House Concurrent Resolution 92

A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION MOURNING THE LOSS AND COMMEMORATING THE LIFE, LEGACY AND MINISTRY OF REVEREND KEITH TONKEL AND EXPRESSING OUR DEEPEST SYMPATHY TO HIS FAMILY AND FRIENDS UPON HIS PASSING.

WHEREAS, it is written in Ecclesiastes 3:1 that "To everything there is a season, and a time for every purpose under the Heaven," and as such, on Wednesday, March 8, 2017, the immaculate author and finisher of our soul's destiny summoned the mortal presence of dearly beloved, Reverend Keith Tonkel, to eternal rest, rendering great sorrow and loss to his family and friends; and

WHEREAS, the State of Mississippi and the City of Jackson lost an incredible friend, devout reverend and community leader with the passing of Reverend Tonkel, who preached and lived an active ministry of reconciliation, with God and among humans, for 63 years; and

WHEREAS, born in New Orleans, Louisiana, on January 15, 1936, and reared in the Crescent City and Bay St. Louis, Mississippi, the reverend worked tirelessly advancing the belief that God's grace would overcome the differences-social, cultural and racial-that divided people and separated them from their loving Creator; and

WHEREAS, a little Methodist church in Bay St. Louis was the venue where Reverend Tonkel found the spiritual connection that would carry him for the rest of his days, ultimately proving to be a life-changing connection and one that he shared freely for 63 years of ministry; and

WHEREAS, the day after he graduated from Millsaps College in Jackson, Mississippi, Reverend Tonkel underwent cancer surgery and received a dire prognosis from his doctors that he might have six months to live, but through the power of thousands of prayers and his faith in the Lord, he successfully recovered from that cancer and lived to be 81 years old, a true testament of David's writing recorded in Psalms 90:10; and

WHEREAS, Reverend Tonkel graduated from Emory University School of Theology and was ordained as an elder in the Methodist church in 1962 and assigned to Guinn Memorial Methodist Church in Gulfport, Mississippi, where he served for seven years; and

WHEREAS, the year after he was ordained as a reverend, 1963 proved to be an extremely tumultuous year in Mississippi and throughout the nation, as racial tensions and turmoil ran high at the peak of the Civil Rights Movement, Reverend Tonkel, who had a fervent passion for doing the right thing, showed his true badge of honor and remarkable courage when he joined a small group of Methodist ministers and took a bold public stand against segregation and racism, despite receiving threats and other ominous calls for retreat; and

WHEREAS, during his years with the Guinn congregation, Reverend Tonkel served as a single foster parent for children under the jurisdiction of the Harrison County Youth Court, where he not only provided children with a warm home but also a loving heart, as he treated them as his own; and

WHEREAS, in 1968, Reverend Tonkel's love and affection pierced the heart of Patsy Joyce Myrick, and the two lovebirds exchanged the vows of holy matrimony with the words "I do," and continued on the reverend's mission of fostering children as well as his larger ministry to share the love of God with all those who crossed his tender and charming path; and

WHEREAS, Reverend Tonkel was assigned to Wells Memorial United Methodist Church on Bailey Avenue in Jackson, Mississippi, in 1969, and he and Pat began the effort to save what was considered a dying church, and for 48 years, his message and dedicated service led countless alienated persons back to a belief in God and reaffirmed the faith of the faithful; and

WHEREAS, the small congregation at Wells embraced Reverend Tonkel as their pastor despite his young age, and the church began to expand as the reverend and parishioners made concerted efforts to reach out to the neighborhood and the larger Jackson community in order to spread the Gospel, as well as to the residents of the Methodist Children's Home, the old Community Nursing Home, prisons and the State Veterans Home; and

WHEREAS, additionally, Reverend Tonkel signed on to do a radio show on WSLI in Jackson, a move that helped broaden the ministry, and when the family moved to Clinton, he helped establish and served as founding pastor of St. John's United Methodist Church in his home; and

WHEREAS, as his congregations grew, Reverend Tonkel was able to accept invitations to conduct revivals, seminars and camp meetings across and beyond the State of Mississippi, at one point, leading as many as 30 revivals a year with the message of reconciliation through God's grace, and the church became active in mission work outside the country, focusing on the village of Tlalamac, Mexico, where the teams he led made more than 10 annual trips; and

WHEREAS, Reverend Tonkel was a reverend who wore many hats, as he performed weddings and funerals, where he turned aside offers of honoraria, conducted a daily blog once his voice weakened from the cancer, wrote four riveting books, served as Sunday School Teacher and Ministerial Advisor to The United Methodist Hour: Time That Makes a Difference, wrote for a secular newspaper column, "Probing," and received numerous awards that were well deserved but he hardly discussed; and

WHEREAS, a devout reverend, passionate advocate for doing what is right, and a strong, loving and compassionate husband, father, grandfather, confidante and friend, Reverend Tonkel never met a stranger, and through his kind, sincere heart and undeniable energy, he touched the lives of many around the world, and his warm hugs and bright smile will be cherished in the hearts and memories of his family, friends, parishioners and others who knew him and experienced his greatness; and

WHEREAS, the memory of Reverend Tonkel, a man held in the highest regard by friends and family as an inspiring and precious gift from God, will continue to refresh the hearts and memories of his beloved survivors: children, Shelley Tonkel Herndon, Tracy Tonkel Furniss and Anthony Tonkel Puckett; brother, Edward Burgess; five precious grandchildren; Ricky Davis and several other foster children; cousin, Brad Kamp; a host of other relatives and friends; and innumerable persons who owe their spirituality to his "Loving, Caring, Sharing" ministry; and

WHEREAS, we encourage the family to find solace from the overwhelming sadness created by the earthly departure of their beloved family member in Revelation 21:4, wherein is recorded, "And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away" and renewed in their faith that Reverend Keith Tonkel fulfilled the commandment of II Timothy 4:7 by having fought a good fight, finishing his course and keeping the faith until the hour of his departure was at hand; and

WHEREAS, Reverend Tonkel was a truly marvelous blessing from above who inspired everyone he met with his love for the Lord, his obedience to the teachings of his Heavenly Father and his awe-inspiring messages, and the parishioners of Guinn Memorial Methodist Church and Wells Memorial United Methodist Church will be eternally grateful to have received God's wonderful message through his beautiful and inspiring words; and

WHEREAS, it is the policy of this Legislature to recognize and commend the lives of pious and dynamic Mississippi pastors, such as Reverend Keith Tonkel, a man whose ministry truly sought the heart of God through grace and reconciliation in an effort to lead many souls to Christ, which brings honor to the Lord and the great State of Mississippi:

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI, THE SENATE CONCURRING THEREIN, That we do hereby mourn the loss and commemorate the life and legacy of Reverend Keith Tonkel and express deepest sympathy to his family and friends upon his passing.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That copies of this resolution be furnished to the family of Reverend Keith Tonkel and to the members of the Capitol Press Corps.