Bill Text: IL HR1355 | 2009-2010 | 96th General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: Congratulates the congregation of the Trinity Lutheran Church of Derinda on the occasion of the church's 150th anniversary.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)

Status: (Passed) 2010-11-16 - Resolution Adopted [HR1355 Detail]

Download: Illinois-2009-HR1355-Introduced.html

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HOUSE RESOLUTION
WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of
Representatives are pleased to congratulate the congregation
of the Trinity Lutheran Church of Derinda on the occasion of
the church's 150th anniversary; and
WHEREAS, As early as 1856, informal worship services were
held in private homes or under huge oak trees around Derinda
Township by traveling ministers from neighboring villages or
from Wartburg Seminary in Galena; these early gatherings were
referred to as "The Congregation at Rush Creek"; in 1860, the
Trinity Lutheran Church of Derinda was incorporated to serve
the needs of these worshippers; and
WHEREAS, The Trinity Lutheran Church of Derinda grew
steadily throughout the 1860s; after buying the land for the
church from Mr. and Mrs. Christopher Groezinger in 1864, the
first church at Derinda was built in 1872 near the site of the
present church; in 1925, a new church was built, which is still
used by the congregation today; and
WHEREAS, The Trinity Lutheran Church of Derinda's services
were held in German until the early 1920s; the German services
were entirely discontinued by 1930 and all services were
thereafter conducted in English; Trinity shared the same pastor

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with St. John at Massbach for many years until 1947, when
Trinity joined with St. Paul Lutheran Church in Hanover, then a
mission church, to become a joint parish; and
WHEREAS, The Trinity Lutheran Church of Derinda has made
several changes and upgrades to its church throughout the
years; in 1899, the congregation purchased a new bell that is
still in use today; 2 stained-glass windows that were
originally in the front of the church were removed during
renovations in 1967 were put back on the front of the church
after 40 years; in 2006, a handicapped-accessible entrance with
an elevator going from the basement to the balcony and 2
handicapped-accessible restrooms were added to the church; and
WHEREAS, The Trinity Lutheran Church of Derinda is an
active country church; the church has been involved in several
community activities, including the Relay for Life and a
farmer's market stand in Elizabeth; the church has a Hurricane
Katrina fund and sponsored 2 members of the congregation to
travel to Biloxi, Mississippi in March 2006 to help for a week;
Trinity joined other area churches to raise funds to purchase a
new specialized van for the Rev. Ken Matthews of the Hanover
Methodist Church; the congregation also contributed to local
food pantries; and
WHEREAS, The Trinity Lutheran Church of Derinda has had 2

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members of the congregation become ordained ministers, the Rev.
Cletus Fahrion in 1961 and the Rev. Dan Reusch in 1983; Trinity
also sponsored 2 student pastors from Wartburg Seminary, Sandy
Dexter in 2005 and Jim Wendt in 2006 and 2007; and
WHEREAS, The Trinity Lutheran Church of Derinda will have a
celebration service, a potluck, and a 150th anniversary program
in celebration of its 150th anniversary on June 27, 2010; and
WHEREAS, The congregation of the Trinity Lutheran Church of
Derinda serves as a model 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-SIXTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we
congratulate the congregation of the Trinity Lutheran Church of
Derinda 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 C. David Vidler, Pastor of the Trinity Lutheran
Church of Derinda, as a symbol of our esteem and respect.