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1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

 
2     WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of
3 Representatives are pleased to congratulate the congregation
4 of the Flat Creek Missionary Baptist Church on the occasion of
5 the church's 200th anniversary in 2009; and
 
6     WHEREAS, The rich history of the Flat Creek Baptist Church
7 began in 1809, when a small community of Christian families in
8 the area came together to hold services; the church's early
9 worship services were held near a brush harbor, which also
10 served as a baptismal pool; some time later, services were held
11 in the home of a Brother Arnold under the leadership of Father
12 Fredrick Lunce; and
 
13     WHEREAS, Under the leadership of Father Lunce, a log cabin
14 church was built for the congregation's worship services; due
15 to its location at Flat Creek Bottom, the people in the area
16 began referring to the church as Flat Creek Baptist Church,
17 although the church's official name was "The Missionary Baptist
18 Church of East Carondelet"; on November 13, 1873, Mr. and Mrs.
19 Henderson and Mr. and Mrs. Caldwell made a trade with Father
20 Lunce for a parcel of land, which was issued to Flat Creek
21 Baptist Church on February 17, 1874; that same year, the
22 congregation began to build a large frame church; and
 

 

 

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1     WHEREAS, The Flat Creek Baptist Church grew steadily during
2 the early decades of the 20th century; from late 1949 to 1957,
3 the church's congregation was led by Rev. William Pirtle; in
4 the seven years of his leadership, the Church took a great leap
5 of faith by demolishing the old church building with plans to
6 rebuild a new facility; faced with scarce resources, many
7 members participated in keeping the Church going by
8 volunteering time and personal labor in making this a reality;
9 thanks to the tireless efforts of the congregation, the
10 newly-constructed building was ready to use within 3 months;
11 and
 
12     WHEREAS, During the 1960s, under the leadership of Rev.
13 McKinley Logan, the Flat Creek Baptist Church's membership
14 continued to grow; major improvements were made to the Church
15 building, advancing from a one-room chapel with an old
16 pot-bellied stove and outdoor plumbing to a modern day
17 sanctuary with indoor plumbing and heating facilities,
18 Pastor's Study, office, and choir room; in July of 1963, the
19 church was notified by the Antioch District Sunday School and
20 Training Union Congress of St. Louis, Mo. (ADSTUC) that Flat
21 Creek was the oldest church in the area at 154 years old; the
22 ADSTUC presented Flat Creek with a Certificate of Award
23 commemorating this momentous occasion at its 15th Annual
24 Session on July 29-30, 1963; and
 

 

 

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1     WHEREAS, On July 16, 1989, the Rev. Clyde L. Williams
2 accepted the call to serve as Pastor of Flat Creek Missionary
3 Baptist Church, where he served until 1997; under the
4 leadership of Rev. Williams and his wife, First Lady Annette E.
5 Williams, the church expanded its worship services to
6 participate with other churches; and
 
7     WHEREAS, The Flat Creek Missionary Baptist Church
8 continued to grow and prosper throughout the 1990s into the new
9 millennium; the church's current pastor, S. Gene Rhoden, has
10 served at Flat Creek since November of 2003; under his
11 leadership, Flat Creek has seen great growth; in November of
12 2008, Flat Creek celebrated the completion of the church's
13 baptismal pool and new fellowship hall, which includes offices
14 and a kitchen; and
 
15     WHEREAS, The Flat Creek Missionary Baptist Church and its
16 congregation serve as shining examples of faith, integrity, and
17 compassion for the people of the State of Illinois; therefore,
18 be it
 
19     RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
20 NINETY-SIXTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we
21 congratulate the congregation of the Flat Creek Missionary
22 Baptist Church on the occasion of the church's 200th
23 anniversary and wish them continued success and happiness in

 

 

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1 the future; and be it further
 
2     RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
3 presented to the congregation of the Flat Creek Missionary
4 Baptist Church as a symbol of our esteem and respect.