Senate Resolution No. 1777

BY: Senator COMRIE

HONORING The Reverend Dr. Floyd H. Flake upon the
occasion of his designation for special recognition
by the Greater Allen Cathedral of New York on
January 30, 2022

WHEREAS, The character and richness of religious and community life
in this noble Empire State is nourished and fulfilled through the
faithful concern and selfless devotion of those who would commit their
energies and purpose to the ministry of others; and

WHEREAS, This Legislative Body is justly proud to honor The Reverend
Dr. Floyd H. Flake upon the occasion of his designation for special
recognition by the Greater Allen Cathedral of New York on Sunday,
January 30, 2022; and

WHEREAS, Former United States Congressman, The Reverend Dr. Floyd H.
Flake is the senior pastor of the more than 23,000-member Greater Allen
A. M. E. Cathedral of New York in Jamaica, Queens; until June 30, 2008,
he concurrently served as President of Wilberforce University in Ohio;
and

WHEREAS, During the 41-year pastorate of Reverend Dr. Floyd H.
Flake, the Greater Allen Cathedral of New York has become one of the
nation's foremost Christian churches and is listed among the top 20
churches in America; its operations are a national paradigm of
church-centered, faith-based, public/private community educational and
economic development; and

WHEREAS, Furthermore, the church owns expansive commercial and
residential developments, and various commercial and social service
enterprises, as well as a 600-student private school which was founded
by Reverend Dr. Floyd H. Flake and his wife, Elaine, placing it among
the nation's most productive religious and urban development
institutions and one of the Borough of Queens' largest private sector
employers; and

WHEREAS, Under Reverend Dr. Floyd H. Flake's able leadership, and
true to the Christian doctrine of self-help and communal responsibility,
the Greater Allen Cathedral of New York has provided resources and
guidance for innumerable faith-based and secular institutions; and

WHEREAS, Reverend Dr. Floyd H. Flake's administrative structure,
efficiency, and development efforts have increasingly attracted
international and national recognition in print and electronic media; he
and the church have been profiled on CNN, CBS, BET, C-Span, and PBS, as
well as in Time, Black Enterprise, Ebony, the New York Times, Readers
Digest, the Los Angeles Times, and many other publications; and

WHEREAS, While continuing his responsibilities as pastor of the
Greater Allen Cathedral of New York, Reverend Dr. Floyd H. Flake served
in the United States Congress from 1986 to 1997; during this time, he
was also a member of the Banking and Finance and Small Business

Committees, and chaired the Oversight, Investigation and Resolution of
Failed Financial Institutions Committee; and

WHEREAS, Reverend Dr. Floyd H. Flake established a reputation for
bipartisan, innovative legislative initiatives to revitalize urban
commercial and residential communities; most notably, his Community
Development Financial Institutions Act of 1993 which provided incentives
for financial institutions to make market-oriented investments in
destabilized urban and rural economies; and

WHEREAS, In Congress, Reverend Dr. Floyd H. Flake also concentrated
on garnering Federal resources and projects for his community; he won
two regional facilities, the Federal Drug Administration (F.D.A.) and
the Federal Aviation Administration (F.A.A.), generating more than 2,000
jobs while also upgrading the stability and the aesthetics of the
District; and

WHEREAS, Additionally, he prevailed upon the Clinton Administration
to fund the Nation's first One Stop Small Business Capital Center, the
Jamaica Business Resource Center, which is the model for additional
centers now operating in the Federal Empowerment Zones, providing
technical assistance and loans to small businesses; and

WHEREAS, Reverend Dr. Floyd H. Flake also authored legislation to
fund the expansion of JFK Airport and build the rail link from the plane
to the train, which connects JFK to Jamaica and Penn Stations; this has
been instrumental in the development of the Downtown Jamaica area; and

WHEREAS, This extraordinary man is a proponent of quality education
and market oriented community and economic development through speeches
and lectures in corporate settings, policy forums, seminaries and
divinity schools; he has lectured internationally and taught at the
Harvard Divinity School's Annual Summer Leadership Institute; and

WHEREAS, Floyd H. Flake earned a Doctor of Ministry degree from the
United Theological Seminary in Dayton, Ohio, and holds a Bachelor of
Arts degree from Wilberforce University with additional studies at Payne
Theological Seminary and Northeastern University School of Business; he
also has numerous honorary degrees from Boston University, Fisk
University, Lincoln University and Cheney State; and

WHEREAS, Prior to assuming the pastorate of the Greater Allen
Cathedral of New York, Reverend Dr. Floyd H. Flake served in various
capacities at Boston University, and as Director of the Martin Luther
King, Jr. Center and concurrently as Interim Dean of the Chapel, and
Dean of Students; this followed successful stints as Associate Dean of
Students at Lincoln University in Pennsylvania, and Marketing Analyst
for the Xerox Corporation; and

WHEREAS, The Reverend Dr. Floyd H. Flake authored a best-selling
book, The Way of the Bootstrapper: Nine Action Steps for Achieving Your
Dreams, and he and his wife co-authored the book, Practical Virtues:
Everyday Values and Devotions for African American Families; his latest
book the African American Church Management Handbook and published by
Judson Press and released in December 2005; and

WHEREAS, In addition to his wife of 42 years, with him throughout
have been his four children and one granddaughter, all of whom feel

privileged to be a part of his life and rejoice in his many
accomplishments; and

WHEREAS, This distinguished man of God has always given
enlightenment, guidance and wisdom to the many entrusted to his care and
has administered abundantly and unstintingly to the spiritual and
corporal needs of all; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
honor The Reverend Dr. Floyd H. Flake, noting his unremitting and
compassionate faith and his exemplary service to God, man, and his
community, and extending to him the heartfelt best wishes of this
Legislative Body for a future of purposeful success and well-being; and
be it further

RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be
transmitted to The Reverend Dr. Floyd H. Flake.