A house RESOLUTION

 

TO COMMEND PASTOR MICHAEL R. CANNON UPON HIS INSTALLATION AS PASTOR OF CHERRY GROVE MISSIONARY BAPTIST CHURCH IN DARLINGTON AND to extend heartfelt congratulations to him on this significant milestone of conducting his recent installation service.

 

Whereas, the South Carolina House of Representatives is pleased to recognize Pastor Michael R. Cannon on the occasion of his installation as the new pastor of Cherry Grove Missionary Baptist Church in Darlington and to recognize his dedicated service to faith and community.

 

Whereas, reared in Greenwood, he is the fourth of five children born to the late Roscoe Cannon Sr. and Virginia Wilson Cannon. He grew up in a loving home with siblings Jacquline, Roscoe Jr., Ronny, and Dexter; and

 

Whereas, in preparation for a career of service, Pastor Cannon earned a bachelor's degree in business administration and management from South Carolina State University in 1991 and a master's degree in human resource development in 2002; and

 

Whereas, he furthered his studies for ministry with a Master of Divinity in theology and religious studies from Shaw University's School of Divinity in Raleigh, North Carolina, and he has accumulated one thousand six hundred hours in post graduate studies of training in clinical pastoral education from the school of Pastoral Supervision and Psychotherapy; and

 

Whereas, he has served in ministry for twenty years with nineteen years as the pastor of Piney Grove Missionary Baptist Church, and he has recently begun serving as the senior pastor of Cherry Grove Missionary Baptist Church in Darlington; and

 

Whereas, Pastor Cannon currently serves as a regional clinical chaplain with the South Carolina Department of Corrections where he oversees the chaplaincy services in the institutions. He has also served as senior clinical chaplain III at Kirkland Reception and Evaluation Center in Columbia, senior clinical chaplain at Evans Correctional Institution in Bennettsville, and chaplain at Lee Correctional Institution in Bishopville; and

 

Whereas, Pastor Cannon has served as a group facilitator for batterers' treatment of domestic violence through the Pee Dee Coalition's Alternative to Violence program. He has also served as a substance abuse counselor for Innovative Solutions in Columbia. He currently serves in the South Carolina Baptist Educational and Missionary Convention to oversee the convention's prison ministry; and

 

Whereas, his passion to serve as a chaplain in corrections began as a youth choir member at the Second Mt. Moriah Baptist Church in Greenwood, where the youth choir would participate in prison ministry by singing at the detention center. In 2006, he was blessed with the opportunity to serve as Chaplain for the South Carolina Department of Corrections; and

 

Whereas, Chaplain Cannon has two fine daughters who inspire him in his ministry, and his other source of inspiration is from the words of the late Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., "Life's most persistent and urgent question is: What are you doing for others? Everybody can be great because everybody can serve." Now, therefore,

 

Be it resolved by the House of Representatives:

 

That the members of the South Carolina House of Representatives, by this resolution, commend Pastor Michael R. Cannon upon his installation as pastor of Cherry Grove Missionary Baptist Church in Darlington and to extend heartfelt congratulations to him on this significant milestone of conducting his recent installation service.

 

Be it further resolved that a copy of this resolution be presented to Pastor Michael R. Cannon.

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