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91_HR0393 LRB9107257KBkb 1 HOUSE RESOLUTION 2 WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of 3 Representatives are pleased to acknowledge milestones within 4 the State of Illinois; and 5 WHEREAS, The First Baptist Church of Greenland in Beecher 6 City, Illinois is celebrating 140 years of ministry; and 7 WHEREAS, Pioneers from Knox and Holmes counties in Ohio 8 came by covered wagon to the Greenland area; on August 6, 9 1859 a council of five Baptist churches of the Missionary 10 faith met and organized the First Baptist Church of 11 Greenland; on August 12, 1859, the church united with the 12 Louisville Baptist Association; and 13 WHEREAS, Pastor T.M. Griffith was called to be the first 14 minister for the new Baptist Church; for many years the 15 congregation met in the Ransom Church, and they made the 16 decision by 1880 to build their own structure; on December 17 16, 1883 Elder Cable preached the dedication sermon in the 18 new church; and 19 WHEREAS, the church was the site of many annual meetings 20 of the Louisville Baptist Association until 1961, when the 21 church voted to withdraw from the Association and become an 22 independent Baptist church; and 23 WHEREAS, Throughout the years there have been more than 24 500 names listed on the membership rolls; the church has 25 continued to build, with the addition of an entrance foyer, 26 stained glass windows, a new floor, a new lectern, new pulpit 27 chairs, a basement, a Sunday School wing, a handicap 28 accessible ramp, vinyl siding, and a new roof; and 29 WHEREAS, Under the current leadership of Pastor Bill 30 Wessel, the First Baptist Church of Greenland continues to be 31 a vital part of its community and the congregation looks -2- LRB9107257KBkb 1 forward to the next 140 years; therefore, be it 2 RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE 3 NINETY-FIRST GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that 4 we congratulate the people of the First Baptist Church of 5 Greenland on their church anniversary; may they continue to 6 minister the gospel to the people of their area; and be it 7 further 8 RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be 9 presented to the congregation of the First Baptist Church of 10 Greenland.