HONORING KEEP LOVE ALIVE CHURCH

On 2026-09-16, Representative Cleo Fields (D-LA-6) delivered a floor speech titled "HONORING KEEP LOVE ALIVE CHURCH" in the House.

HONORING KEEP LOVE ALIVE CHURCH

Congressional Record, Volume 172 Issue 146 (Wednesday, September 16, 2026) [Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 146 (Wednesday, September 16, 2026)] [Extensions of Remarks] [Page E940] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [ www.gpo.gov ] HONORING KEEP LOVE ALIVE CHURCH ______ HON. CLEO FIELDS of louisiana in the house of representatives Wednesday, September 16, 2026 Mr. FIELDS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Keep Love Alive Church, located in the Chapel of Oak Park Plaza retirement facility in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and to recognize the vital ministry it has provided to some of our community's most treasured, yet often overlooked, residents for the past 16 years. Since its founding in 2010, Keep Love Alive Church has ministered mostly to the elderly and retired, faithfully serving the residents of Oak Park Plaza and, by extension, one of the most neglected and underserved populations in Baton Rouge: those living in retirement facilities and nursing homes. For far too many residents of such facilities, opportunities for spiritual fellowship and worship can become increasingly difficult to access as age and mobility change their daily lives. Keep Love Alive Church was built to meet that need directly, bringing the Word of God, fellowship, and ministry to those who might otherwise be unable to receive it. From the very beginning, Reverend Michael Collins has served as Pastor of Keep Love Alive Church, and for 16 years he has answered God's calling to serve this population with faithfulness and joy. Pastor Collins is supported in this mission by two associate ministers, who work alongside him to ensure that the congregation's approximately twenty-five members receive the spiritual care, worship, and fellowship they deserve. It is evident that God placed upon Pastor Collins's heart and spirit a deep and abiding commitment to this ministry, and he continues to serve it not out of obligation, but with genuine happiness and responsiveness to his calling. The members of Keep Love Alive Church represent generations of faith, wisdom, and life experience, and this body should recognize that their contributions did not end upon entering a retirement facility. These are individuals who spent lifetimes raising families, building careers, serving their communities, and living out their faith long before Keep Love Alive Church ever came into existence. In their later years, they continue to embody that same faith, gathering in worship and fellowship as an active, living congregation rather than a forgotten population. Keep Love Alive Church honors that lifetime of faith simply by ensuring it does not go unrecognized or unattended in this later season of life. Ministries such as Keep Love Alive Church remind us that the elderly and retired members of our community are not a population to be set aside, but a population still very much in need of, and deserving of, active spiritual care, fellowship, and love. Through their steadfast presence at Oak Park Plaza, Pastor Collins, his associate ministers, and the congregation of Keep Love Alive Church have shown Baton Rouge what it truly means to keep love alive for those who may need it most. Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring Keep Love Alive Church, Pastor Michael Collins, and the congregation for 16 years of faithful ministry to the elderly and retired residents of Baton Rouge. May this ministry continue to be a source of comfort, dignity, and love for many years to come. ____________________