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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, Members of Smith Point Community Church, in Chambers |
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| 6 | 7 | | County, are gathering on April 29, 2017, to dedicate an Official |
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| 7 | 8 | | Texas Historical Marker honoring that venerable congregation; and |
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| 8 | 9 | | WHEREAS, Beginning in the late 1800s, circuit-riding Baptist |
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| 9 | 10 | | preachers held monthly religious services for residents in the |
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| 10 | 11 | | area, first under the trees and later in the local schoolhouse, |
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| 11 | 12 | | which also functioned as a community fellowship center; eventually, |
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| 12 | 13 | | a second school was built to accommodate a growing population, and |
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| 13 | 14 | | that structure is used as the church's sanctuary to this day; and |
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| 14 | 15 | | WHEREAS, Brother Hollis and Addie Newman officially |
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| 15 | 16 | | reorganized Smith Point Baptist Church in 1948 with the assistance |
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| 16 | 17 | | of Mark and Richard "Dick" Whittington; the Reverend L. J. Hand |
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| 17 | 18 | | served as the congregation's first pastor; in 2007, the name was |
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| 18 | 19 | | changed to Smith Point Community Church to reflect the church's |
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| 19 | 20 | | status as the only religious institution in the area; the Reverend |
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| 20 | 21 | | Michael K. Graves currently leads the bilingual congregation, which |
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| 21 | 22 | | worships in both English and Spanish; and |
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| 22 | 23 | | WHEREAS, For more than 100 years, Smith Point Community |
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| 23 | 24 | | Church has been a source of inspiration and guidance to area |
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| 24 | 25 | | residents, and this recognition from the Texas Historical |
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| 25 | 26 | | Commission is a fitting tribute to the steadfastness of its members |
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| 26 | 27 | | and to the significant role the church has played in building a |
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| 27 | 28 | | strong and caring community; now, therefore, be it |
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| 28 | 29 | | RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 85th Texas |
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| 29 | 30 | | Legislature hereby commemorate the dedication of an Official Texas |
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| 30 | 31 | | Historical Marker at Smith Point Community Church and extend to the |
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| 31 | 32 | | church's clergy, congregation, and guests sincere best wishes for a |
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| 32 | 33 | | meaningful and memorable event; and, be it further |
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| 33 | 34 | | RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
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| 34 | 35 | | prepared for the church as an expression of high regard by the Texas |
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| 35 | 36 | | House of Representatives. |
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