2025 SESSION
ENROLLED
HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 712
Commending Providence Baptist Church.
Agreed to by the House of Delegates, February 18, 2025
Agreed to by the Senate, February 20, 2025
WHEREAS, for more than 150 years, Providence Baptist Church has provided wise spiritual leadership, opportunities for joyful worship, and generous community outreach programs to the residents of Leesburg; and
WHEREAS, Providence Baptist Church traces its roots to 1874, when the Reverend Harvey Johnson, who had organized several other churches in Northern Virginia, conducted a revival service that was held at the Bailey School Society of Leesburg; and
WHEREAS, Reverend Johnson subsequently served as the first pastor of Providence Baptist Church and oversaw the construction of the original church building on a lot owned by the Nickens family with lumber furnished by a local contractor named John Morris; and
WHEREAS, since those early days, Providence Baptist Church has benefited from the leadership of 10 additional head pastors: the Reverend Peter Fisher, the Reverend D.A. Henderson, the Reverend E.D. Taylor, the Reverend Francis E. Pree, the Reverend Mcqueary, the Reverend H.M. Chapman, the Reverend Huston Brooks, the Reverend J.E. Morris, the Reverend Herbert C. Love, Jr., and the Reverend Corey Z. Gault, who was installed as lead pastor in 2018; and
WHEREAS, over the years, Providence Baptist Church conducted numerous renovation programs to modernize church facilities and better serve the growing congregation; and
WHEREAS, Providence Baptist Church also expanded its ministries, clubs, and organizations to stay engaged with members of the congregation and the wider community; the church offers ministries for adults, children, women, couples, and singles, among others; and
WHEREAS, the members of Providence Baptist Church have worked diligently to enhance the quality of life of all Leesburg residents through opportunities for volunteer service and generous outreach, such as scholarships for local students; and
WHEREAS, throughout its storied history, Providence Baptist Church has been a beacon of faith, hope, and joy for generations of Leesburg residents; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, the Senate concurring, That the General Assembly hereby commend Providence Baptist Church on the occasion of its 150th anniversary; and, be it
RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to Providence Baptist Church as an expression of the General Assembly's admiration for the church's vital role in the Leesburg community.