HR0436 100TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0436 LRB100 12841 MST 26530 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, In 1867, Pastor F. Erdmann of Randolph County brought 12 families from his home congregation and purchased 80 acres of land in Lucas Township as a location for a new congregation; and

WHEREAS, St. John's Congregation was organized on July 21, 1867 and took the name Evangelical Lutheran St. John's Church; and

WHEREAS, A log cabin church was built on a five acre tract which Martin Hut sold to the congregation for one dollar; the church was dedicated on November 10, 1867; and

WHEREAS, In 1888, the congregation was accepted into membership of the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod; and

WHEREAS, In 1917, the church celebrated its 50th anniversary; there were 292 baptisms, 167 confirmed, 53 marriages, and seven burials; the congregation listed 170 souls at that time and nine pastors had served the congregation; and

WHEREAS, In 1957, the congregation decided to build a new church; the bell tower was completed in 1979; and

WHEREAS, By the 1990s, the church was in need of repairs and expansions with an average of 63 children in Sunday school, 55 in adult class, and a worship attendance of 190; in April of 1999, Sunday school rooms were added and a new kitchen was built, along with expanding the parish hall; and

WHEREAS, Thirty pastors have served the congregation with Reverend Joel Oschwald, the present pastor; and

WHEREAS, St. John's Evangelical Lutheran Church currently has 318 baptized members and continues to subscribe to the founding father's confession of the Holy Scriptures as the only rule and norm of Christian doctrine as set forth in the Unaltered Ausgburg Confession of 1530; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE HUNDREDTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we congratulate St. John's Evangelical Lutheran Church on celebrating its 150th anniversary; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to St. John's Evangelical Lutheran Church as an expression of our esteem and respect.