Read the full stored bill text
Commending the Reverend Dr. James Edwards III.
Agreed to by the House of Delegates, March 11, 2026
WHEREAS, the Reverend Dr. James Edwards III, a decorated veteran, devoted faith leader, and trusted advocate for communities throughout the Hampton Roads Region, was inducted into the Army ROTC Hall of Fame for his lifelong commitment to servant leadership; and
WHEREAS, after participating in a United States Army Reserve Officers' Training Corps program, James Edwards was commissioned as an infantry officer in the United States Army and deployed to Vietnam; and
WHEREAS, demonstrating courage, honor, and integrity, James Edwards earned two Bronze Star Medals, two Purple Heart Medals, and the Combat Infantryman Badge during his active-duty military service; and
WHEREAS, James Edwards has continued to serve and support his fellow veterans as a life member of Vietnam Veterans of America and the Military Order of the Purple Heart; and
WHEREAS, after his honorable military service, James Edwards dedicated 50 years to the ministry, first as pastor of what was then known as New Rose of Sharon Missionary Baptist Church in Chesapeake; he ultimately returned to his home church, the historic First Baptist Church of Norfolk on Bute Street, as church administrator; and
WHEREAS, James Edwards has been an inspirational voice in Christian education, serving as a teacher at the Norfolk Extension of the Richmond Virginia Seminary and the Samuel DeWitt Proctor School of Theology of Virginia Union University; and
WHEREAS, James Edwards is a prolific author who co-wrote
Then There Were Three: Wake Up to the Ministry Call
, with his wife, the Reverend Dee Edwards, and their daughter, the Reverend Dr. Donita Edwards; and
WHEREAS, James and Dee Edwards have also led countless revivals, Christian education seminars, and marriage enrichment workshops that have touched the lives of believers throughout the nation; and
WHEREAS, over the course of his career, James Edwards has received an array of awards and accolades for his personal and professional achievements in service to others; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, That the Reverend Dr. James Edwards III, a pillar of the community in the Hampton Roads Region, hereby be commended on his induction into the Army ROTC Hall of Fame; and, be it
RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to the Reverend Dr. James Edwards III as an expression of the House of Delegates' admiration for his legacy of service to the Hampton Roads Region, the Commonwealth, and the nation.