HR0721 99TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0721 LRB099 14025 GRL 38048 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of Representatives wish to congratulate the congregation of Baileyville Baptist Church on the occasion of the church's 150th anniversary on September 3, 2015; and

WHEREAS, In 1856, the families of Christopher Wilhelms and Jodokus Bohen, both German Baptists, arrived in Silver Creek Township; soon, there were enough East Frisian families in the area that religious meetings were held in the home of Mr. Wilhelms and later in the home of Harm Eckhoff; the growing desire among these immigrants to establish a church resulted in a meeting on September 3, 1865, at which a decision was made to form a new congregation named "Die Erste Ostfriesische Baptisten Gemeinde of Silver Creek, Illinois"; a church council consisting of Harm Eckhoff, Inderk Bonn, and Fokke Zimmerman was elected and 36 people were charter members of the church; almost all of the charter members were former members of the Baptist Church in Inhren, Ostfriesland; and

WHEREAS, Church meetings continued in various homes until the spring of 1868, when permission was obtained to use the Diddens schoolhouse, situated in the country about halfway between what are now Freeport and German Valley; in 1869, the growing congregation called upon its first pastor, J. G. Vanloh; in 1874, the construction of a church building was started on a tract of land at the north edge of Baileyville; the new church was dedicated on August 30, 1874; and

WHEREAS, In 1914, the official name of the congregation was changed to "Die Erste Deutsche Baptisten Gemeinde, Baileyville, Illinois"; on the night of February 4, 1920, tragedy struck when the church and all its contents were destroyed by fire; construction of a new, large brick building was begun almost immediately, and this new church building was dedicated on March 20, 1921; in later years, the official name of the church was changed to First Baptist Church of Baileyville; the church is also known as Baileyville Baptist Church; and

WHEREAS, Over the church's history, the Baileyville Baptist Church has ministered to local people and has been involved in spreading the gospel throughout the United States, with church plants in Iowa, South Dakota, Montana, and throughout the State; its foreign missions program has seen ones sent out to Nigeria, Sudan, Japan, the Philippines, Canada, and India; the church also supports missionaries in Germany, South Africa, Kenya, Ghana, Mexico, Argentina, Israel, and Nepal; and

WHEREAS, Baileyville Baptist Church has had 34 pastors serve as shepherd of the flock since the church's founding; former Pastor Delbert Rogers, who served the congregation from 1980 to 1982, will be the guest speaker during the church's Anniversary Celebration; other pastors who have served in the past 25 years are Rev. Nelson Hadley (1984 - 1993), Rev. John Erenz (1995 - 2007), Rev. Alan Cassel (2007 - June 2015), and the church's current pastor, Rev. Gary Branam; and

WHEREAS, The congregation and pastorate of Baileyville Baptist Church serve as models 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-NINTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we congratulate the congregation of Baileyville Baptist Church 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 Baileyville Baptist Church as a symbol of our esteem and respect.