HR1076 94TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR1076 LRB094 19966 HSS 57359 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the House of Representatives of the State of Illinois are pleased to recognize the 100th anniversary of the founding of Bethany United Church of Christ in Freeport; and

WHEREAS, When people first moved to Freeport, they found themselves without a Reformed Church that spoke English; a Sunday School was started by C.G. Beaver, a seminary student, during the summer of 1906; they met in the Third Presbyterian Church in July of 1906; and

WHEREAS, On October 7, 1906, Rev. R. F. Schultz took up the work with the intention of establishing a church; Rev. C. M. Rohrbaugh became the new pastor in December, 1906, with a membership of 16 members with an average age over 65 years; and

WHEREAS, The corner of South Galena and South Carroll was purchased from the Barnes family in April, 1908, for the purpose of building a church facility; church membership in 1908 was 60 members; the ground breaking for the building was Easter Sunday, April 13, 1908; the building was erected during the summer of 1908, six months after ground breaking; and

WHEREAS, Two services were held in the early years of the church, one in the morning and one in the evening, and both sermons were different; the summer of 1940 saw the start of a summer exchange with St. John Church, with the pastor of Bethany preaching the month of August and St. John's pastor preaching the month of July; this summer exchange continued until 1978 with some variations; and

WHEREAS, The name was changed from First English Reformed to First English Evangelical & Reformed, and in January of 1958, it was changed to Bethany United Church of Christ; and

WHEREAS, Ground breaking for the Stephenson Street location was June 7, 1987; the stained glass windows depicting Christ as a child of 12 and as an adult were removed from the Carroll Street church and mounted on each side of the pulpit in the new Stephenson Street church with artificial lighting behind; the organ, four pulpit chairs, and the carillon were moved to the new location; and the communion table and pulpit were moved to be used in Fellowship Hall; and

WHEREAS, The last service at the Carroll and Galena location was held on February 12, 1989; the first service at the Stephenson Street location was held February 19, 1989, in Fellowship Hall even though it was not completed; the dedication for the new church on Stephenson Street was held on April 23, 1989; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-FOURTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we congratulate the members of the Bethany United Church of Christ on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the church's founding; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to Bethany United Church of Christ as an expression of our esteem.