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| 3 | 4 | | |
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| 4 | 5 | | R E S O L U T I O N |
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| 5 | 6 | | WHEREAS, The members of Beech Creek Baptist Church are |
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| 6 | 7 | | marking a momentous event in the history of their church with the |
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| 7 | 8 | | celebration of its 160th anniversary in 2015; and |
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| 8 | 9 | | WHEREAS, Believed to be the oldest Baptist church in Tyler |
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| 9 | 10 | | County, Beech Creek Baptist was organized by eight charter members |
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| 10 | 11 | | on September 24, 1855, in the home of Captain James G. Collier, with |
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| 11 | 12 | | early worship services conducted in a local schoolhouse; the church |
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| 12 | 13 | | welcomed both Anglo and African Americans as members of the |
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| 13 | 14 | | congregation, and in 1867, Beech Creek ordained Henry Gainer, an |
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| 14 | 15 | | African American minister; and |
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| 15 | 16 | | WHEREAS, In 1892, after years of steady growth, the church |
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| 16 | 17 | | erected its first sanctuary on a parcel of land donated by Captain |
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| 17 | 18 | | Collier; the 20th century saw the organization of a Sunday school in |
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| 18 | 19 | | 1905 and later, in 1969, the construction of a building to house |
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| 19 | 20 | | educational and recreational programs; in 1989, a memorial building |
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| 20 | 21 | | fund was established and named in honor of Addie Jordan, who |
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| 21 | 22 | | rendered 75 years of faithful service to the church, and in 2011, |
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| 22 | 23 | | construction began on a new fellowship hall under the leadership of |
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| 23 | 24 | | Pastor Jack Lewellen; the 141st anniversary of the church was |
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| 24 | 25 | | celebrated with the dedication of an official Texas Historical |
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| 25 | 26 | | Marker from the Texas Historical Commission in 1996; and |
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| 26 | 27 | | WHEREAS, Since its inception, Beech Creek Baptist Church has |
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| 27 | 28 | | been guided by some 40 different pastors, many of whom were called |
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| 28 | 29 | | to serve the congregation multiple times; its devoted and |
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| 29 | 30 | | civic-minded membership has sponsored local and regional |
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| 30 | 31 | | ministries, as well as myriad outreach efforts for the benefit of |
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| 31 | 32 | | the wider community; and |
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| 32 | 33 | | WHEREAS, Beech Creek Baptist Church has long served as a |
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| 33 | 34 | | spiritual bedrock in the community, and the continued existence of |
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| 34 | 35 | | this historic church attests to the loyalty of its congregants, |
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| 35 | 36 | | past and present, whose efforts have sustained its vital mission; |
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| 36 | 37 | | now, therefore, be it |
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| 37 | 38 | | RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 84th Texas |
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| 38 | 39 | | Legislature hereby commemorate the 160th anniversary of the |
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| 39 | 40 | | founding of Beech Creek Baptist Church and extend to its |
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| 40 | 41 | | congregation sincere best wishes for many more years of shared |
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| 41 | 42 | | prayer and fellowship; and, be it further |
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| 42 | 43 | | RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
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| 43 | 44 | | prepared for the church as an expression of high regard by the Texas |
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| 44 | 45 | | House of Representatives. |
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