HR1355 LRB096 22679 GRL 42010 r

1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

 
2     WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of
3 Representatives are pleased to congratulate the congregation
4 of the Trinity Lutheran Church of Derinda on the occasion of
5 the church's 150th anniversary; and
 
6     WHEREAS, As early as 1856, informal worship services were
7 held in private homes or under huge oak trees around Derinda
8 Township by traveling ministers from neighboring villages or
9 from Wartburg Seminary in Galena; these early gatherings were
10 referred to as "The Congregation at Rush Creek"; in 1860, the
11 Trinity Lutheran Church of Derinda was incorporated to serve
12 the needs of these worshippers; and
 
13     WHEREAS, The Trinity Lutheran Church of Derinda grew
14 steadily throughout the 1860s; after buying the land for the
15 church from Mr. and Mrs. Christopher Groezinger in 1864, the
16 first church at Derinda was built in 1872 near the site of the
17 present church; in 1925, a new church was built, which is still
18 used by the congregation today; and
 
19     WHEREAS, The Trinity Lutheran Church of Derinda's services
20 were held in German until the early 1920s; the German services
21 were entirely discontinued by 1930 and all services were
22 thereafter conducted in English; Trinity shared the same pastor

 

 

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1 with St. John at Massbach for many years until 1947, when
2 Trinity joined with St. Paul Lutheran Church in Hanover, then a
3 mission church, to become a joint parish; and
 
4     WHEREAS, The Trinity Lutheran Church of Derinda has made
5 several changes and upgrades to its church throughout the
6 years; in 1899, the congregation purchased a new bell that is
7 still in use today; 2 stained-glass windows that were
8 originally in the front of the church were removed during
9 renovations in 1967 were put back on the front of the church
10 after 40 years; in 2006, a handicapped-accessible entrance with
11 an elevator going from the basement to the balcony and 2
12 handicapped-accessible restrooms were added to the church; and
 
13     WHEREAS, The Trinity Lutheran Church of Derinda is an
14 active country church; the church has been involved in several
15 community activities, including the Relay for Life and a
16 farmer's market stand in Elizabeth; the church has a Hurricane
17 Katrina fund and sponsored 2 members of the congregation to
18 travel to Biloxi, Mississippi in March 2006 to help for a week;
19 Trinity joined other area churches to raise funds to purchase a
20 new specialized van for the Rev. Ken Matthews of the Hanover
21 Methodist Church; the congregation also contributed to local
22 food pantries; and
 
23     WHEREAS, The Trinity Lutheran Church of Derinda has had 2

 

 

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1 members of the congregation become ordained ministers, the Rev.
2 Cletus Fahrion in 1961 and the Rev. Dan Reusch in 1983; Trinity
3 also sponsored 2 student pastors from Wartburg Seminary, Sandy
4 Dexter in 2005 and Jim Wendt in 2006 and 2007; and
 
5     WHEREAS, The Trinity Lutheran Church of Derinda will have a
6 celebration service, a potluck, and a 150th anniversary program
7 in celebration of its 150th anniversary on June 27, 2010; and
 
8     WHEREAS, The congregation of the Trinity Lutheran Church of
9 Derinda serves as a model of hard work, integrity, and
10 dedication for the people of the State of Illinois; therefore,
11 be it
 
12     RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
13 NINETY-SIXTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we
14 congratulate the congregation of the Trinity Lutheran Church of
15 Derinda on the occasion of the church's 150th anniversary and
16 wish them continued success and happiness in the future; and be
17 it further
 
18     RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
19 presented to C. David Vidler, Pastor of the Trinity Lutheran
20 Church of Derinda, as a symbol of our esteem and respect.