Rubber Company and later served his community as a school bus driver in the Dougherty County School System until his retirement. After relocating to Albany, he united with Antioch Baptist Church, where his faithfulness, spirit of service, and leadership established him as a vital pillar of the congregation. He served in many capacities--Senior Choir President, Church Secretary, Sunday School teacher and was ordained a Deacon in 1971 by the late Reverend R.B. Smith. Hearing the divine call to preach, Reverend Lamar was ordained as a Minister of the Gospel in 1982 by the late Reverend George Daniels. He pastored with humility, compassion, and steadfast devotion--leading Pleasant Grove Missionary Baptist Church in Shellman, St. Peter Baptist Church in Pelham, Mt. Early Baptist Church in Albany, and, for thirty years beginning in 1984, First Bethesda Missionary Baptist Church, where he was affectionately known as ``the Pastor who cares.'' Even after his retirement, he continued to serve faithfully at Mt. Zion Baptist Church until illness intervened. Beyond the pulpit, Reverend Lamar's leadership extended throughout the larger religious community. He served as Moderator of the Bethesda No. 1 Association, County Coordinator for the Second District of the General Missionary Baptist Convention of Georgia and was an active member of the Albany Ministers' Conference. His life of service--quiet, persistent, and rooted in love--lifted countless lives. As Charles H. Spurgeon wrote, ``By perseverance the snail reached the ark.'' That image of steady, humble perseverance captures the essence of Reverend Lamar's ministry: not showy, but faithful to the end. He persevered in love, prayer, and service, and by that perseverance he sheltered and strengthened many. Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join my wife Vivian and me, along with the more than 765,000 people of Georgia's 2nd Congressional District as we mourn the passing of a faithful servant whose life exemplified the Gospel he preached. I ask my colleagues to join me in extending our deepest condolences to Reverend Lamar's wife, children, grandchildren, siblings, and all who were blessed by his ministry. May his legacy of love, humility, and perseverance continue to inspire and guide us. ____________________ |