Political Quotes

“I rise to honor a remarkable public servant, faith leader, and civil rights trailblazer, Pastor Warren Stewart, Sr., on the occasion of his retirement as senior pastor at First Institutional Baptist Church in downtown Phoenix. God called Pastor Stewart to Arizona 48 years ago, and he has been speaking truth to power in our State ever since. Each Sunday, Pastor Stewart's sermons and service work inspire Arizonans to better their community and to uplift their neighbors. From the helm of Phoenix's oldest African-American Baptist church in Arizona, Pastor Stewart used his platform to advance justice and civil rights across our State. His guiding principle is Jesus and justice work together. His advocacy is well-illustrated by the battle to establish Martin Luther King, Jr. Day as a State holiday in Arizona. By 1992, Arizona was the last State refusing to recognize MLK Day, despite the Federal holiday being signed into law nearly a decade prior. Pastor Stewart fought to correct this injustice, leading multiple movements to get the holiday initiative on the ballot. He mobilized coalitions across political spectrums, religions, and cultural backgrounds to come together to win this long overdue public vote.”