Bill Text: VA HJR241 | 2012 | Regular Session | Enrolled
Bill Title: Commending Bishop Peter James Lee.
Spectrum: Moderate Partisan Bill (Republican 7-1)
Status: (Passed) 2012-02-03 - House: Bill text as passed House and Senate (HJ241ER) [HJR241 Detail]
Download: Virginia-2012-HJR241-Enrolled.html
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WHEREAS, Bishop Peter James Lee was honored for his extraordinary advocacy of religious freedom and remarkable local, national, and international contributions with the 2012 Distinguished Service Award from the First Freedom Center; and WHEREAS, Bishop Lee, who served as the bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Virginia from 1984 until 2009 and currently serves as the interim dean of the General Theological Seminary in New York City, has long been engaged in work to promote peace, reconciliation, and justice; and WHEREAS, in 1987 Bishop Lee, the founding president of the American Friends of the Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem and then board member of the Presiding Bishop's Fund for World Relief, was appointed by the presiding bishop of the Episcopal Church to visit the Holy City during the first Intifada, making fact-finding trips to Gaza and Nablus as well; and WHEREAS, while on sabbatical in 1993, Bishop Lee returned to Jerusalem to study how Anglican churches ministered to congregants in the midst of protracted conflict; he visited Belfast and was received by Nelson Mandela in Johannesburg; and WHEREAS, known and admired for his ability to bring together people with disparate views, Bishop Lee also served on the advisory committee to the Anglican Observer at the United Nations and promoted peace in the Southern Sudan; and WHEREAS, Bishop Lee played a pivotal role in establishing the "Triangle of Hope," a cooperative ministry between the Diocese of Liverpool in the Church of England, the Diocese of Kumasi in Ghana, and the Diocese of Virginia, to promote healing and reconciliation in the aftermath of the slave trade; and WHEREAS, an extraordinary force for peace, justice, and religious freedom throughout his life, Bishop Lee has provided humble and thoughtful leadership on a worldwide front, making him a most worthy recipient of the First Freedom Center's 2012 Distinguished Service Award; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, the Senate concurring, That the General Assembly hereby commend Bishop Peter James Lee on his selection as the 2012 Distinguished Service Award recipient from the First Freedom Center; and, be it RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to Bishop Peter James Lee as an expression of the General Assembly's congratulations and admiration for his contributions to local, national, and international peace and reconciliation. |
