TITLE: Honoring Dr. Joe Layton Wall for his lifelong service in the ministry.

SUMMARY: Honoring Dr. Joe Layton Wall for his lifelong service in the ministry.

FULL TEXT:
WHEREAS, Dr. Joe Layton Wall has enriched the lives of countless people through his spiritual leadership over the course of more than six decades; and WHEREAS, Dr. Wall began his service in the ministry when he became a youth pastor at age 17; committed to spreading the gospel, he focused on planting new Bible churches in the Houston area in the 1970s, an initiative that coincided with his tenure as senior pastor of what is now BridgePoint Bible Church; he went on to serve as vice president of academic affairs for Dallas Bible College in the mid-1970s, and later in that decade, his vision of providing quality theological training to members of minority communities inspired him to found the Houston Bible Institute, which later became the College of Biblical Studies; and WHEREAS, In 1985, Dr. Wall organized the merger of several colleges and universities to form Colorado Christian University in Lakewood, Colorado, and he became the institution's first president; moreover, he helped establish the Foothills Institute of Biblical Studies in Colorado; in Texas, he has served as an adjunct faculty member of Dallas Theological Seminary, and he currently teaches as a professor at Grace School of Theology, a seminary in The Woodlands; and WHEREAS, Dr. Wall has also distinguished himself in missionary work; during the early 1990s, he joined the staff of Campus Crusade for Christ, and he worked closely with its founder, Bill Bright, to develop distance learning opportunities for students in the former Soviet Union; in 1994, he helped launch East West Ministries, which focuses on reaching out to underserved areas around the globe; the organization has since been involved in planting more than 171,000 churches in over 50 countries; he has held the offices of executive vice president of field ministries and vice president of training, and he has traveled the world to teach and guide the education of thousands of pastors and other church leaders; and WHEREAS, In addition to these achievements, Dr. Wall is the author of three books, one of which, Going for the Gold,has been translated into nearly a dozen languages; he has also been involved in radio programming for KHCB in Houston and KWBI in Denver; and WHEREAS, This esteemed clergyman has exemplified the highest standards of his vocation, and his many good works have earned him the lasting admiration and respect of all who know him; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 86th Texas Legislature hereby honor Dr. Joe Layton Wall for his lifelong service in the ministry and extend to him sincere best wishes for the future; and, be it further RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be prepared for Dr. Wall as an expression of high regard by the Texas House of Representatives. Bell of Montgomery Speaker of the House I certify that H.R. No. 1226 was adopted by the House on April 26, 2019, by a non-record vote. Chief Clerk of the House