HR1355 96TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR1355 LRB096 22679 GRL 42010 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of Representatives are pleased to congratulate the congregation of the Trinity Lutheran Church of Derinda on the occasion of the church's 150th anniversary; and

WHEREAS, As early as 1856, informal worship services were held in private homes or under huge oak trees around Derinda Township by traveling ministers from neighboring villages or from Wartburg Seminary in Galena; these early gatherings were referred to as "The Congregation at Rush Creek"; in 1860, the Trinity Lutheran Church of Derinda was incorporated to serve the needs of these worshippers; and

WHEREAS, The Trinity Lutheran Church of Derinda grew steadily throughout the 1860s; after buying the land for the church from Mr. and Mrs. Christopher Groezinger in 1864, the first church at Derinda was built in 1872 near the site of the present church; in 1925, a new church was built, which is still used by the congregation today; and

WHEREAS, The Trinity Lutheran Church of Derinda's services were held in German until the early 1920s; the German services were entirely discontinued by 1930 and all services were thereafter conducted in English; Trinity shared the same pastor with St. John at Massbach for many years until 1947, when Trinity joined with St. Paul Lutheran Church in Hanover, then a mission church, to become a joint parish; and

WHEREAS, The Trinity Lutheran Church of Derinda has made several changes and upgrades to its church throughout the years; in 1899, the congregation purchased a new bell that is still in use today; 2 stained-glass windows that were originally in the front of the church were removed during renovations in 1967 were put back on the front of the church after 40 years; in 2006, a handicapped-accessible entrance with an elevator going from the basement to the balcony and 2 handicapped-accessible restrooms were added to the church; and

WHEREAS, The Trinity Lutheran Church of Derinda is an active country church; the church has been involved in several community activities, including the Relay for Life and a farmer's market stand in Elizabeth; the church has a Hurricane Katrina fund and sponsored 2 members of the congregation to travel to Biloxi, Mississippi in March 2006 to help for a week; Trinity joined other area churches to raise funds to purchase a new specialized van for the Rev. Ken Matthews of the Hanover Methodist Church; the congregation also contributed to local food pantries; and

WHEREAS, The Trinity Lutheran Church of Derinda has had 2 members of the congregation become ordained ministers, the Rev. Cletus Fahrion in 1961 and the Rev. Dan Reusch in 1983; Trinity also sponsored 2 student pastors from Wartburg Seminary, Sandy Dexter in 2005 and Jim Wendt in 2006 and 2007; and

WHEREAS, The Trinity Lutheran Church of Derinda will have a celebration service, a potluck, and a 150th anniversary program in celebration of its 150th anniversary on June 27, 2010; and

WHEREAS, The congregation of the Trinity Lutheran Church of Derinda serves as a model of hard work, integrity, and dedication for the people of the State of Illinois; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-SIXTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we congratulate the congregation of the Trinity Lutheran Church of Derinda on the occasion of the church's 150th anniversary and wish them continued success and happiness in the future; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to C. David Vidler, Pastor of the Trinity Lutheran Church of Derinda, as a symbol of our esteem and respect.