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April 9, 2026
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Download official Extensions PDFReturn to issue contextCOMMENDING PASTOR RAYMOND COCHRAN ON HIS RETIREMENT FROM PASTORAL
MINISTRY
HON. SANFORD D. BISHOP, JR.
of georgia
in the house of representatives
Thursday, April 9, 2026
Mr. BISHOP. Mr. Speaker, I rise today with a full heart to honor a man whose life has been a sermon in motion—Pastor Raymond Cochran—on the sacred occasion of his retirement after a lifetime of faithful service. A retirement celebration will be held on Saturday,
April 11, 2026, at the Saint Luke Ministry Center in Columbus, Georgia.
Cochran answered the call of Christ at age seven when he joined Ebenezer Missionary Baptist Church in Salem, Alabama. From that humble beginning grew a pastoral journey marked by steadfast devotion and selfless care. Pastor Cochran served congregations across Alabama and Georgia—including Hopewell Baptist Church (Roanoke, Alabama), Rising Grove Baptist Church (LaGrange, Georgia), Springhill Missionary Baptist Church (Lineville, Alabama), Mt. Lovely Baptist Church (Camphill, Alabama), Friendship Baptist Church (Fairfax, Alabama), Ebenezer Missionary Baptist Church (Salem, Alabama), and Poplar Springs Baptist Church (Lafayette, Alabama)—before answering a long and faithful call at Franchise Missionary Baptist Church in Phenix City, Alabama, where he has shepherded the flock for 57 years.
Pastor Cochran's life is crowned by service and scholarship: he earned Bachelors and Masters of Bible Theology degrees from the International Institute and Seminary in Plymouth, Florida, and a Bachelor of Arts from Selma University. He was further honored with two honorary doctorates—in divinity and law—from Union Theological Seminary in Birmingham, Alabama. Those academic accolades only formalize what his ministry has demonstrated every day: wisdom shaped by study and sanctified by compassion.
His ministry is measured not by accolades alone but by lives remade. Communities rallied around his leadership; programs sustained families; grieving hearts found comfort; wayward youth found mentors; the isolated found belonging. His tireless efforts earned him many recognitions, including being named the 2018 Citizen of the Year and being listed among the 85 Most Influential Black Americans in the Columbus and Phenix City, Alabama area. In a permanent tribute to a life of impact, 10th Avenue in Phenix City, Alabama has been named in his honor.
make his legacy holy: the mother who regained hope after a prayer and a helping hand, the teenager whose life turned because someone refused to give up on him, the elderly neighbor who found companionship in the church he nurtured. These are the quiet miracles of a ministry lived close to the ground, up close to real pain and real joy.
family has been his steadfast companion. He and his beloved wife, Mary, together raised six daughters and two sons. Their family now includes nineteen grandchildren and four great-grandchildren—a living testament to generations shaped by faith, love, and service. We remember, too, the roots of his devotion in his parents, John and Lucille, who first planted the seeds of faith that would blossom into a lifetime of ministry.
a tenderness that has drawn men and women to tears of repentance and of relief, to hands clasped in prayer, to songs lifted in gratitude. As Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. reminded us, “Faith is taking the first step even when you don't see the whole staircase.” Pastor Cochran has been taking those steps his entire life, guiding countless others one courageous, faithful step at a time.
Mr. Speaker, as Pastor Cochran steps into retirement, we do not simply mark an ending; we celebrate a legacy. We give thanks for a life lived in the patient, persistent work of love. We honor Mary, his devoted partner; we honor his children, grandchildren, and great- grandchildren; and we honor the memory of John and Lucille Cochran, whose faith planted deep roots.
others. May his legacy continue to inspire those who follow. And may the many lives he has touched rise now to carry forward his work of compassion, restoration, and faith.
Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join my wife Vivian and me, along with the more than 765,000 people of Georgia's 2nd Congressional District and throughout the Chattahoochee River Valley Area in recognizing Pastor Raymond Cochran—pastor, husband, father, grandfather, great-grandfather, servant, and friend—and in expressing our deepest gratitude for a ministry that has changed a community and enriched countless souls. May God bless him and his family richly in this new season.