Full Text of HR0025 98th General Assembly
HR0025 98TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY |
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| 1 | | HOUSE RESOLUTION
| 2 | | WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of | 3 | | Representatives wish to congratulate the congregation of the | 4 | | Original Providence Baptist Church in Chicago on the occasion | 5 | | of the church's 150th anniversary; and
| 6 | | WHEREAS, The rich history of the Original Providence | 7 | | Baptist Church began in 1863, when a small group of former | 8 | | slaves started holding services at 26 North Irving Avenue in | 9 | | Chicago; within a few years, the founders were joined by other | 10 | | faithful souls who united with them to form a band of nearly | 11 | | 300; in time, they were able to raise enough money to purchase | 12 | | a lot and build their first church; the congregation's fruits | 13 | | of their labors became evident, both physically and | 14 | | spiritually, through the efforts of the church's pastors, | 15 | | Thomas L. Johnson, William Belay, R.E. Jackson, B.B. Hillman, | 16 | | John Pope, A. Newsome, A.L. Harris, and Robert Darden; and
| 17 | | WHEREAS, In 1911, the congregation of the Original | 18 | | Providence Baptist Church, under the pastorate of the Rev. S.L. | 19 | | Frances, built a larger edifice at 217 North Leavitt at the | 20 | | cost of $40,000; after Rev. Francis' pastorate ended in 1915, | 21 | | he was succeeded by the Rev. Boston Prince and Rev. J. Wesley | 22 | | Carter, the latter of whom served from 1922 until 1929; from | 23 | | 1929 to 1957, the Rev. R. Wendell Phillips served as pastor; in |
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| 1 | | June of 1958, Rev. Edgar T. Thornton took over as pastor, | 2 | | serving until his retirement on June 30, 1996; in February of | 3 | | 1999, Rev. James A. Missick began serving as pastor, where he | 4 | | served until December of 2008; on October 18, 2009, Rev. | 5 | | Cleophus J. Lee took leadership of the pulpit of Original | 6 | | Providence Baptist Church, where he continues to serve the | 7 | | church's parishioners today; and
| 8 | | WHEREAS, In the last 55 years, the congregation of the | 9 | | Original Providence Baptist Church has grown greatly; the | 10 | | church also relocated numerous times, from Leavitt Street to | 11 | | Jackson Boulevard to Washington Boulevard, before moving to its | 12 | | present location on 515 North Pine Avenue; and
| 13 | | WHEREAS, The congregation of the Original Providence | 14 | | Baptist Church serve as models of hard work, integrity, and | 15 | | dedication for the people of the State of Illinois; therefore, | 16 | | be it
| 17 | | RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE | 18 | | NINETY-EIGHTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that | 19 | | we congratulate the congregation of the Original Providence | 20 | | Baptist Church on the occasion of the church's 150th | 21 | | anniversary and wish them continued success and happiness in | 22 | | the future; and be it further
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| 1 | | RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be | 2 | | presented to the Original Providence Baptist Church as a symbol | 3 | | of our esteem and respect.
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