H*5010 Resolution, By Hart
 A HOUSE RESOLUTION TO COMMEND ONE OF SOUTH CAROLINA'S MOST RESPECTED AND
 ADMIRED PASTORS, THE REVEREND DOCTOR RICHARD F. DOZIER, SR., PASTOR OF
 NORTHMINSTER PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH OF COLUMBIA, UPON THE OCCASION OF HIS
 RETIREMENT FROM THE ACTIVE MINISTRY ON MAY 23, 2010, AFTER FORTY-THREE YEARS
 OF CONTINUOUS PASTORAL MINISTRY.

   05/20/10  House  Introduced and adopted HJ-7

TO COMMEND ONE OF SOUTH CAROLINA'S MOST RESPECTED AND ADMIRED PASTORS, THE REVEREND DOCTOR RICHARD F. DOZIER, SR., PASTOR OF NORTHMINSTER PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH OF COLUMBIA, UPON THE OCCASION OF HIS RETIREMENT FROM THE ACTIVE MINISTRY ON MAY 23, 2010, AFTER FORTY-THREE YEARS OF CONTINUOUS PASTORAL MINISTRY.

Whereas, the members of the House of Representatives have learned with deep regret that the Rev. Dr. Richard F. Dozier, Sr., pastor of the Northminster Presbyterian Church of Columbia, will retire from active ministry on May 23, 2010, after forth-three years of continuous service in the pastoral ministry; and

Whereas, a native of Saluda County, Dr. Dozier prepared for the ministry by earning undergraduate and master of divinity degrees from Johnson C. Smith University in Charlotte, North Carolina, and a doctor of ministry degree from McCormick Theological Seminary in Chicago, Illinois. After completing his formal training for the ministry, Richard Dozier was ordained a Presbyterian minister by the Catawba Presbytery in May of 1967; and

Whereas, in September of 1968, Dr. Dozier was called by the Fairfield-McClelland Presbytery to be the organizing minister of a New Church Development Project in Columbia. From that call as an evangelist, he developed the Northminster Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) to become the church home of over 220 members with eighteen full-time or part-time staff members working to conduct the church's mission; and

Whereas, in addition to serving his church, Dr. Dozier has also served the larger Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) in many capacities, including Presbytery Moderator, Chairperson of the 189th General Assembly's Committee on Polity, Moderator of Synod of the South, and Chair of the Synod's Mission and Ministry Division; and

Whereas, Dr. Dozier's contributions to the community and his church have garnered numerous recognitions, including Outstanding Alumnus of the Year honors by John C. Smith Theological Seminary in 1988, the Outstanding Pastoral Leadership to the Community award by the International Ministerial Alliance of Greater Columbia in 1996, the NAACP of South Carolina's President's Award for Civic and Community Work in 2003, and the Lawrence Bottoms Award by the Southeastern Region of the National Black Presbyterian Caucus of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) in 2008; and

Whereas, Dr. Dozier is blessed with a wonderful family in which he takes great pride, including his wife, Bessie Jeanette Smith, sons Richard and Anthony, two daughters-in-law, and five grandchildren; and

Whereas, having faithfully served Northminster Presbyterian Church as its pastor for almost forty-two years, Dr. Dozier now moves to a new chapter in his life that will begin with a retirement celebration on May 22, 2010, at the W.J. Keenan High School Auditorium, and a worship service led by the Rev. Dr. Joe Rigby the following morning at Dr. Dozier's beloved Northminster Presbyterian Church; and

Whereas, the members of the House of Representatives, by this resolution, would like to publicly recognize and commend this wonderful man of God for his forty-three years of pastoral ministry which has touched the lives of so many people, upon the occasion of his retirement from active ministry. Now, therefore,

Be it resolved by the House of Representatives:

That the members of the House of Representatives commend one of South Carolina's most respected and admired pastors, the Rev. Dr. Richard F. Dozier, Sr., pastor of the Northminster Presbyterian Church of Columbia, upon the occasion of his retirement from the active ministry on May 23, 2010, after forty-three years of continuous pastoral ministry.

Be it further resolved that a copy of this resolution be forwarded to Dr. Dozier.