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1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of
3Representatives wishes to congratulate Grace United Methodist
4Church of Galva, on the occasion of its 150 year anniversary
5and on its tradition of Christian discipleship and evangelism;
6and
 
7    WHEREAS, On May 3, 1867, 13 years after the founding of
8Galva, R. J. Anderson founded the Swedish Methodist Episcopal
9Church with 15 members, all of whom were from Sweden; and
 
10    WHEREAS, Later that same year on September 14, land was
11purchased and construction on a church was started, a
12significant feat considering that the members made on average
13one dollar a day, and yet, despite this, they were able to
14purchase the land needed and build a church for a combined cost
15of approximately $3000; and
 
16    WHEREAS, Tragically, several decades later, the church was
17badly damaged by a tornado that ripped through the community of
18Galva, damaging and destroying many of the surrounding
19businesses and homes; and
 
20    WHEREAS, The church members were committed to, in the
21spirit of the founding members of the church, rebuilding and

 

 

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1even adding to the original structure; and
 
2    WHEREAS, The official language of the church was
3exclusively Swedish until the early 1930s when a second service
4in English was added to accommodate non-Swedish speakers;
5beginning in the early 1940s, all services were conducted in
6English; and
 
7    WHEREAS, In 1942, the Swedish Methodist Episcopal Church
8became a part of the Illinois Conference of the Methodist
9Church and, in the process, changed its name to Grace Methodist
10Church before finally changing its name to Grace United
11Methodist Church following its merger with another local
12church; and
 
13    WHEREAS, Today, Grace United Methodist Church, under the
14shepherding of Pastor Karen L. Martin, continues in its 150
15year tradition of faith and Christian worship; therefore, be it
 
16    RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE
17HUNDREDTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we
18congratulate Grace United Methodist Church of Galva on its
19150th anniversary, and we wish it many more wonderful years;
20and be it further
 
21    RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be

 

 

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1presented to the congregation of Grace United Methodist Church
2of Galva as a symbol of our esteem and respect.