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1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

 
2     WHEREAS, First Congregational Church of Pecatonica held a
3 special service on November 7, 2004, to commemorate the 150th
4 anniversary of the church; and
 
5     WHEREAS, Six pioneers from the East first met Sundays in a
6 grain warehouse on the west side of Main Street in Pecatonica;
7 this group formed a resolution on February 18, 1854, in which
8 they voted to constitute as a church; soon, there were 18
9 members of the church; the original resolution is on display at
10 the current church facility; and
 
11     WHEREAS, In 1855, the First Congregational Church building
12 was built at Sixth and Reed Street; the building served as the
13 church until 1913, when plans for a new building were accepted;
14 the old church was torn down and the materials sold; and
 
15     WHEREAS, The new church building was dedicated on Sunday,
16 June 18, 1914; the stained glass windows were restored in 2002
17 and are part of the present structure; the Mohler pipe organ,
18 still in use today, was installed in 1938; in 1999, the
19 congregation voted to approve plans for an addition, and on
20 June 17, 2001, the groundbreaking for the new addition was
21 celebrated by using an antique plow to open a furrow which
22 began the building project; and
 
23     WHEREAS, The new addition includes a parlor area, a large
24 fellowship hall, offices for the pastor and church secretary,
25 Sunday school classrooms, a nursery, and an elevator that makes
26 the sanctuary and fellowship hall handicapped accessible; the
27 addition was dedicated on September 8, 2002; in the fall of
28 2004, the bell tower was also repaired; and
 
29     WHEREAS, Throughout the history of First Congregational
30 Church, there were 18 ministers during the first 50 years, 16

 

 

HR0698 - 2 - LRB094 12804 HSS 47648 r

1 ministers during the next 50 years, and seven ministers in the
2 last 50 years; First Congregational Church remains a vibrant
3 and caring part of the Pecatonica community; therefore, be it
 
4     RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
5 NINETY-FOURTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that
6 we congratulate the congregation of the First Congregational
7 Church of Pecatonica on the occasion of its 150th anniversary;
8 and be it further
 
9     RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
10 presented to the church as an expression of our esteem and with
11 best wishes for the continued success and ministry of the
12 church.