| 2 | 3 | | |
|---|
| 3 | 4 | | |
|---|
| 4 | 5 | | R E S O L U T I O N |
|---|
| 5 | 6 | | WHEREAS, Members of the First United Methodist Church in |
|---|
| 6 | 7 | | Troup marked a milestone in their history with the celebration of |
|---|
| 7 | 8 | | the 100th anniversary of the dedication of their church building in |
|---|
| 8 | 9 | | 2014; and |
|---|
| 9 | 10 | | WHEREAS, The Troup Methodist church traces its beginnings |
|---|
| 10 | 11 | | back to 1873, when a small group of Methodists began holding |
|---|
| 11 | 12 | | services beneath a large oak tree in the area; seven years later, |
|---|
| 12 | 13 | | church trustees bought a parcel of land on East Calvert Street from |
|---|
| 13 | 14 | | the Texas Land Company, and members soon erected a one-room |
|---|
| 14 | 15 | | sanctuary on the property; and |
|---|
| 15 | 16 | | WHEREAS, By 1912, the congregation had outgrown its modest |
|---|
| 16 | 17 | | building and planned to construct a more accommodating place of |
|---|
| 17 | 18 | | worship; the following year, the church received as a gift the deed |
|---|
| 18 | 19 | | to several lots of land, and its members held numerous fund-raisers |
|---|
| 19 | 20 | | and collected donations for a new building; the sanctuary was |
|---|
| 20 | 21 | | completed in early 1914, and congregants held its dedication |
|---|
| 21 | 22 | | service that Easter Sunday; and |
|---|
| 22 | 23 | | WHEREAS, The new church was praised as one of the most |
|---|
| 23 | 24 | | beautiful and modern in the area, and its spacious 500-seat |
|---|
| 24 | 25 | | sanctuary was enlisted to host music and civic events as well as the |
|---|
| 25 | 26 | | Texas Annual Conference for the United Methodist Church for several |
|---|
| 26 | 27 | | years; and |
|---|
| 27 | 28 | | WHEREAS, Over the ensuing decades, First United Methodist |
|---|
| 28 | 29 | | underwent a multitude of other renovations, including the addition |
|---|
| 29 | 30 | | of a fellowship hall and an education building; in 2013, the |
|---|
| 30 | 31 | | congregation commemorated its 130th anniversary with the |
|---|
| 31 | 32 | | dedication of a Texas Historical Marker from the Texas Historical |
|---|
| 32 | 33 | | Commission and the Smith County Historical Society; and |
|---|
| 33 | 34 | | WHEREAS, Numerous generations of area residents have looked |
|---|
| 34 | 35 | | to First United Methodist Church-Troup for spiritual enrichment and |
|---|
| 35 | 36 | | guidance, and its continued existence is a tribute to the |
|---|
| 36 | 37 | | unwavering commitment of its members, both past and present; now, |
|---|
| 37 | 38 | | therefore, be it |
|---|
| 38 | 39 | | RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 84th Texas |
|---|
| 39 | 40 | | Legislature hereby commemorate the 100th anniversary of the |
|---|
| 40 | 41 | | dedication of the First United Methodist Church building in Troup |
|---|
| 41 | 42 | | and extend to its clergy and congregation sincere best wishes for |
|---|
| 42 | 43 | | the future; and, be it further |
|---|
| 43 | 44 | | RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
|---|
| 44 | 45 | | prepared for the church as an expression of high regard by the Texas |
|---|
| 45 | 46 | | House of Representatives. |
|---|