HR0129LRB099 09023 MST 29208 r

1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of
3Representatives wish to congratulate the Morning Star Freewill
4Baptist Church in Urbana on the occasion of the 104th
5anniversary of its founding; and
 
6    WHEREAS, The Morning Star Freewill Baptist Church was
7organized on February 22, 1911 by the Executive Board of the
8Terre Haute Quarterly Conference of the Freewill Baptist
9General Conference; and
 
10    WHEREAS, The Morning Star Freewill Baptist Church traces
11back to the Freewill doctrine, a movement that began in the
121600s that believes a person can determine his or her fate and
13be saved, no matter how "sinful" their past, if they are "born
14again" and live according to the Bible; and
 
15    WHEREAS, The Morning Star Freewill Baptist Church was
16organized in a small building on North Hickory Street in
17Champaign under the leadership of its first elected minister,
18Rev. L.W. Wilber; shortly thereafter, the church moved to a
19location on West Church Street in Urbana and, later, to its
20present site at the corner of Eads and Romine; and
 
21    WHEREAS, The groundbreaking for the Morning Star Freewill

 

 

HR0129- 2 -LRB099 09023 MST 29208 r

1Baptist Church's present location was held on May 5, 1968, and
2it opened in January of 1969; and
 
3    WHEREAS, The Morning Star Freewill Baptist Church is
4currently led by Vice Bishop Jimmie O. Holmes, Sr.; and
 
5    WHEREAS, The Morning Star Freewill Baptist Church is proud
6to be the oldest African-American church in Urbana; therefore,
7be it
 
8    RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
9NINETY-NINTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we
10congratulate the Morning Star Freewill Baptist Church on its
11104th anniversary and wish them many more years of success; and
12be it further
 
13    RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
14presented to the Morning Star Freewill Baptist Church as an
15expression of our esteem and respect.