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HONORING PASTOR LEONARDO D. GILBERT 25TH MINISTERIAL ANNIVERSARY & 60TH BIRTHDAY
WHEREAS, Leonardo Gilbert was born in Chicago and raised in the church by godly parents Leon and Marie Gilbert. He was baptized in 1971 at the Michigan Ave Church of Christ, which was later known as the Sheldon Heights Church of Christ; he has attended this congregation all his life and has been preaching at it full time since 1995; and
WHEREAS, Leonardo Gilbert loves to learn and educationally, he is a product of the Chicago Public Schools, Lindblom Technical High School (class of 1977), Michigan Christian College (A.A), Harding University (B.A in Biology with a minor Chemistry and B.A. in Bible), North Park University (M.N.A. Master of Non Profit Administration). He has studied Board Governance at Harvard University. Currently, he is pursuing graduate studies in global non-profit management and has studied in Seoul, South Korea; Hong Kong; Guangzhou, China; Buenos Aires, Argentina; Cape Town, South Africa; Istanbul, Turkey; Athens, Greece; and Barcelona, Spain; and
WHEREAS, Bro. Leonardo Gilbert has been serving as the full-time minister of the Sheldon Heights Church of Christ since 1995 after the passing of Bro. Samuel L. Jordan, Bro. Gilbert has been preaching since 1978. After graduating from Harding University in 1981, Gilbert accepted several positions at the Sheldon Heights Church of Christ, including youth minister, educational director, evangelism director, and later assistant minster. He enthusiastically served in these roles until becoming full-time minister in 1995. Bro Leonardo Demetrius Gilbert is a visionary, missionary and community leader, and servant of God, who loves and works fervently for God. His motto is I have been “Saved to Serve.”; and
WHEREAS, Pastor Gilbert is founder and chairman of IAMM, founder and previous chairman of the Greater Roseland-West Pullman Food Network, and founder and Chairman of the National Teachers Workshop; and
WHEREAS, Pastor Gilbert helped led coalitions in disaster relief hurricane Katrina in 2005 and in Haiti 2010. In 2009, he helped lead anti violence strategies in collaboration with Chicago Public schools that led to the “Safe Haven” program which is a collaboration between schools and church. The children at the Sheldon Heights site won 1st place in the junior achievement program and were given their awards by Mayor Rahm Emanuel of Chicago. Although no longer funded by the Chicago Public Schools, Gilbert continues to offer a Safe Haven after school program and summer program to the help keep the youth of the community safe; and
WHEREAS, Pastor Gilbert's past experiences included serving as the Chair and Vice-Chair of the Greater Chicago Food Depository Board of Directors, President of the Advisory Board for the Roseland Mental Health Center, Advisory Board Member for the City of Chicago Department of Public Health-Mental Health Division, Vice Chair of the Chicago Citywide Youth Directors and Counselors (CYDC) and Member of Fenger High School Local School Council; and
WHEREAS, Pastor Gilbert is currently serving in the following capacities: Chair of the Midwest Youth Conference, Vice Chair of the 34th Ward Ministers Alliance, Pastors United for Change P.U.C., Vice Chair of the Midwest Lectureship, Director of Outreach for the National Church of Christ Crusade, as well as a Board member of the Far South Side CDC, TCA Health Clinic, Chair Kennedy Jordan Manor and Board Member of Southwestern Christian College; and
WHEREAS, Pastor Gilbert, who is humble in spirit and has extraordinary vision for achieving the difficult, is sought out to assist other individuals and groups with strategic planning, organizational structure, financial planning and advisement, as well advisory assistance and implementation of several programs and initiatives in the church and in the community.
WHEREAS, As a devoted family man, Pastor Gilbert, a husband, father, grandfather and uncle, is a rock to his family, always striving to pass on a legacy of excellence.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that on behalf of Toni Preckwinkle, President of the Cook County Board, the Board of Commissioners and its 5.4 million residents of Cook County do hereby congratulate Pastor Leonardo D. Gilbert on your 25th Ministerial Anniversary and 60th Birthday.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that a suitable copy of this Resolution be spread upon this Honorable Body and that an official copy of the same be tendered to Pastor Leonardo D. Gilbert on his auspicious occasion.
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