HR1076 LRB094 19966 HSS 57359 r

1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

 
2     WHEREAS, The members of the House of Representatives of the
3 State of Illinois are pleased to recognize the 100th
4 anniversary of the founding of Bethany United Church of Christ
5 in Freeport; and
 
6     WHEREAS, When people first moved to Freeport, they found
7 themselves without a Reformed Church that spoke English; a
8 Sunday School was started by C.G. Beaver, a seminary student,
9 during the summer of 1906; they met in the Third Presbyterian
10 Church in July of 1906; and
 
11     WHEREAS, On October 7, 1906, Rev. R. F. Schultz took up the
12 work with the intention of establishing a church; Rev. C. M.
13 Rohrbaugh became the new pastor in December, 1906, with a
14 membership of 16 members with an average age over 65 years; and
 
15     WHEREAS, The corner of South Galena and South Carroll was
16 purchased from the Barnes family in April, 1908, for the
17 purpose of building a church facility; church membership in
18 1908 was 60 members; the ground breaking for the building was
19 Easter Sunday, April 13, 1908; the building was erected during
20 the summer of 1908, six months after ground breaking; and
 
21     WHEREAS, Two services were held in the early years of the
22 church, one in the morning and one in the evening, and both
23 sermons were different; the summer of 1940 saw the start of a
24 summer exchange with St. John Church, with the pastor of
25 Bethany preaching the month of August and St. John's pastor
26 preaching the month of July; this summer exchange continued
27 until 1978 with some variations; and
 
28     WHEREAS, The name was changed from First English Reformed
29 to First English Evangelical & Reformed, and in January of
30 1958, it was changed to Bethany United Church of Christ; and
 

 

 

HR1076 - 2 - LRB094 19966 HSS 57359 r

1     WHEREAS, Ground breaking for the Stephenson Street
2 location was June 7, 1987; the stained glass windows depicting
3 Christ as a child of 12 and as an adult were removed from the
4 Carroll Street church and mounted on each side of the pulpit in
5 the new Stephenson Street church with artificial lighting
6 behind; the organ, four pulpit chairs, and the carillon were
7 moved to the new location; and the communion table and pulpit
8 were moved to be used in Fellowship Hall; and
 
9     WHEREAS, The last service at the Carroll and Galena
10 location was held on February 12, 1989; the first service at
11 the Stephenson Street location was held February 19, 1989, in
12 Fellowship Hall even though it was not completed; the
13 dedication for the new church on Stephenson Street was held on
14 April 23, 1989; therefore, be it
 
15     RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
16 NINETY-FOURTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that
17 we congratulate the members of the Bethany United Church of
18 Christ on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the church's
19 founding; and be it further
 
20     RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
21 presented to Bethany United Church of Christ as an expression
22 of our esteem.