RESOLUTION No. __________, Series 2016
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A RESOLUTION HONORING THE LIFE AND LEGACY OF BISHOP DENNIS V. LYONS.
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Sponsored By: Council Member Cheri Bryant Hamilton
WHEREAS, Bishop Dennis V. Lyons is the Senior Bishop of the Gospel Missionary Church, having experienced enormous growth under his leadership and has implemented a variety of ministries equipping the Saints for evangelistic outreach to the unsaved through fervent prayer, discipleship training, and the power of the preached word; and
WHEREAS, Bishop Lyons was born in Louisville, Kentucky and received his early education at Newburg Elementary and Thomas Jefferson High School and received his undergraduate education at the Kentucky School of Mortuary Science, Jefferson Community College and Simmons College of Kentucky; and
WHEREAS, his faith was formed under the leadership of Reverend E. F. Brooks and in 1972, he was called into the ministry while serving in the Armed Forces and received his ministerial license from Galilee Baptist Church in Lawton, Oklahoma; and
WHEREAS, upon returning to Louisville, Bishop Lyons became an associate minister and musician at Mount Nebo Baptist Church. In 1975, was called to pastor the Iberia Baptist Church in Sonora, Kentucky; and
WHEREAS, in 1976, Bishop Lyons served as Minister of Evangelism at the New Zion Baptist Church, and because of his faithfulness, was given the opportunity to serve as Assistant Pastor; and in 1983, he was called to pastor Saint Paul Missionary Baptist Church; and
WHEREAS, Bishop Lyons founded the Gospel Missionary Church, which grew from 13 members to well over 100 members; and
WHEREAS, as a visionary who uses radio ministry to spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ, Bishop Lyons founded the DVL Network Ministries and added radio stations WPZZ of Indianapolis and WCLY of Raleigh to the “Talk at Night Radio Broadcast” in 1995 and hosted two of the most popular radio shows, ‘Gospel at Midnight” and “Gospel in My Soul;” and
WHEREAS, during his ministry, Bishop Lyons became known for reaching those “in the streets” by “tearing down barriers” and not following the “traditions of the masses;” and
WHEREAS, from his humble beginnings as a minister, Bishop Lyons committed himself to the work of ministry, community empowerment, economic uplift, and service to humanity by caring for those that others ignore and nurturing those who are forgotten; and
WHEREAS, as a civil rights and community activist, Bishop Lyons worked tirelessly to bridge the gap between the police and the community and in doing so, founded the Clergy Resource Team under Louisville Metro Police Chief Greg Smith, whereby his team would respond to the scene of a shooting or violence in the community and try to defuse the situation; and
WHEREAS, Bishop Lyons also founded the Derby City Ambassadors, volunteers from the community that help keep the peace during Derby and other events and assist the police in many other capacities; and
WHEREAS, Bishop Lyons also created “The Voice of Louisville” and “Code Green,” organizations that seek to find resolution for issues that affect West Louisville and the city at large, whose mission is to monitor, minister, maintain and motivate the community religiously, politically, economically and socially through strategic partnerships with the Louisville Metro Police Department, the Jefferson County Public School system, the Interdenominational Ministerial Coalition and other local partners; and
WHEREAS, Code Green’s purpose is to help identify those that would destroy our community, and get parents and other caregivers and neighbors to step up in their communities; by working to unify clergy in areas of their community to demonstrate their resolve regarding destructive youth and young adults; and
WHEREAS, through his faithfulness to Christ, he became an associate and co-owner with Pastor A. Russell Awkward of the Rodgers-Awkward Funeral Home, thus becoming Rodger-Awkward and Lyons Funeral Home; and
WHEREAS, married to Joan Lyons, Dennis and Joan are the parents of two daughters and two sons.
BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL OF THE LOUISVILLE/ JEFFERSON COUNTY METRO GOVERNMENT (THE COUNCIL) AS FOLLOWS:
SECTION I: Bishop Dennis V. Lyons’ life and service to Louisville Metro, is hereby honored with an honorary street sign to be placed on Vermont Avenue, bordered by Louis Coleman, Jr. Drive to the west (formerly South 34th Street) and the exit to Interstate 264 to the east, in Louisville Kentucky and so designated as “Bishop Dennis V. Lyons Way.”
SECTION II: The Department of Public Works is hereby directed to move forward with fabrication and installation of honorary signs upon the passage of this Resolution and the receipt of funds to cover the expense.
SECTION III: This Resolution shall take effect upon its passage and approval.
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_______________________________ H. Stephen Ott Metro Council Clerk |
_____________________________ David Yates President of the Council |
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_______________________________ Greg Fischer Mayor |
_____________________________ Approval Date |
APPROVED AS TO FORM AND LEGALITY:
Michael J. O’Connell
Jefferson County Attorney
BY: ____________________________
Lyons, Bishop Dennis V. Honorary Street Sign Res.D5 ROC bkn Draft 1 070716