On the recordMay 1, 2019
I know that Representative Joyce Beatty would join me today in what I am about to say. Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor a great American and a distinguished man of God, the Reverend Dr. Charles E. Booth. Dr. Booth transitioned from this earthly plain on Saturday, March 23, 2019, after a valiant battle with cancer. Dr. Booth's life and mine moved along many of the same paths. Through those shared experiences, we developed a deep personal bond. He was born in my hometown of Baltimore, Maryland, on February 4, 1947, to Hazel Willis Booth and William W. Booth. He attended the same high school as I did, Baltimore City College High School in Baltimore. We also attended the same college, Howard University. Dr. Booth went on to earn a master's of divinity degree from Eastern Theological Seminary in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He then earned a doctorate of ministry degree from United Theological Seminary in Dayton, Ohio. As a testament to his commitment to Christian education, Dr. Booth served as a member of the board of trustees of that institution from 2011 until his recent passing. At the age of 23, Dr. Booth pastored his first church, St. Paul's Baptist Church in West Chester, Pennsylvania. In 1978, he became pastor of Mount Olivet Baptist Church in Columbus, Ohio, where he remained the faithful leader for 41 years. Dr. Booth proudly made Columbus his home, but he never forgot his roots.…





