Bill Text: IL HR0721 | 2015-2016 | 99th General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: Congratulates the congregation of Baileyville Baptist Church on the occasion of the church's 150th anniversary.

Sponsorship: Partisan Bill (Republican 1)

Status: (Passed) 2015-09-02 - Resolution Adopted [HR0721 Detail]

Download: Illinois-2015-HR0721-Introduced.html

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HR0721 LRB099 14025 GRL 38048 r
HOUSE RESOLUTION
WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of
Representatives wish to congratulate the congregation of
Baileyville Baptist Church on the occasion of the church's
150th anniversary on September 3, 2015; and
WHEREAS, In 1856, the families of Christopher Wilhelms and
Jodokus Bohen, both German Baptists, arrived in Silver Creek
Township; soon, there were enough East Frisian families in the
area that religious meetings were held in the home of Mr.
Wilhelms and later in the home of Harm Eckhoff; the growing
desire among these immigrants to establish a church resulted in
a meeting on September 3, 1865, at which a decision was made to
form a new congregation named "Die Erste Ostfriesische
Baptisten Gemeinde of Silver Creek, Illinois"; a church council
consisting of Harm Eckhoff, Inderk Bonn, and Fokke Zimmerman
was elected and 36 people were charter members of the church;
almost all of the charter members were former members of the
Baptist Church in Inhren, Ostfriesland; and
WHEREAS, Church meetings continued in various homes until
the spring of 1868, when permission was obtained to use the
Diddens schoolhouse, situated in the country about halfway
between what are now Freeport and German Valley; in 1869, the
growing congregation called upon its first pastor, J. G.

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Vanloh; in 1874, the construction of a church building was
started on a tract of land at the north edge of Baileyville;
the new church was dedicated on August 30, 1874; and
WHEREAS, In 1914, the official name of the congregation was
changed to "Die Erste Deutsche Baptisten Gemeinde,
Baileyville, Illinois"; on the night of February 4, 1920,
tragedy struck when the church and all its contents were
destroyed by fire; construction of a new, large brick building
was begun almost immediately, and this new church building was
dedicated on March 20, 1921; in later years, the official name
of the church was changed to First Baptist Church of
Baileyville; the church is also known as Baileyville Baptist
Church; and
WHEREAS, Over the church's history, the Baileyville
Baptist Church has ministered to local people and has been
involved in spreading the gospel throughout the United States,
with church plants in Iowa, South Dakota, Montana, and
throughout the State; its foreign missions program has seen
ones sent out to Nigeria, Sudan, Japan, the Philippines,
Canada, and India; the church also supports missionaries in
Germany, South Africa, Kenya, Ghana, Mexico, Argentina,
Israel, and Nepal; and
WHEREAS, Baileyville Baptist Church has had 34 pastors

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serve as shepherd of the flock since the church's founding;
former Pastor Delbert Rogers, who served the congregation from
1980 to 1982, will be the guest speaker during the church's
Anniversary Celebration; other pastors who have served in the
past 25 years are Rev. Nelson Hadley (1984 - 1993), Rev. John
Erenz (1995 - 2007), Rev. Alan Cassel (2007 - June 2015), and
the church's current pastor, Rev. Gary Branam; and
WHEREAS, The congregation and pastorate of Baileyville
Baptist Church serve as models of hard work, integrity, and
dedication for the people of the State of Illinois; therefore,
be it
RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
NINETY-NINTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we
congratulate the congregation of Baileyville Baptist Church on
the occasion of the church's 150th anniversary and wish them
continued success and happiness in the future; and be it
further
RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
presented to Baileyville Baptist Church as a symbol of our
esteem and respect.