Special Appreciation:
Mayor Tom Leppert
Mayoral Support Led to Coalition Forming Justice Revival
Mayor Tom Leppert leaves a powerful footprint that every future mayor should model. When a group of city leaders met three years ago to find someone who could champion the cause for the suffering, bring every spiritual, business, non-profit, and political group to the table, and follow through with action, Tom Leppert was the only name mentioned.
The fact that he was considered by the city of Dallas leading authorities in every sector as their friend was profound.
When I met Tom prior to becoming mayor, over four and half years ago, it was on a South Dallas street, with a local African-American pastor. Theirs was a long time relationship built on respect, admiration and working together to change the plight of youth in the inner-city.
From that day forward, I was blessed to have Tom Leppert as a friend, prayer partner, and fellow advocate for the Greater Dallas Justice Revival. He supported our work in the inner city schools and used our Heart of a Champion character development program as part of mayoral outreach to students. He asked that I represent him with the Texas Hunger Initiative awareness campaign to end hunger by 2012.
He supported our outreach that provides 1,000 families a week with groceries, and through the Leppert Family Foundation supported our program to provide coats for hundreds of students. He was an encourager in the launch of the Homes for Our Neighbors campaign and asking us to sit at the table with Dallas Housing Authority and local communities, where we provided church support for the formerly homeless.
He walked the talk of his faith within all areas of our city, even with those who might be in opposition to his policies or political philosophy. More importantly, he purposely went out of his way out to make those who have been shunned by the faith community, to feel loved by God.
Mayor Leppert’s mayoral proclamation in the fall of 2009 that called the city to repentance for injustice, for the faith community to lead in reconciliation and healing of the wounded, has led many areas of our city to be revived (revival). This occurred because he put action behind his words. We will miss Tom Leppert, as our mayor, friend and advocate whose tenure as mayor began a process proclaimed by the prophet Isaiah: “they will rebuild the old ruins and raise up a new city.”
We as a movement must now go forward selecting public officials who also put Isaiah 61 into practice. We have been blessed to have a mayor who modeled statesmanship and humility, and who would be the first to exhort us to follow, not his, but the footprints of Jesus.
To see mayoral proclamation: Click here.