Gregory Meeks

Mr. MEEKS

Mr. MEEKS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the sponsors of this bill. I want to thank the gentleman from Ohio for sponsoring this bill and bringing this bill to the floor. Indeed, the Pro Football Hall of Fame is the pride of Canton, Ohio. It is also the apple of the eye of all Americans. When we think of the National Football League, we immediately think of the grand names in football history. The gentleman from Ohio named the initial inductees. Initially coming into my mind are individuals such as Jim Brown or Jerry Rice or Johnny Unitas or Joe Montana, Walter Payton. These are household names that are housed now forevermore in the Hall of Fame and the National Football League. But we forget that the National Football League and the Hall of Fame says: We're giving back. We're not going to just be involved in keeping the fame and the records of the NFL. We understand that we are an American sport, and so we're going to give back to the American people. Especially our young people, our children who, like me, growing up, idolized many of the players that are now in the Hall of Fame. So what the Hall of Fame does is to make sure that it gets involved in programs that the gentleman from Ohio just talked about, Camps for Kids, to help promote nutrition and physical fitness. We often hear in this society that we're talking about, people are too obese. Well, the NFL recognizes that, and the NFL Hall of Fame, the Pro Football Hall of Fame, as a result, makes sure there are programs promoting good nutrition, eating good foods, exercise. Particularly it has been very important to me when I look at the Hall of Fame's Black History Month program, which details the African American experience. I can recall growing up with my father talking about Marion Motley with the Cleveland Browns at the time and the history that he played in helping and promoting others. And this gives us all-around history about every American. Kindergarten through 12th graders, a literacy program. We talk about the need to make sure that our young people are able to compete. You can't compete if you're not literate. The Pro Football Hall of Fame makes sure that every child that it can touch will also be a reader. We want to be competitive in health and history and language and arts and math and science. The Pro Football Hall of Fame has a program that it takes throughout America to help make that happen. And so this Commemorative Coin Act will help them, at no cost to the taxpayers, run these programs and preserve its facilities so that it can continue to build a legacy of a strong American game, but of also making sure that all of America's children and all of America's people have an opportunity to grow up, to be literate, to be healthy, and to be competitive globally with anyone. So indeed, I urge all of my colleagues to vote ``aye'' for the Pro Football Hall of Fame Commemorative Coin Act, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. MEEKS

Mr. MEEKS. Russia, with some of the world's most sophisticated consumers and a rapidly growing market, will join the World Trade Organization by summer's end. After 18 years of negotiating with the United States and the World Trade Organization, after improving their trade laws and reducing tariffs, yes, very shortly Russia will be a member of the World Trade Organization. For the United States, this could mean improved market access for our exports of goods and services. It could mean protections if Russia violates international rules. It could mean a trade boost, an additional 50,000 jobs or more right here in the United States of America, and all of this, if the United States and this Congress lifts the Cold War relic, the Jackson-Vanik amendment, and authorizes permanent normal trade relations. We've waived Jackson-Vanik for over 20 years. We now need PNTR, and we need to do it now. Our competitors will have access to that market. We will then fall behind them. We can compete with anybody in the world. This is the greatest country in the world. Let's not lock ourselves out of the market in Russia. Let's not put ourselves behind our competitors. Here's an opportunity for us to come together. You heard earlier this morning my friend and colleague, David Dreier, bringing folks together, talking about how we can do this together with the President of the United States, who has an export initiative, to create more jobs. Here we can demonstrate to the American people that we're concerned about creating jobs, and that we're going to make sure that we take advantage of that opportunity by bringing PNTR for Russia immediately, getting involved, and trading with them to create jobs right here in the good old United States of America.

Mr. MEEKS

Mr. MEEKS. Mr. Speaker, on rollcall No. 295, H.R. 4201, had I been present, I would have voted ``no.''

Mr. MEEKS

Mr. MEEKS. Mr. Speaker, on rollcall No. 240, Holt of N.J. Amendment to H.R. 5326, I inadvertently missed the vote. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yes.''

Mr. MEEKS

Mr. MEEKS. Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize Mount Carmel Baptist Church who this year, will celebrate 100 years of service to the Arverne Community in my district. Mount Carmel Baptist Church is committed to advancing the kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ through the preaching and teaching of the Gospel, comforting the sick and distressed, and helping humanity. Under the leadership of Rev. Joseph Hezekiah May, Mount Carmel Baptist Church became the flagship Baptist Church on Far Rockaway. Rev. May was a freedom fighter for affordable and appropriate housing and through his efforts, the City of New York took notice and began building public housing. Mount Carmel Baptist Church has served as a pillar to the Arverne community through its desire to further the cause of the Gospel of Jesus Christ through social activism, pastoral care, community engagement and youth development. On behalf of the more than 655,000 residents of Sixth Congressional District, we thank Mount Carmel for your outstanding contribution to our community, city, and state. We join with Mount Carmel to celebrate 100 years of service and wish you continued success in all of your endeavors.

Mr. MEEKS

Mr. MEEKS. Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize an outstanding student from my congressional district, Curtis Whitehead. Curtis is a senior at August Martin High School in Queens, NY and has won the April student of the month award. During his time at August Martin, Curtis has overcome challenges, excelled in his studies and discovered his true passions: cooking and acting. Since his sophomore year, he has had a recurring lead role on a Time Warner Cable production called ``Power Tools for Life.'' He has since, participated and excelled in countless culinary competitions. By all accounts Curtis is well liked and respected by his classmates and teachers, baking cookies and cupcakes for their birthdays and offering to help in times of need. Upon graduation Curtis will enroll in the Culinary Academy. I applaud Curtis Whitehead for winning student of the month and wish him the best in his future endeavors.

Mr. MEEKS

Mr. MEEKS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H. Res. 568. This resolution supports President Obama's policy towards Iran. As the President stated during the AIPAC annual convention in March: Iran's leaders should understand that I do not have a policy of containment; I have a policy to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon. President's Obama's commitment to Israel's security is ironclad. America has stood with Israel under this administration which has facilitated unprecedented levels of security assistance for Israel, increasing every single year, even in a tough domestic budget environment. Above all, President Obama has directed his administration to prevent--not merely contain--Iran achieving nuclear weapons capability. I urge my colleagues to vote in favor of this resolution, supporting the President's position and affirming that the U.S.-Israel relationship is too important to be distorted by politics. I thank Chairman Ros-Lehtinen and Ranking Member Howard Berman for bringing us together in a united way and passing this resolution.

Mr. MEEKS

Mr. MEEKS. I yield myself such time as I may consume. I rise today in favor of H.R. 3001, the Raoul Wallenberg Centennial Celebration Act. This bill will bestow the Congressional Gold Medal on a hero who is credited with saving thousands of lives during the Nazi occupation of Hungary in World War II. Raoul Wallenberg is one of the truly inspiring figures of the 20th century. Many prominent Americans owe their lives to Mr. Wallenberg and his heroic actions, including my friend and late colleague, Tom Lantos, and his lovely wife, Annette. Through the passage of this legislation, Congress can honor a true humanitarian for the sake of his family and the thousands of survivors who owe their lives to him. Raoul Wallenberg, as my colleague has just said, was a Swedish special envoy to Budapest on a diplomatic mission established in collaboration with the American War Refugee Board and the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee to initiate a rescue operation for Jews in Nazi-occupied Hungary. Over 150,000 Hungarian Jews had already been deported to Nazi death camps by the time Wallenberg arrived in Budapest. But through his ingenuity and even at times his bribing of others through the issuance of fake Swedish protective passes and sheltering in official Swedish diplomatic houses, Wallenberg unrelentingly sought to save Jews from Germans and their accomplices, risking his own life numerous times in the process, while there were others who were involved who gave their lives in the process. During the Soviet siege of Budapest, Wallenberg was detained by Soviet authorities on suspicion of espionage and was never heard from again. Wallenberg's ultimate fate is unknown, and awarding the Congressional Gold Medal during this centennial celebration of his birth is the best opportunity I believe we have to resolving the mystery about Raoul Wallenberg's ultimate fate. When we have a true hero--one who inspires us to be the very best that we can, one who says that we're going to rise above those individuals who mean no good, one who says they will put their own lives at stake so that others may live--those are the individuals that we need to honor; those are the individuals we need to bring to light so that every child, every human being, knows of those great heroic feats. Because indeed, Mr. Speaker, it is individuals like Raoul Wallenberg who will take us to centuries yet to come and bring us together as a human family. So, I'm honored here today to put forth this bill, and I'd like to thank the over-300 colleagues here on the House floor who have cosponsored this bill and especially my colleague from New York, Nan Hayworth, who has been absolutely a delight to work with. As we pursued this bill and working together on the floor in getting signatures and talking to our colleagues, I really enjoyed immensely working with Congresswoman Hayworth in bringing this bill to the floor. I also want to thank the Raoul Wallenberg Centennial Celebration Commission, headed by Ezra Friedlander, and the American Jewish Committee, the Jewish Federations of North America, the Lantos Foundation, the University of Michigan, and the Hungarian and Swedish ambassadors for all of their hard work on this legislation to honor Wallenberg's memory and to celebrate the innumerable individuals who live today because their relatives were saved through his efforts. I ask my colleagues to vote in favor of H.R. 3001 and award Raoul Wallenberg the Congressional Gold Medal. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. MEEKS. I just want to thank the chairman of the European subcommittee for recalling that great day we did have in Budapest at the statue of Raoul Wallenberg. It was a great moment and a solemn moment. When you think about Raoul Wallenberg and when you think about the over 300 Members of this body that are cosponsoring it, today what Raoul Wallenberg is doing is bringing us together. Yet today, Raoul Wallenberg as well, even here in the House as we look and work unanimously on this bill, is bringing people together from all parts of the world, from all kinds of backgrounds, saying that we are standing together for what is right and for a better tomorrow. With that, Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. MEEKS. I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Hastings).

Mr. MEEKS

Mr. MEEKS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Today, I rise to speak in favor of H.R. 1815, the Lena Horne Recognition Act, introduced by my good friend and colleague from the great State of Florida, Congressman Alcee Hastings, to honor and posthumously award the Congressional Gold Medal, one of our Nation's highest civilian awards, to the great Lena Horne. Lena Horne is known to many as a uniquely talented performer who dazzled audiences on stage and on the silver screen. She was a symbol of elegance and grace; and she entertained people of all walks of life for over 60 years and broke barriers for future generations, winning numerous awards and accolades as a trailblazing African American female performer. When I think of just yesterday that Major League Baseball, during that era, honored Jackie Robinson--a pioneer and professional baseball player--it's a breakthrough. But during that same period of time, Lena Horne was on the entertainment stage with such grace during a time when it was difficult for her as an African American to travel--places to stay, places to eat--but yet always with that elegance, with that grace, with her beauty, she would perform and entertain but stay true to herself, understanding that she was going to have a better tomorrow for those who followed in her path. She was a trailblazer, making it easier for people to follow. If you think about the times that we had during that period, you had to be extra special. That's who she was. I can recall, even as my mother sat, she had to smile, because as soon as you said the name, my father would smile because of the beauty and the glory of Lena Horne. Anytime you heard Lena Horne on the radio, he would stop to listen to her voice. And when she was on television later, everything else in the house had to halt so that we could watch the elegant Lena Horne. So when we think about the prejudice and discrimination that she had throughout her life but how she persevered and ultimately used her talent and fame to become a powerful voice for the civil rights movement and equality, it is for those reasons I congratulate my friend, Alcee Hastings, for bringing this bill forward. Lena Horne lived in New York. In fact, a good friend of mine, a good personal friend of mine, lives in her old home now that's been landmarked and designated in Addisleigh Park, Queens, which is the heart of my district. So, Mr. Speaker, today I call on my colleagues to join me in voting in favor of H.R. 1815, to award the elegant, the beautiful Lena Horne the Congressional Medal of Honor for her outstanding accomplishments and her contributions to American culture and society. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. MEEKS. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Hastings) such time as he may consume.

Mr. MEEKS. Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. MEEKS

Mr. MEEKS. Madam Speaker, I am here this evening to thank God for the life of Donald Payne--to thank God for a man who was focused, for a man who was a trailblazer, for a man who when he came to Congress knew what he wanted to do. People sometimes do not know what their purposes are in life. Sometimes folks get here, and they wander all of their lives to find that purpose. Donald Payne knew what his purpose was. He fought and was determined to get to this House of Representatives so that he could make a difference in so many lives. Once he came here, he never changed his focus, and he never changed his purpose. He knew that he wanted to deal on the international scale. He knew he wanted to take care of the people of Newark, and he knew he was focused on education. So when he had the opportunity to go on the powerful Appropriations Committee, he was so focused on what his mission was that he said ``no'' to Appropriations and stayed on Foreign Affairs and stayed on Education because that is what he wanted to do. He paved the way for someone like me so that, when I came to Congress, I looked to him. It wasn't popular to be on Foreign Affairs when Donald came. Donald did what he knew his purpose was. So I want to just say, thank you, Donald Payne. Thank you for your work and for your mission and for paving the way for someone like me so that I now don't have to have a machete to cut away the grass. You've done it for us. Thank you, staff. Thank you, family. Thank You, God, for sending us Donald Payne. I can see You now just saying to him, Well done. Job well done, my good and faithful son. (Ms. McCOLLUM asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 minute.)

Mr. MEEKS

Mr. MEEKS. Mr. Speaker, thank you for the opportunity to speak in support of the ``New York City Natural Gas Supply Enhancement Act'' (H.R. 2606). This bipartisan legislation will authorize the Secretary of Interior to allow the construction and operation of natural gas pipeline facilities in the New York portion of the Gateway National Recreation Area. My southeastern Queens district includes part of the Gateway National Recreation Area near Kennedy Airport, including the Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge. I have long supported efforts to improve the environment in and around Gateway as well as to enhance Gateway's facilities. I join with Congressman Grimm and Congressman Turner in thanking Resources Chairman Hastings, Ranking Member Markey, Subcommittee Chair Bishop and Ranking Member Grijalva and their staffs for their help in moving our bill through their committee to the floor. I also thank the National Park Service for its work to strengthen the legislation as well as for its efforts over the years to improve Gateway and its historic Floyd Bennett Field. Also deserving our appreciation are Governor Cuomo, New York Deputy Secretary for Energy Congdon, Mayor Bloomberg, Deputy Mayor Holloway, the Floyd Bennett Field Blue Ribbon Panel, the National Parks Conservation Association, the Regional Plan Association, and countless other individuals and organizations in New York for their work and collaboration in support of Gateway. The natural gas pipeline system serving Queens, Brooklyn and Staten Island is 40 to 60 years old. While adequate for the demand at the time, the system no longer has the capacity for the approximately 5.2 million residents of these three boroughs. Simply put, we need new natural gas infrastructure to meet our existing and growing needs, and H.R. 2606 is necessary to get us there. Robert Yaro, the President of the Regional Plan Association, summed it up in August 22, 2011 letter to me in support of our bill. He stated that H.R. 2606 will expand the supply of natural gas in New York City, help support economic development, improve public health by increasing air quality, and provide needed financial support for restoration of one of Floyd Bennett Field's historically significant airplane hangars. Mr. Speaker, H.R. 2606 is a win all around.

Mr. MEEKS

Mr. MEEKS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak on H. Res. 306, urging the Republic of Turkey to safeguard its Christian heritage and to return confiscated church properties. I believe that it is important for Secretary Clinton to discuss issues of religious freedom and equality with her Turkish counterparts, but I regret that Congress often fails to acknowledge the rapidly developing situation in Turkey, where the relationship between religion and state is evolving in positive and dynamic ways. As a devout Christian and American, I believe that all religions should be treated equally, with dignity and respect, both here in the United States and abroad, and as such, I wish the resolution before us today would have offered a more balanced perspective, acknowledging the positive steps taken by the Turkish government. Turkey is home to many faiths, and I believe that Turks take questions and concerns about religious freedom and equality very seriously. Turks are no strangers to religious restrictions, discrimination and prejudice, which confront many of their communities abroad. I would like to commend the government of Turkey for its recent reform of The Law on Foundations, which enables the return of or compensation for immovable properties significant to religious minority communities. Congress should also acknowledge that Turkey has preserved or restored many sites of importance to religious minorities in recent years, and we should encourage the continuation of this important work. I applaud the Turkish government for easing restrictions on the Greek Orthodox community and the Ecumenical Patriarch, initiatives that have been welcomed by the Hellenic communities in Turkey and the United States and improved relations between Turkey and Greece. In another example of forward movement that Congress has yet to recognize, the Armenian Orthodox Patriarch led worship services in the historic Armenian church on Akhtamar Island near Van for the first time since World War I, attended by thousands of pilgrims from Turkey and abroad. Congress should welcome Prime Minister Erdogan's commitment to return property to religious minority communities and recognize Turkey's status as a majority Muslim, democratic, secular state where all religions are equal. The latest International Religious Freedom Report published by the State Department lists areas where the Turkish government has made significant advances, while calling for improvements in areas such as the reopening of the Halki Seminary on the island of Heybeli. Further improvement is always possible, and as Turkey moves forward with constitutional reform efforts, I am confident that this process will recognize religious freedom, equality and plurality as universal values that should be upheld in every corner of the world.

Mr. MEEKS

Mr. MEEKS. I yield 1 minute to the gentlelady from the great State of New York, Carolyn Maloney. (Mrs. MALONEY asked and was given permission to revise and extend her remarks.)

Mr. MEEKS. Mr. Speaker, I object to the vote on the ground that a quorum is not present and make the point of order that a quorum is not present.

Mr. MEEKS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time. Being a New Yorker, I still, to this day, as I walk the streets of downtown Manhattan, cannot believe that the Twin Towers are not there. I taught my daughters how to navigate the streets of New York looking up at those towers as some look up to see the North Star. I will never really, in my heart, conceive of the towers not being there, even as we build this great memorial. But when I think about the families, how they must feel--if I just utilized them as a tool for my daughters and they're gone--but when you think about the families whose loved ones are gone, we have to do everything in our power so they know that we will always be thinking of the ones that are not able to have dinner with them this evening. These coins--when tourists come to visit the various sites or when individuals want to purchase them for the commemorative event so they can always remember these heroes--are a symbol of the United States House of Representatives and Congress that in these kinds of times we do come together and we will work together in a bipartisan manner to salute Americans and others, because some lost their lives who were not American citizens, that we shall never forget. And we thank them for their courage, we thank them for their heroism, and we thank the families for the sacrifices that they have made as a result of not having those loved ones. Let me also thank my colleagues and Mr. Shuster for introducing this bill and working collectively together in a spirit of being Americans. I thank my colleagues on the other side of the aisle. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. MEEKS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. This year represents the 10th year since our country was attacked by terrorists and it forever changed our Nation. The events that took place on September 11, 2001, will be forever embedded into every American soul. I, being a New Yorker, on that day can recall with vivid memory that I was in the city because it was an Election Day in New York, a beautiful day in New York, and being pulled to the television by some individuals that our Nation was under attack. I could then look out from the venue where I was and literally see the two towers. Then getting on the phone to talk to individuals, many and some of whom were racing to the scene of the tragedy--not racing from it. Our first responders were racing to it because they wanted to help their fellow human beings. These were heroes, indeed, and we use the word ``heroes'' sometimes as a manner of course. But if you want to talk about a heroic act, when and in the time of crisis, individuals willing to put their own lives on the line to help a fellow human being, I tell you, the first responders, the officers, the emergency workers and others indeed are truly American heroes. When you think about what took place, what must have taken place on that fateful day, for the passengers and the crew of the United Airlines Flight 93, think about what they must have gone through knowing that there had been planes already attacking our Nation, but yet they made a decision to sacrifice their lives and to make sure that the plane would go down so that no one, no other lives would be destroyed. That is the true meaning of a hero. Think about the government employees, both local and the United States Government, who responded to the attack on the Pentagon in Washington, D.C., who took courageous steps to protect fellow Americans. They were heroes. And that is why on this 10th anniversary, H.R. 3421, where we would have three coins to commemorate those heroes, those sheroes of the day that the United States of America was attacked by terrorists, is a way that we can come together and say we shall never forget, and we shall honor those individuals who left their families because of a vicious act but also in attempting to save many other American lives. And so, Mr. Speaker, I say that I thank all of the 328 cosponsors who united together to say to those heroes, we shall never forget you, we shall never stop thanking you, we will always, always hold your name up high, and these coins are the commemoratives of those acts so that children yet unborn will know of your heroic acts, and they shall never ever perish from the minds of an American citizen, whether they are here today or whether they will be born tomorrow. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. MEEKS

Mr. MEEKS. Mr. Speaker, as we close, it is important for us to remember the history of our great country. And by celebrating the 225th anniversary of the United States Marshals Service, that's exactly what we're doing. By creating this museum for the preservation and the maintenance and the display of artifacts and documents--and it is important--the money, the first $5 million in surcharge proceeds, will do just that. But the money that's additionally raised will be utilized for great purposes. The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children will be beneficiaries, and the Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association Foundation will be beneficiaries, and the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund will be beneficiaries. And they would have to raise matching funds for a coin that is sold. These coins are for sale. So we will be able to commemorate the United States Marshals and the service that they have rendered to this country, and in addition thereto be able to support three much-needed organizations for individuals who really need the support of those three organizations. So I ask all of my colleagues to join us on H.R. 886, the United States Marshals Service 225th Anniversary Commemorative Coin Act, and vote ``aye.'' I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. MEEKS. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Arkansas (Mr. Ross).

Mr. MEEKS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I am proud to support H.R. 886, the United States Marshals Service 225th Anniversary Commemorative Coin Act. This bill honors our Nation's oldest Federal law enforcement agency and requires the Secretary of the Treasury to mint three different coins to celebrate the Marshals' 225th anniversary. The first President of the United States of America, George Washington, had the privilege of nominating the first 13 marshals, who were then confirmed by the Senate. Since those days of the early Republic, the Marshals have continued their brave service to the Nation. Among the duties the Marshals have undertaken include combating counterfeiting from 1789 to 1865, when the Secret Service was established; conducting the national census, from 1790 to 1879; and confiscating property used by the Confederacy during the Civil War. Today, there is a U.S. Marshal in each of the 94 Federal districts, protecting the legal system. As a former prosecutor, I can attest to the importance that marshals play in our judiciary system. U.S. marshals, among their other duties, protect the Federal judiciary, allowing our country to maintain a system of fairness and integrity. They also protect witnesses and jurors, enabling citizens to engage in a high duty of serving their communities. The U.S. Marshals have so many great accomplishments. But one that's of special consideration for me, as a young child, one of the greatest accomplishments that I can recall is doing their service during the civil rights era, when the rule of law was under threat in the South. When riots broke out over the enrollment of James Meredith, a young African American student at Ole Miss, it was the U.S. Marshals Service that protected him with a 24-hour detail for an entire year. One cannot underestimate the role they played in helping desegregate the South and promoting our great Nation to the point where we are today to where even in fact the 44th President of the United States of America is an African American. So I am pleased to pay tribute to the Marshals Service by supporting this act, and I urge my colleagues to do the same. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. MEEKS. Mr. Speaker, I object to the vote on the ground that a quorum is not present and make the point of order that a quorum is not present.

Mr. MEEKS

Mr. MEEKS. Mr. Speaker, I ask that the House of Representatives recognize the Affirmation of Dr. John Haywood Boyd, Sr. as an Apostle of the New Greater Bethel Ministries, located in Cambria Heights and Queens Village with the Sixth Congressional District of New York. Dr. Boyd is a well-known and much-admired figure in clerical and civic circles in southeast Queens. He began his ministry in 1972 in a small canvas tent at the intersection of Francis Lewis and Linden Boulevards in Cambria Heights. From that site New Greater Bethel Ministries grew in number, influence, and impact, having established a food pantry and soup kitchen which fed hundreds of homeless individuals and families. Under Pastor Boyd's guidance, New Greater Bethel Ministries established a prison ministry to tend to the spiritual needs of incarcerated men and women. Pastor Boyd himself did outstanding work with the Inmate Community Improvement Program for which he received a certificate of recognition from the superintendent of the Queensboro Correctional Facility. In 1993, the New Greater Bethel Ministries expanded with the addition of a location on Jamaica Avenue in Queens Village. Where rundown structures once stood, Dr. Boyd built a 1500 seat worship and community service facility, complete with a Christian Literature and Media Center, a digital recording studio, a television studio, and a drama center. Later, Dr. Boyd opened the K-12 Bethel Christian Learning Academy and the New Greater Bethel Bible Institute. Despite episodes of illness and having now reached 85 years of age, Dr. Boyd still provides dynamic leadership to New Greater Bethel Ministries, ensuring that the church to which he had devoted his life continues to minister to the spiritual and material needs of several thousand members of its congregation as well as thousands of residents in the surrounding communities. Dr. Boyd studied at the Manhattan Bible Institute and earned his doctor of divinity from the United Christian College of New York. Over the course of his ministry he has received numerous award commendations from federal, state, and municipal elected officials, clergy, religious organizations, and community groups. He has been named ``Man of the Year'' by The New York Christian Times. Dr. Boyd has been married to his wife, Mother Margie Boyd, for over 60 years. He has six children and numerous grandchildren and great grandchildren. On December 10, 2011, over 1,000 congregants, community residents, and guests attended the ceremony at which Dr. John Haywood Boyd, Sr. was affirmed as an Apostle of the New Greater Bethel Ministries.