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| 1 | HOUSE RESOLUTION
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| 2 | WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of | ||||||
| 3 | Representatives are pleased to congratulate the congregation | ||||||
| 4 | of the Morning Star Free Will Baptist Church of Urbana on the | ||||||
| 5 | occasion of the church's 100th anniversary; and
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| 6 | WHEREAS, The first Free Will Baptist Church was organized | ||||||
| 7 | in 1727 by Brother Paul Palmer; more Free Will Baptist churches | ||||||
| 8 | were organized throughout the 1800s, with anti-slavery as a | ||||||
| 9 | core belief; Free Will Baptist churches began to spread | ||||||
| 10 | throughout the nation in 1876; and
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| 11 | WHEREAS, The Morning Star Free Will Baptist Church of | ||||||
| 12 | Urbana was organized in February of 1911; the church's first | ||||||
| 13 | elected Pastor was Rev. L.W. Wilber; and
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| 14 | WHEREAS, The Morning Star Free Will Baptist Church's | ||||||
| 15 | present Pastor, Elder Holmes, has presided over the church | ||||||
| 16 | since April of 1982; during the past 29 years, Pastor Elder | ||||||
| 17 | Holmes has helped update the church facility as the | ||||||
| 18 | congregation has grown greatly; and
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| 19 | WHEREAS, Over the years, the Morning Star Free Will Baptist | ||||||
| 20 | Church has been blessed to host musicians such as Mavis Staples | ||||||
| 21 | and the Staple Singers, Dr. Mattie Moss Clark, Twinkie Clark, | ||||||
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| 1 | Edwin Hawkins, and the Williams Brothers; the church has also | ||||||
| 2 | hosted a number of religious leaders, including Dr. Martin | ||||||
| 3 | Luther King Sr.; and | ||||||
| 4 | WHEREAS, Today, the Morning Star Free Will Baptist Church | ||||||
| 5 | remains a place of worship and praise through prayer and song; | ||||||
| 6 | while the church's members are few, the church continues to | ||||||
| 7 | look to God for His divine grace and mercy to work with those | ||||||
| 8 | who are here and willing to work and to overcome all obstacles | ||||||
| 9 | that are put before them; and
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| 10 | WHEREAS, The congregation of the Morning Star Free Will | ||||||
| 11 | Baptist Church serves as a model of hard work, integrity, and | ||||||
| 12 | dedication for the people of the State of Illinois; therefore, | ||||||
| 13 | be it
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| 14 | RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE | ||||||
| 15 | NINETY-SEVENTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that | ||||||
| 16 | we congratulate the congregation of the Morning Star Free Will | ||||||
| 17 | Baptist Church of Urbana on the occasion of the church's 100th | ||||||
| 18 | anniversary and wish them continued success and happiness in | ||||||
| 19 | the future; and be it further
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| 20 | RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be | ||||||
| 21 | presented to Pastor Elder Holmes of the Morning Star Free Will | ||||||
| 22 | Baptist Church as a symbol of our esteem and respect.
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