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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 Greater Shiloh Baptist Church in Danville on the
5 occasion of the church's 100th anniversary on April 27, 2008;
6 and
 
7     WHEREAS, The Greater Shiloh Baptist Church was originally
8 founded in 1908 as the Shiloh Baptist Church by Sisters Iona
9 Derrickson, Etta Rosell, Martha Smith, and Lena Hutchinson, and
10 Brother William Anthony; seeing the need for a place of worship
11 on the eastern end of Danville, they began what they called the
12 "Mission"; on April 27, 1908, the "Mission" was organized as an
13 independent church and was named the Shiloh Baptist Church; and
 
14     WHEREAS, In 1910, under the direction of its first pastor,
15 Reverend W.L. Banner, the Shiloh Baptist Church moved into a
16 house at 529 E. Harrison Street in Danville, where it would
17 serve as a place of worship for the next 73 years; in 1924, the
18 word "Greater" was added to the church's name; and
 
19     WHEREAS, Under Pastor Sykes, the Greater Shiloh Baptist
20 Church added its first educational annex, which housed
21 Danville's First Acceleration Reading Center; the annex later
22 housed a Head Start center and the Helping Hand food pantry;

 

 

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1 and
 
2     WHEREAS, On January 4, 1981, the Greater Shiloh Baptist
3 Church purchased the edifice from the Second Church of Christ;
4 the churches held a joint service marking the final days that
5 the church would spend in its former home; the Greater Shiloh
6 Baptist Church held its first morning worship service in its
7 new sanctuary on the second Sunday of March in 1981; and
 
8     WHEREAS, Under the Reverend H.L. Reed, the Greater Shiloh
9 Baptist Church organized the President's Council Auxiliary, a
10 new children's nursery, the Winnie Mandella Missionary Society
11 and Nurses Guild Auxiliary, the Willing Worker's Club, and
12 Monday Night Youth Classes; and
 
13     WHEREAS, The Greater Shiloh Baptist Church has a
14 magnificent musical history; the church's first choir was
15 created in 1911 under the leadership of Reverend L. Evans;
16 subsequent ministers added other choirs, such as the "Singing
17 Angels" children's choir, which was organized by Reverend C.G.
18 O'Bannon; the "Inspirational Choir", which was organized by
19 Reverend Ben E. Cox Jr. and reorganized by Pastor H.L. Reed,
20 who renamed the choir the "Sounds of Shiloh"; and the "Male
21 Choir", which was organized by Pastor H.L. Reed; and
 
22     WHEREAS, On April 7, 2002, Reverend U. Pete Williams was

 

 

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1 called to be the Pastor of Greater Shiloh Baptist Church;
2 during his tenure, the church has completed a project for
3 additional parking, added a new roof for the Educational
4 Administrative wing, created a continuous Five-Year Plan,
5 completely refurbished the sanctuary, and added new
6 classrooms; and
 
7     WHEREAS, The Greater Shiloh Baptist Church serves as a
8 model of piety, charity, and community involvement for the
9 people of the State of Illinois; therefore, be it
 
10     RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
11 NINETY-FIFTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we
12 congratulate the congregation of the Greater Shiloh Baptist
13 Church in Danville on the occasion of the church's 100th
14 anniversary and wish them continued success and happiness in
15 the future; and be it further
 
16     RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
17 presented to Greater Shiloh Baptist Church Reverend U. Pete
18 Williams as a symbol of our esteem and respect.