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| 1 | HOUSE RESOLUTION
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| 2 | WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of | ||||||
| 3 | Representatives wish to recognize the First United Methodist | ||||||
| 4 | Church of Normal on the occasion of the 150th anniversary of | ||||||
| 5 | its founding; and
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| 6 | WHEREAS, The church had its beginnings in the home of | ||||||
| 7 | Andrew and
Nancy Mason on the night of September 5, 1865 with | ||||||
| 8 | only 23 initial members; Rev. C.D. James was appointed as the | ||||||
| 9 | church's first pastor; and
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| 10 | WHEREAS, The church's first building was dedicated on June | ||||||
| 11 | 7, 1867, predating the establishment of the Town of Normal | ||||||
| 12 | itself and was originally known as the
First Methodist | ||||||
| 13 | Episcopal Church of Normal; and
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| 14 | WHEREAS, By 1951, the size of the congregation had grown to | ||||||
| 15 | the point that 2 Sunday morning services were needed; this | ||||||
| 16 | showed the need for a larger building, and on December 22, | ||||||
| 17 | 1957, the congregants moved into the present building; the | ||||||
| 18 | congregation continued to grow, reaching the point that 3 | ||||||
| 19 | services were needed each Sunday morning and a Saturday service | ||||||
| 20 | beginning in December of 1991; soon construction began on an | ||||||
| 21 | addition to the building, which opened on Palm Sunday in 1995; | ||||||
| 22 | and
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| 1 | WHEREAS, Andrew and
Nancy Mason's home, where the church | ||||||
| 2 | was founded, became a haven for retired Methodist Deaconesses | ||||||
| 3 | and was overseen by
Nancy Mason for 35 years after her | ||||||
| 4 | husband's death; her concern for the welfare of the old and
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| 5 | young, especially the orphaned, led to their home becoming The | ||||||
| 6 | Baby Fold; and
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| 7 | WHEREAS, Today, the church also supports the Cunningham | ||||||
| 8 | Children's Home in Urbana, Chaddock in Quincy, the United | ||||||
| 9 | Methodist
Children's Home in Mt. Vernon, Home Sweet Home | ||||||
| 10 | Ministries, The Salvation Army, and other
local and regional | ||||||
| 11 | missions; it is an international partner in faith and service | ||||||
| 12 | to schools and hospitals
in Liberia and Zimbabwe; therefore, be | ||||||
| 13 | it
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| 14 | RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE | ||||||
| 15 | NINETY-NINTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we | ||||||
| 16 | recognize the First United Methodist Church of Normal on its | ||||||
| 17 | 150th anniversary and we wish them many more years of success; | ||||||
| 18 | and be it further
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| 19 | RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be | ||||||
| 20 | presented to the First United Methodist Church of Normal as an | ||||||
| 21 | expression of our esteem and respect.
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