IN HONOR OF BISHOP ANN L. HARDMAN
April 1, 2020
Mr. BISHOP of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, it is with a heavy heart and
solemn remembrance that I rise today to honor a dynamic woman of faith,
dedicated wife, magnificent mother, loving grandmother, trailblazer,
prolific author, skilled entrepreneur, public official, mentor to many
and friend of longstanding to my wife Vivian and me, Bishop Ann
Hardman. Sadly, Pastor Hardman passed away on Monday, March 19, 2018. A
celebration of her life will be held on Saturday, March 24, 2018, at
11:00 am at the Bill Heard Theatre inside the River Center for
Performing Arts in Uptown Columbus, Georgia.
solemn remembrance that I rise today to honor a dynamic woman of faith,
dedicated wife, magnificent mother, loving grandmother, trailblazer,
prolific author, skilled entrepreneur, public official, mentor to many
and friend of longstanding to my wife Vivian and me, Bishop Ann
Hardman. Sadly, Pastor Hardman passed away on Monday, March 19, 2018. A
celebration of her life will be held on Saturday, March 24, 2018, at
11:00 am at the Bill Heard Theatre inside the River Center for
Performing Arts in Uptown Columbus, Georgia.
Bishop Hardman was born in Asheville, North Carolina on March 30,
1957. After graduating from Asheville High School, she earned her
associates degree in secretarial and administrative studies from St.
Genevieve of The Pines in Asheville, North Carolina; a degree in
theology studies at Christian Life School of Theology in Columbus,
Georgia; a doctorate from Kingdom Truth University in Jacksonville,
Florida; and received honorary doctorates in theology/divinity from St.
Thomas Christian College in Jacksonville, Florida and Beacon University
in Columbus, Georgia.
1957. After graduating from Asheville High School, she earned her
associates degree in secretarial and administrative studies from St.
Genevieve of The Pines in Asheville, North Carolina; a degree in
theology studies at Christian Life School of Theology in Columbus,
Georgia; a doctorate from Kingdom Truth University in Jacksonville,
Florida; and received honorary doctorates in theology/divinity from St.
Thomas Christian College in Jacksonville, Florida and Beacon University
in Columbus, Georgia.
Bishop Hardman received many callings in her life, all of which were
centered on helping people. She worked in customer service for more
than 10 years as a Finance and Loan Officer at SouthTrust Bank, before
becoming a Human Resources Clerk at Columbus Foundries, and a Financial
Clerk at Pratt and Whitney.
centered on helping people. She worked in customer service for more
than 10 years as a Finance and Loan Officer at SouthTrust Bank, before
becoming a Human Resources Clerk at Columbus Foundries, and a Financial
Clerk at Pratt and Whitney.
She received her most important and consequential calling as a
minister of gospel when she was 16 years old because of the influence
of the woman who raised her, her grandmother. Her journey led her to
Fourth Street Baptist Church in Columbus, Georgia, where I first met
her as members of the choir. She had to fight to preach the gospel
because of unfortunate biases as it related to women in the pulpit.
But, she powered through this to make her unforgettable mark on the
ministry thus paving the way for other woman of the gospel to make
their own marks.
minister of gospel when she was 16 years old because of the influence
of the woman who raised her, her grandmother. Her journey led her to
Fourth Street Baptist Church in Columbus, Georgia, where I first met
her as members of the choir. She had to fight to preach the gospel
because of unfortunate biases as it related to women in the pulpit.
But, she powered through this to make her unforgettable mark on the
ministry thus paving the way for other woman of the gospel to make
their own marks.
In 1993, she began her ministry in Columbus by preaching to a handful
of people in her living room. With a vision from God, that handful of
people morphed into the congregation of the Faith Worship Center
International in Columbus and River of Life International in Asheville,
North Carolina. But, her ministry could not be contained in just
Columbus and Asheville as she also founded Ann Hardman Ministries, Inc.
to expand her reach globally and touch thousands of souls through ministry. She was a humble and
benevolent evangelist who trained countless others in service to God.
of people in her living room. With a vision from God, that handful of
people morphed into the congregation of the Faith Worship Center
International in Columbus and River of Life International in Asheville,
North Carolina. But, her ministry could not be contained in just
Columbus and Asheville as she also founded Ann Hardman Ministries, Inc.
to expand her reach globally and touch thousands of souls through ministry. She was a humble and
benevolent evangelist who trained countless others in service to God.
In 2016, she received yet another calling as she was drafted by the
people to run for the office of the Clerk of Superior Court of Muscogee
County. And to no one's surprise, she was successful. She was well on
her way to transforming the operations of the Superior Court serving in
her first term.
people to run for the office of the Clerk of Superior Court of Muscogee
County. And to no one's surprise, she was successful. She was well on
her way to transforming the operations of the Superior Court serving in
her first term.
Former Congresswoman Shirley Chisholm once said, ``If they don't give
you a seat at the table, bring a folding chair.'' Her motto was: I am
because He is; I can because He did, and I will because He makes it
possible.'' We are so blessed that Bishop Ann Hardman demanded her seat
at the table and gave all of the glory to God as she carried out his
purpose for her life.
you a seat at the table, bring a folding chair.'' Her motto was: I am
because He is; I can because He did, and I will because He makes it
possible.'' We are so blessed that Bishop Ann Hardman demanded her seat
at the table and gave all of the glory to God as she carried out his
purpose for her life.
Bishop Hardman accomplished many things in her life but none of these
would have been possible without the grace of God and the love and
support of her husband, Bishop Norman Hardman; their children, their
grandchildren, and the unheralded others who positively impacted her
life.
would have been possible without the grace of God and the love and
support of her husband, Bishop Norman Hardman; their children, their
grandchildren, and the unheralded others who positively impacted her
life.
Mr. Speaker, my wife Vivian and I, along with the more than 730,000
people in the Second Congressional District of Georgia would like to
extend our deepest sympathies to Bishop Hardman's family and friends. I
would also like to extend my condolences to the members of the Faith
Worship Center International, Rivers of Life International, and the
employees of the Muscogee County Superior Court Clerk's Office. May
they all be consoled and comforted by their abiding faith and the Holy
Spirit in the days, weeks and months ahead.
people in the Second Congressional District of Georgia would like to
extend our deepest sympathies to Bishop Hardman's family and friends. I
would also like to extend my condolences to the members of the Faith
Worship Center International, Rivers of Life International, and the
employees of the Muscogee County Superior Court Clerk's Office. May
they all be consoled and comforted by their abiding faith and the Holy
Spirit in the days, weeks and months ahead.