HLS 16RS-1952 ORIGINAL
2016 Regular Session
HOUSE RESOLUTION NO. 40
BY REPRESENTATIVE LYONS
COMMENDATIONS: Commends Morning Star Missionary Baptist Church upon the
celebration of its one hundredth anniversary and recognizes its history
1 A RESOLUTION
2To commend Morning Star Missionary Baptist Church of Harvey upon its one hundredth
3 year anniversary and to recognize its rich Christian tradition and history.
4 WHEREAS, more than one hundred years ago, Harvey residents the Reverend Louis
5H. Johnson, Sr., his wife, Constance Johnson, Jim White and his wife, Emma White, Bella
6Harang, and Arthur Dobby Hicks met to petition the Lord on behalf of the Reverend
7Johnson's vision for a new house of worship, and on July 10, 1915, the vision became
8reality; and
9 WHEREAS, Morning Star Missionary Baptist Church was birthed in the home of
10Sister Harang with the founding members dedicated to purchasing land and building an
11edifice; the women cooked suppers and baked pies, and the brothers sold the edibles on the
12riverfront for as much as fifteen cents; and
13 WHEREAS, a certain Mr. Toyhine owned land he planned to sell for use as a
14barroom but the prayers of the founding members resulted in Mr. Toyhine selling the land
15to them; not only did he sell them the land on which Morning Star currently resides, but he
16was moved by the Holy Spirit to donate the adjacent lot to the church; and
17 WHEREAS, in 1919, construction began with volunteer workers who completed the
18church building in 1920; in 1923, the muddy Mississippi River served as the initial baptism
19venue for Morning Star Missionary Baptist Church, and twenty-nine souls were baptized;
20and
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HR NO. 40
1 WHEREAS, in 1953, founding Pastor Louis H. Johnson was called from labor to
2reward, and the Reverend Charles Samuel Williams was elected as Morning Star's second
3spiritual leader; the Reverend Williams resigned in 1964, and the Reverend Joseph Walker,
4Jr., was elected to take on the mantle of leadership; and
5 WHEREAS, along with five other men of the church, Pastor Walker led by example,
6and the group mortgaged their homes to match $100,000 raised by the church to build a new
7$200,000 edifice; in five years, the mortgage was paid in full, and Pastor Walker continued
8to bless the congregation until his retirement in 1994; and
9 WHEREAS, on December 31, 1994, the Lord gifted the Morning Star Baptist Church
10congregation with a spiritual leader who continues the great tradition of obedience to God's
11Word in the form of the Reverend Thomas J. Brown, Jr.; and
12 WHEREAS, the Reverend Brown has received and is actively implementing the
13vision God has given him concerning the church: "to see God raise up a spiritually strong
14church, rendering praise and glorying Him to the fulfillment of His will and purpose"; and
15it is fitting to pay honor to the rich history of Morning Star Missionary Baptist Church in its
16one hundredth year of existence.
17 THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the House of Representatives of the
18Legislature of Louisiana does hereby commend Morning Star Missionary Baptist Church
19upon the celebration of its one hundredth anniversary and does hereby express best hopes
20and prayers for continued fruitfulness in faith and steadfast proclamation of the Gospel.
21 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a suitable copy of this Resolution be transmitted
22to the Reverend Thomas J. Brown, Jr.
DIGEST
The digest printed below was prepared by House Legislative Services. It constitutes no part
of the legislative instrument. The keyword, one-liner, abstract, and digest do not constitute
part of the law or proof or indicia of legislative intent. [R.S. 1:13(B) and 24:177(E)]
HR 40 Original 2016 Regular Session Lyons
Commends Morning Star Missionary Baptist Church of Harvey on its one hundredth
anniversary.
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