HR1291 99TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR1291 LRB099 21194 MST 49115 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of Representatives wish to congratulate the Second Baptist Church in Elgin on the occasion of its 150th anniversary; and

WHEREAS, During the Civil War, on October 15, 1862, Rev. Benjamin Thomas of the First Baptist Church brought to Elgin about 125 escaped slaves, mostly women and children, from plantations in Franklin County, Alabama; they fled behind the lines of the Union Army; this group of refugees, joined later by husbands and fathers, established the African-American community of Elgin and formed the nucleus of Second Baptist Church; and

WHEREAS, Worship first took the form of camp meetings at Colby's Grove; informal services of prayers and songs took place at the home of Arthur Newsome; Rev. Adoniram J. Joslyn and Harriett Cheney of First Baptist Church provided assistance; Second Baptist Church was formally organized on December 2, 1866, with John Ford, Arthur Newsome, and Peter Newsome serving as trustees; its first African-American minister was Rev. Richard DeBaptiste of Chicago, who served as pastor prior to his death in 1901; born free in Ohio, he came to Elgin to preach at the new church and baptized many of the members; in the early days, even during the winter, baptisms were conducted in the Fox River; and

WHEREAS, The first church building was a frame structure on Center Street facing Barclay Park; later, a portion of the church moved to Dundee Avenue and remained there until March 28, 1875, when it was destroyed by fire; services were then held in City Hall until a new brick structure was erected in 1876 on the northwest corner of Dundee Avenue and Kimball Street; Newsome Park now rests on this site and was named in honor of the Newsome brothers who were among the church organizers; and

WHEREAS, By 1959, the church had grown in membership and the building and its contents were rapidly depreciating; the members of Second Baptist Church moved into their new house of worship on Franklin Boulevard on May 1, 1961; and

WHEREAS, On November 21, 1984, Rev. Shirley Roberts was licensed as a minister and ordained on September 29, 1991, becoming the first female minister in the history of the church and the first African-American female to be licensed and ordained in the City of Elgin; and

WHEREAS, Second Baptist Church moved into a new edifice on Summit Street on August 19, 1990; and

WHEREAS, Rev. Dr. Nathaniel L. Edmond was installed as the new pastor on February 20, 2000; under his leadership, the church has experienced tremendous growth; accomplishments include the nursery being refurbished and re-opening in May of 2000; the first "Wonderful Wednesday" mid-week service commenced on February 7, 2001; a second Sunday morning worship service began in June of 2002; the church website was launched in July of 2002; Noon Day Bible Study began in July of 2005; and a mentoring partnership with Sheridan Elementary School began in January of 2006; and

WHEREAS, In March of 2006, a Children's Church was established to provide a service designed to meet the needs of children ages 6 to 12; and

WHEREAS, In October of 2006, Pastor Edmond and First Lady Christine Edmond traveled to Africa as part of a World Vision International missionary trip; the church sponsored two children in Tanzania; the number grew to 132 by February of 2007; and

WHEREAS, Then United States Senate Candidate Barack Obama visited Second Baptist Church on May 11, 2003; his campaign slogan was "A Chance to Believe Again"; embarking on a grassroots campaign to build support in the State, he visited the church to introduce himself to the community and to field questions from potential voters; and

WHEREAS, Second Baptist Church operates a Young Adult Ministry, Public Relations Ministry, Prison Ministry, Bus Ministry, Divine Arts Ministry, Information Technology Ministry, Children's Church, Youth Ministry, SAFE (Standing Against Abuse for Everyone) Ministry, Empowerment Ministry, and League of Military Veterans Ministry in order to spread its message and reach the community; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-NINTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we congratulate Second Baptist Church on its 150th anniversary and wish them many more years of success; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to Second Baptist Church as an expression of our esteem and respect.