HR1401 LRB095 21707 KXB 51917 r

1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

 
2     WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of
3 Representatives are pleased to honor the pastor and
4 congregation of Riverside Baptist Church in Decatur as they
5 celebrate the 100th anniversary of the church; and
 
6     WHEREAS, Riverside Baptist Church began as a
7 non-denominational Sunday school on the third Sunday of March
8 in 1906; and
 
9     WHEREAS, On June 23, 1908, members of the Riverside Chapel
10 officially became a Baptist congregation with 44 charter
11 members and its first pastor, Reverend James Lively, a Millikin
12 University student; and
 
13     WHEREAS, Ground was broken for a new building in 1917;
14 however, because of World War I the building's completion was
15 delayed until June 28, 1925, at which time the cornerstone was
16 laid; and
 
17     WHEREAS, In 1935, Riverside Baptist Church joined the
18 General Association of Regular Baptist Churches; in 1937 church
19 member Ethel Spitzer began a home missionary program which was
20 responsible for the founding of Baptist Bible Church in Decatur
21 in the late 1950s; Riverside sent out its first foreign

 

 

HR1401 - 2 - LRB095 21707 KXB 51917 r

1 missionary family, Earl and Kay Hamilton, in 1944; and in 1969
2 the church helped to establish Fellowship Baptist Church in Mt.
3 Zion; and
 
4     WHEREAS, In 1955, Riverside Baptist Church began the AWANA
5 Club children's program, now celebrating 53 years of teaching
6 and leading children in the community; and
 
7     WHEREAS, In 1980, Riverside Baptist Church moved to its
8 current location at 1250 West Mound Road and is now partially
9 supporting over 25 missionary families around the world under
10 the leadership of Pastor John Norris; therefore, be it
 
11     RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
12 NINETY-FIFTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we
13 congratulate Pastor John Norris and the congregation of
14 Riverside Baptist Church on their 100th anniversary; and be it
15 further
 
16     RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
17 presented to the congregation of Riverside Baptist Church as a
18 symbol of our respect.