A JOINT RESOLUTION honoring the life and memory of alan preston neely, minister and community leader.

Whereas, Alan Preston Neely, the son of Arthur Preston Neely and Effie Sargent Neely, was born November 3, 1928, in Little Rock, Arkansas, and was raised in Fort Worth, Texas; and
Whereas, Alan Neely earned a degree in English from Baylor University in Waco, Texas; a doctorate degree in Philosophy of Religion from the Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas; and a doctorate degree in Latin American Studies from American University in Washington, D.C.; and
Whereas, early in his career, Alan Neely served as a pastor in churches in Texas, Virginia, and Colorado; and
Whereas, in 1963, Alan Neely and his wife, Virginia, were appointed missionary teachers by the Southern Baptist Convention to the International Baptist Theological Seminary in Cali, Colombia, South America; and
Whereas, during his stay in South America, Alan Neely interacted with people of diverse faiths and cultures and developed a passion for bringing together people of different religions, which he continued throughout his life; and
Whereas, Alan Neely served as a professor of missions at the Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary in Wake Forest, North Carolina, from 1976 to 1988; and
Whereas, Alan Neely taught ecumenics and missions at the Princeton Theological Seminary from 1988 until his retirement in 1996; and
Whereas, upon his retirement, Alan Neely moved to the City of Raleigh, where he became active in a number of community organizations and found time to write and teach; and
Whereas, Alan Neely was dedicated to the Baptist tradition and was one of the founders of the Alliance of Baptists, a national organization of progressive Baptists; and
Whereas, Alan Neely served as President of the Interfaith Alliance of Wake County for five years and was later named president emeritus; and
Whereas, Alan Neely was a founding board member of the North Carolina Martin Luther King Resource Center and was later named member emeritus; and
Whereas, Alan Neely was active in the Pullen Memorial Baptist Church, serving as a Sunday school teacher; and
Whereas, Alan Neely was well respected by his peers and members of his community; and
Whereas, Alan Neely died on May 14, 2003; and
Whereas, Alan Neely is survived by his wife Virginia Garrett Neely; two daughters, Jennifer Neely Wilkins and Elizabeth Neely Forsythe; a son, Roger Alan Neely; and four grandchildren; Now, therefore,

Be it resolved by the House of Representatives, the Senate concurring:

SECTION 1.  The General Assembly honors the life and memory of Alan Preston Neely and expresses the appreciation of this State and its citizens for the service he rendered.
SECTION 2.  The General Assembly expresses its deepest sympathy to the family and friends of Alan Preston Neely for the loss of a beloved family member.
SECTION 3.  The Secretary of State shall transmit a certified copy of this resolution to the family of Alan Preston Neely.
SECTION 4.  This resolution is effective upon ratification.
In the General Assembly read three times and ratified this the 18th day of July, 2003.

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		 Beverly E. Perdue
	 President of the Senate

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		 Richard T. Morgan
	 Speaker of the House of Representatives