HR 37: Jackson, Bishop Reginald Thomas; condolences

House Resolution 37EX

By: Representatives Mason of the 94th, McQueen of the 61st, Beckles of the 96th, Flournoy of the 74th, Carter of the 93rd, and others

A RESOLUTION

Honoring the life and memory of Bishop Reginald Thomas Jackson; and for other purposes.

WHEREAS, Bishop Reginald Thomas Jackson, a native of Dover, Delaware, was called to ministry at the age of 18, pursued his theological education at Turner Theological Seminary at the Interdenominational Theological Center in Atlanta, Georgia, and was ordained an Itinerant Elder in 1977, beginning a ministry that would span more than five decades and leave an indelible mark on the State of Georgia; and

WHEREAS, Bishop Jackson was elected and consecrated the 132nd Bishop of the African Methodist Episcopal Church at the 49th Quadrennial Session of the General Conference held in Nashville, Tennessee, in July 2012, ascending to one of the highest offices in America's oldest Black denomination, which was founded by the Reverend Richard Allen in Philadelphia in 1787; and

WHEREAS, from 2016 to 2024, Bishop Jackson served as the Presiding Prelate of the Sixth Episcopal District of the African Methodist Episcopal Church, providing spiritual leadership, moral vision, and prophetic witness to a community of more than 500 churches across the State of Georgia; and

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WHEREAS, Bishop Jackson served as Chairman of the Board of Morris Brown College and Turner Theological Seminary in Atlanta, and under his steadfast leadership, the Sixth Episcopal District retired all of its institutional debts and Morris Brown College regained full accreditation in 2022, preserving an irreplaceable pillar of Historically Black College and University education for the citizens of Georgia; and

WHEREAS, Bishop Jackson was a relentless and courageous champion of hate crimes legislation in Georgia, renewing his public call for its passage in the wake of the murder of Ahmaud Arbery and countless others, until Georgia's Hate Crimes Legislation was signed into law in 2020, providing historic protections for the people of this state; and

WHEREAS, recognizing that access to the ballot box is the cornerstone of American democracy, Bishop Jackson launched Operation Voter Turnout, a comprehensive statewide mobilization initiative requiring every African Methodist Episcopal congregation in Georgia to establish voter registration committees ensuring that every eligible voter in the pews was registered, educated on the issues, and ready to exercise their constitutional right to vote; and

WHEREAS, Bishop Jackson was among the most prominent and courageous opponents of Senate Bill 202, the Georgia Election Integrity Act of 2021, calling it an attempt to "turn back time to Jim Crow," leading the Sixth Episcopal District of the African Methodist Episcopal Church to join as a plaintiff in federal litigation challenging provisions of the law, and working alongside the NAACP Legal Defense Fund to protect the voting rights of Black Georgians; and

WHEREAS, in 2022, Bishop Jackson founded Faith Works, a historic multidenominational coalition uniting African American faith leaders from across Georgia representing more than H. R. 37EX

1,000 churches and hundreds of thousands of parishioners in a unified effort to protect voting access and counter voter suppression, declaring "Faith without works is dead"; and

WHEREAS, Bishop Jackson invoked his moral authority to call on major Georgia-based corporations, including Coca-Cola, Delta Air Lines, and Home Depot, to take unambiguous public positions against voter suppression legislation, demonstrating that prophetic leadership demands accountability from all institutions with power to shape the common good; and

WHEREAS, beyond his voting rights leadership, Bishop Jackson was an outspoken advocate for quality healthcare access for all Georgians, a living wage, education equity, and criminal justice reform, declaring that "school ought not to be the pipeline to prison" and embodying the fullness of a social gospel that served body, mind, and spirit; and

WHEREAS, Bishop Reginald Thomas Jackson entered eternal rest on November 25, 2025, at the age of 71, in Washington, D.C., and upon his passing, the NAACP Legal Defense Fund declared that "his leadership during the fight against voter suppression helped protect the fundamental right to vote for countless Black Georgians" and the African Methodist Episcopal Church honored his "extraordinary legacy of preaching, teaching, advocacy, and servant leadership"; and

WHEREAS, Bishop Reginald Thomas Jackson is survived by his beloved children, Regina Victoria Jackson and Seth Joshua Jackson, and by the thousands of Georgians whose lives, communities, and democratic participation are forever enriched by his witness and sacrifice.

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES that the members of this body join in honoring the extraordinary life, service, and legacy of Bishop Reginald Thomas Jackson, 132nd elected and consecrated Bishop of the African H. R. 37EX

Methodist Episcopal Church, and recognize him as a defender of democracy, a guardian of the sacred right to vote, and a towering figure in the civic and spiritual history of the State of Georgia.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Clerk of the House of Representatives is authorized and directed to make an appropriate copy of this resolution available for distribution to the family of Bishop Reginald Thomas Jackson.

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