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I was happy to present Bishop Hezekiah Walker with a proclamation on Sunday to celebrate the 30th anniversary of his church and for breaking ground on a supportive and affordable housing development in the 55th Assembly District.
From my prepared remarks:
"I bring greetings from my beloved constituents to the friends, elected officials and parishioners gathered here today and, of course, to Bishop Hezekiah Walker.
I am honored to be here for the groundbreaking ceremony and to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the Love Fellowship Tabernacle, which had its first influx of new members on Easter Sunday in 1994, right here at 2425 Pacific St. Fifty people joined the church, the first step in the rapid growth that led to the relocation of the church in 1996 to the current location at 464 Liberty Ave.
Bishop Walker was planning to build an even bigger church, a 2,000-seat house of worship. But God spoke to him and told him to follow a different path. God told him not to focus on building a bigger church. God told him to be a blessing to the people in this community who need an affordable place to live. God told him to be a blessing to people who struggle to keep food on the table, a blessing to people who can’t afford the table or a home to put it in.
Let’s talk about it. We all know there’s a housing crisis in New York State. Like Bishop Hezekiah Walker, I grew up in public housing in Brooklyn. I know what housing insecurity looks like.
Far too many people in my district know the persistence of poverty, the pain of increasing housing costs and the scarcity of affordable housing. New York State has an obligation to respond to the housing crisis by increasing housing stock, preserving and repairing existing public housing, and boosting tenant protections along the way.
The housing crisis is, indeed, the most pressing issue in front of lawmakers in Albany, as we try to hammer out a budget deal.
But, please, don’t wait for the government alone to address the housing crisis. You know who told you to feed the hungry and house the homeless? It wasn’t Governor Kathy Hochul. It wasn’t Latrice Walker. It wasn’t Mayor Adams.
You know who said it? God said it.
I’m not gonna hold you long, but let’s look at the scripture, a word from 1 John 3:17-18. It says, “But whoever has this world’s goods, and sees his brother in need, and shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of God abide in him? My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth."
The groundbreaking today is a perfect example. It is the manifestation of His word where Bishop Walker saw the needs of this community and put hem above his own. This tangible act represents the keeping of God’s word.
Thank you, everyone, for your attention. Congratulations on your 30th Anniversary. And, thank you for being a light to this community. Amen? Amen."
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