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1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of
3Representatives wish to congratulate the Payne Chapel African
4Methodist Episcopal Church on the occasion of its 111th
5anniversary; and
 
6    WHEREAS, Maria Thornton, a member of the Bethel AME Church
7in Chicago, moved to Chicago Heights in the early 1900s and
8envisioned establishing a house of worship in her new
9community; and
 
10    WHEREAS, On May 18, 1907, in the home of Hattie Brown,
11Maria Thornton and Rev. Thesby founded the A.M.E. Church of
12Chicago Heights; during the first months, the congregation had
13no regular meeting place and held services from home to home,
14often in the home of Hattie Brown; the first actual church
15building was erected in 1908-1909; the church moved into its
16current location on Easter Sunday in 1925; and
 
17    WHEREAS, The Payne Chapel AME Church was the first African
18American church in the Chicago Heights community; it was built
19and paid for by local families; and
 
20    WHEREAS, For 111 years, the Payne Chapel AME Church has
21helped the Chicago Heights community through its food pantry,

 

 

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1mission donations, clothing drive, and new community focus
2initiative; therefore, be it
 
3    RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE
4HUNDREDTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we
5congratulate the Payne Chapel African Methodist Episcopal
6Church on its 111th anniversary, and we wish them many more
7wonderful years; and be it further
 
8    RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
9presented to the Payne Chapel AME Church as a symbol of our
10respect and esteem.