MEMORIAL RESOLUTION FOR BOARD MEETING OF JANUARY 8, 2026
Title
MEMORIAL RESOLUTION sponsored by the Board of Commissioners celebrating the life of Bishop Dr. Claude Porter
Body
WHEREAS, Bishop Dr. Claude Porter was born on January 21, 1937, in Memphis, Tennessee; and
WHEREAS, Bishop Dr. Porter began his ministry journey in 1960 at the Greater White Stone Missionary Baptist Church in Memphis, before moving to Chicago that same year. By 1965, he was ordained and serving as assistant pastor at Greater Progressive Missionary Baptist Church. In 1972, Bishop Dr. Porter founded and became pastor of Proviso Missionary Baptist Church in Maywood, Illinois, and in 2005 he was consecrated and installed as bishop; and
WHEREAS, since 1968, Bishop Dr. Porter was a community organizer, first through Uplift Community Service Center and then through the Proviso-Leyden Council for Community Action, Inc. (PLCCA), which he founded and became President and CEO of in 1975. PLCCA has since grown into a major regional provider of social services, including workforce development, youth programming, and housing and energy assistance; and
WHEREAS, Bishop Dr. Porter also founded and chaired the Proviso Township Ministerial Alliance Network (PTMAN), an affiliate of the International Ministerial Alliance Network, which he helped build into a coordinating body for faith leaders across Proviso Township. In 2016, Bishop Dr. Porter retired from Proviso Missionary Baptist Church after 44 years, assuming the title of Founder and Overseer; and
WHEREAS, Bishop Dr. Porter passed away on December 30, 2025. He was married to Earnestine Porter. Together they had three children and eight grandchildren; and
WHEREAS, in recognition of Bishop Dr. Porter’s hard work and dedication to bettering his community, Governor J.B. Pritzker declared September 14, 2025 as Bishop Dr. Claude Porter and Lady Bishop Earnestine Porter Day; and
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that we, the Board of Commissioners of the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago, on behalf of ourselves and our staff, do hereby extend our condolences to the family of Bishop Dr. Claude Porter; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that this Resolution be spread upon the permanent Record of Proceedings of the Board of Commissioners of the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago and that a copy of same, suitably engrossed, be presented to the family of Bishop Dr. Claude Porter.
Dated: January 8, 2026