HR0078 96TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0078 LRB096 10816 GRL 21036 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of Representatives are pleased to congratulate the congregation of St. Paul's Evangelical Lutheran Church in Wine Hill on the occasion of the church's 150th anniversary; and

WHEREAS, The rich history of St. Paul's Evangelical Lutheran Church began in March of 1859, when a group of men in the Wine Hill area purchased four acres of land from Anthony Steele for $40.00; the church's original deed was recorded in Chester on May 27, 1859; on May 12, 1859, after much deliberation, the church's first constitution was created, with 34 charter members signing their names to create "The Church of St. Paul's German Evangelical Lutheran Congregation in Randolph County, Illinois", named after St. Peter-Paul Kirche in Hermannsberg, Germany; and

WHEREAS, St. Paul's Evangelical Lutheran Church's first building was constructed during the summer of 1859; a "new order", the church's constitution, was read and adopted on November 30, 1860; the congregation, in need of a pastor, decided to call from the Missouri Synod and asked Pastor Martin Eirich of Chester to serve as interim pastor; he accepted this position and served until 1861; and

WHEREAS, St. Paul's Evangelical Lutheran Church's first church bell was cast in St. Louis by J.G. Stuckstede Bros. Co. in 1871 and was placed in the first church building; the bell was later moved into the bell tower of the present church when the building was built in 1883 and still calls the parishioners to worship every Sunday; and

WHEREAS, In 1876, a new frame school was built on ground purchased by St. Paul's Evangelical Lutheran Church; the building still stands in its original location, making it the oldest church building on the premises; and

WHEREAS, St. Paul's Evangelical Lutheran Church's current building was dedicated on November 25, 1883; the building cost $11,357.50 to build, with all but the cost of the pipe organ paid by dedication day, due to many members mortgaging their farms, homes, and other property in order to dedicate the church debt-free; and

WHEREAS, Today, St. Paul's Evangelical Lutheran Church still serves as a house of worship to the people of Wine Hill and the surrounding area under the leadership of Reverend Tim B. Zechiel; 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 St. Paul's Evangelical Lutheran Church on the occasion of the church's 150th anniversary and for the church's work spreading the Lord's Word; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to Reverend Tim B. Zechiel as a symbol of our esteem and respect.