House Resolution 125

A RESOLUTION MOURNING THE LOSS AND HONORING THE LIFE AND LEGACY OF REVEREND DR. DONALD ELLIS WILDMON, FOUNDER OF THE AMERICAN FAMILY ASSOCIATION AND EXPRESSING GREAT SYMPATHY TO HIS FAMILY AND FRIENDS UPON HIS RECENT 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 December 28, 2023, the immaculate author and finisher of our soul's destiny summoned the mortal presence of dearly beloved, Reverend Dr. Donald Ellis Wildmon, of the American Family Association, to eternal rest with his Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, rendering great sorrow and loss to his family, friends and to the great Magnolia State; and

WHEREAS, Reverend Dr. Wildmon was born in Dumas, Mississippi, on January 18, 1938, to his beloved father, Ellis Wildmon, who worked for the regional health department and quietly modeled responsibility and civic-mindedness, and to his devoted mother, Bernice Wildmon, a revered school teacher who demonstrated the value of diligence and self-improvement; and

WHEREAS, the parents of Reverend Dr. Wildmon lived out the Christian virtues and raised their children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord, modeling active ministry and community involvement and showing that service to the Lord was not confined to Sunday mornings but permeated all aspects of life; and

WHEREAS, at the age of nine, after attending a Billy Graham service, Reverend Dr. Wildmon was assured of his salvation through Jesus Christ and felt the first stirrings of a call to vocational ministry; and

WHEREAS, throughout Reverend Dr. Wildmon's youth and teen years the bright faithfulness of his parents became clearly contrasted against the descending cultural darkness of the world around him; and

WHEREAS, after graduating high school in 1956, Reverend Dr. Wildmon attended Millsaps College, was licensed to practice ministry, began pastoring small congregations and graduated in 1960; and

WHEREAS, after graduating from college, Reverend Dr. Wildmon served in the United States Army for two years and then entered seminary at Emory University; and

WHEREAS, after being ordained by the United Methodist Church in 1964, Reverend Dr. Wildmon received his master's degree from Emory's Candler School of Theology in 1965; and

WHEREAS, after faithfully pastoring congregations for over a decade, Reverend Dr. Wildmon became troubled by the sinful programs children were exposed to on television and established a national grassroots campaign against indecent broadcasting that led to the formation of the National Federation for Decency, which later came to be known as the American Family Association; and

WHEREAS, the American Family Association (AFA) started by Reverend Dr. Wildmon grew into a far-reaching ministry that inspired millions to join their voices together on issues of ultimate consequence to our nation's future: life, marriage and family, religious freedom, public decency and virtue, and more; and

WHEREAS, with Reverend Dr. Wildmon's national influence and his ability to generate grassroots activism, he led numerous successful campaigns to help guide major corporate sponsors away from indecent programming, leading them to change their advertising policies; and

WHEREAS, under Reverend Dr. Wildmon's visionary leadership, AFA developed a broad range of resources, strategies, and media outlets aimed at promoting Christian values in all areas of public life; and

WHEREAS, Reverend Dr. Wildmon began the American Family Radio network in 1991, which soon grew to nearly 200 radio stations and became known nationally as one of the country's most influential Christian watchdog organizations; and

WHEREAS, Reverend Dr. Wildmon appeared on numerous national television shows, such as The Phil Donahue Show and NBC's Meet the Press, and was featured in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, USA Today, Time, Newsweek, People and TV Guide; and

WHEREAS, together with Paul Weyrich, chairman of the Free Congress Foundation, Reverend Dr. Wildmon started the Arlington Group in 2002, a coalition of leaders of prominent Christian conservative organizations in the United States established for the purpose of developing and executing national grassroots strategies to protect the traditional institution of marriage, foster respect for innocent human life, restrain judicial activism, and act on other moral issues of concern, which became one of Washington's most powerful conservative groups, and the first effective combination of the major religious right organizations to stem the tide of the cultural decline of our nation; and

WHEREAS, throughout his 33 years as head of the American Family Association, Reverend Dr. Wildmon received national awards for his commitment to traditional values; and

WHEREAS, Reverend Dr. Wildmon was recognized along with fellow conservative Karl Rove in 2004 by Advertising Age magazine as among "10 Who Made a Mark on Marketing"; and

WHEREAS, in 2009, Reverend Dr. Wildmon was selected as one of the Conservative Hall of Fame Lifetime Contribution Finalists at the Weyrich Awards Dinner; and

WHEREAS, in 2010, at the Values Voter Summit, Reverend Dr. Wildmon received the James C. Dobson Values and Leadership Award, which recognized his work to promote family values and awareness of our country's Judeo-Christian heritage; and

WHEREAS, in 2010, Reverend Dr. Wildmon was a recipient of the Daniel Webster Award from the Florida Family Council for his life of service and ministry to Christian families; and

WHEREAS, in 2013, Reverend Dr. Wildmon was honored by Vision America with the Daniel Award for his decades-long battle for morality that inspired millions, whereafter the Daniel Award was called the Don Wildmon Award, honoring pastors for bravery in the public square; and

WHEREAS, in 2014, Reverend Dr. Wildmon was honored by Friend Ships, a ministry which uses ships to transport donated supplies and medicine to needy countries, with the Friend Ships Humanitarian Award for his lifetime of achievements and in honor of the "dreams, visions and accomplishments of this man of God who has stayed the course" in building an impactful ministry; and

WHEREAS, in 2017, Reverend Dr. Wildmon was named the recipient of the National Religious Broadcasters Hall of Fame Award, which was presented at the NRB International Christian Media Convention; and

WHEREAS, locally, Reverend Dr. Wildmon was an active member and avid supporter of the church he helped found in 1977, Lee Acres United Methodist Church, now Cornerstone UMC; and

WHEREAS, in 2003, Reverend Dr. Wildmon received the Dickson Award, which honored pastors who greatly influenced the life or lives of their sponsor; and

WHEREAS, in 2004, Reverend Dr. Wildmon received the "In God We Trust" Award at Sandtown UMC "in recognition of The Daniel Webster Award from the Florida Family Council for his service to God and Country – an example of faith and commitment to family values that embodies our national motto in public service"; and

WHEREAS, in 2008, Reverend Dr. Wildmon was the recipient of the John Wesley Christian Statesman Award from Riverside Independent Methodist Church in Flowood, Mississippi, and was recognized as a "Pro-lifer of the Year" by Right to Life of Jackson, Mississippi; and

WHEREAS, Reverend Dr. Wildmon authored 22 books and his great passion for travel abroad led him to guide over 30 tours to the Holy Land and Western Europe; and

WHEREAS, the State of Mississippi will forever treasure Reverend Dr. Wildmon, who will be remembered for his devotion to God, family and country; and

WHEREAS, though he has traversed the river of life to reunite with those who answered God's summons to life eternal and now beckon his arrival to the celestial shores of Heaven's grandeur, the legacy of Reverend Dr. Wildmon's indelible imprint upon our lives will continue to refresh the hearts and fond memories of his loved ones, including his devoted wife of 62 years, Lynda Bennett Wildmon; four children: Tim Wildmon (Alison); Angela Wildmon; Donna Wildmon Clement (Neal), and Mark Wildmon (Virginia), all of Tupelo; one sister, Louise Yancey (Mike) of Memphis, Tennessee; six grandchildren: Wriley Wildmon Freeman (Wil); Wesley Wildmon (Chelsea); Neal Clement (Samantha); Walker Wildmon (Lexie); Drew Clement (Briley); Blake Clement; eleven great-grandchildren: Abbi Freeman, Hardin Davis, Emerson Anne Davis, Bennett Wildmon, Landry Wildmon, Anna Wesley Wildmon, Luke Wildmon, Samuel Wildmon, Andrew Wildmon, Isaac Wildmon, all of Tupelo, and Alden Clement of Franklin; his sister-in-law Tamra Durham (Larry) of Tupelo and brother-in-law Kelly Bennett (Tessie) of Belmont, Mississippi; and a host of other relatives and dear friends; and

WHEREAS, of Reverend Dr. Wildmon it may be truly said, as it is written in 2 Timothy 4:7, he has fought the good fight, he has finished the race, he has kept the faith; and

WHEREAS, Reverend Dr. Wildmon will forever be loved, cherished and missed by all who knew him, and since it is written in 2 Corinthians 5:8, that to be "absent from the body is to be present with the Lord," his family and friends can find peace and comfort during this difficult time; and

WHEREAS, it is the policy of the House of Representatives to honor and commend the lives of outstanding Mississippi leaders, especially those such as Reverend Dr. Donald Ellis Wildmon, whose signal devotion to God, family and country bring honor to the great State of Mississippi:

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI, That we do hereby mourn the loss and commemorate the life and legacy of Reverend Dr. Donald Ellis Wildmon, and express sincere and 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 Dr. Donald Ellis Wildmon and to the members of the Capitol Press Corps.