Charles Johnson, a UCG member in the Kansas City, Kansas, congregation, learned recently that the development plan he and his committee proposed to the Kansas legislature passed both houses with only one dissenting vote. Mr. Johnson, a member of the Miami County Economic Development Board in Osawatomie, Kansas, brainstormed and spearheaded the project.

The Osawatomie Graphic newspaper reported that the work on the proposal began in earnest a year ago. A task force worked with engineers to come up with a comprehensive proposal outlining how the community could develop businesses and housing in the area, which includes 4,500 acres.

The proposal is based on developing "mini-enterprise zones," which the plan says would include "anywhere from several hundred to several thousand acres" established by "clusters of economically progressive communities." The zones would be close to other enterprise areas and could be served by a community's infrastructure. A percentage of 386 acres surplus land within the city limits would be reserved to develop industry, ranging from bioscience research to public-service facilities.

Mr. Johnson, Osawatomie Economic Development Committee member Lois Young and Miami County Economic Development Director Sandy Allison make up the Eastern Kansas Economic Initiative committee, which developed the proposal.

Charles Johnson has been a member of God's Church for over 30 years, working for the Church in the 1960s and later developing businesses in Phoenix, Arizona. He moved to the Kansas City area eight years ago. Along with his work with his local community, he states he is a "stay-at-home mom" taking care of his daughter. Charles, along with his son, Ryan, and daughter, Kelsey, attend in Kansas City. Church members were surprised to hear about his project, as he never boasts about his successes.