SESSION INTRODUCEDENROLLED 24107529DSENATE IRESOLUTION SENAOfferedNO. February 26, 2024 N Celebrating the life of Mary L.

88 E Celebrating the life of Mary L.

––––––––––N TR Patron––LockeAgreed Rto ––––––––––by Othe Senate, February 29, 2024 WHEREAS, Mary L.

Woodhouse, a trailblazing religious leader in Chesapeake who enhanced local O life through her commitment to service, died on December 30, 2023;

and DL herWHEREAS, firstguided sermonby inher 1964,deep thenand wasabiding ordainedfaith asthroughout aher ministerlife, inMary JanuaryWoodhouse 1965preached andL began holding worship services in her home under the name Church of Christ Prayer Mission;

and5 and began holding worship E WHEREAS, on May 15, 1966, Mary Woodhouse officially established Philippians Church of ChristCChrist Holy Disciples in the Berkley neighborhood of Norfolk;

after seven years the congregation movedEtomoved ato smallaD storefrontsmaWHEREAS, locationunder onMary LibertyWoodhouse's Streetleadership, Philippians Church of Christ Holy Disciples continued to grow over the next two decades, and in Chesapeake;the 1980s, she initiated a process to build a permanent home for the congregation;

and WHEREAS,Street underin Mary1995; Woodhouse's leadership, Philippians Church of Christ Holy Disciples D permanent home for the congregation;

anddes,Mary andWoodhouse inwas theone 1980s,of shethe initiatedfirst afemale processpastors to buildinitiate the construction of a WHEREAS,new Philippianschurch Churchin ofthe Christregion Holyand Disciplesthe openedfirst atfemale itspastor currentto locationoversee onthe Libertycompletion Streetand opening of a new S church in 1995;Chesapeake;

and 8 WHEREAS, Mary Woodhouse was onean exemplar of theservant-leadership firstand femalesupported pastorsgenerous toE initiateChesapeake theHumane constructionSociety, ofChesapeake aBranch newof church in the regionNAACP, andUrban theLeague firstof femaleHampton pastorRoads, toand overseeR the completionNational andAssociation openingfor ofFemale aExecutives; new church in Chesapeake;

and WHEREAS, Maryamong Woodhousemany wasawards anand exemplaraccolades offor servant-leadershipher personal and supportedprofessional generousachievements, ChesapeakeSeminary Humaneand Society,several Chesapeakecertificates Branch of theappreciation NAACP,from Urbanthe LeagueChesapeake ofJuvenile Hampton Roads, and RDomestic theRelations NationalDistrict AssociationCourt; for Female Executives;

and 8 WHEREAS, amongpredeceased manyby awards and accolades for her personalhusband andof professional69 achievements,years, Thomas, Mary Woodhouse receivedwill anbe honoraryfondly doctorate from Providence Bible College and Theologicaltheir Seminaryfamilies; and several certificates of appreciation from the Chesapeake Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court;

and remembered and greatly missed by her children, Reginald, Mary, Gwendolyn, Deborah, and Thomas, and their families;

now, therefore, be itithomas, RESOLVED, That the Senate of Virginia hereby note with great sadness the loss of Mary L.

Woodhouse, a highly admired spiritual leader who made many contributions to the Chesapeake 34comRESOLVED community;FURTHER, That the Clerk of the Senate prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to the family of Mary L.

and,Woodhouse beas itan 35expression RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the Senate prepare a copy of thisVirginia's resolutionrespect for 37 for her memory.

the family of Mary L.

Woodhouse as an expression of the Senate of Virginia's respect 2