Bill Text: VA HJR13 | 2016 | Regular Session | Enrolled

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Bill Title: Commending Pilgrim Baptist Church.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Passed) 2016-01-21 - Bill text as passed House and Senate (HJ13ER) [HJR13 Detail]

Download: Virginia-2016-HJR13-Enrolled.html

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HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 13 Commending Pilgrim Baptist Church.

Agreed to by the House of Delegates, January 15, 2016 Agreed to by the Senate, January 21, 2016

WHEREAS, for 100 years, Pilgrim Baptist Church has provided spiritual leadership and opportunities for joyful worship and worked to strengthen and enhance the entire Roanoke community; and

WHEREAS, in 1915, a local prayer group known as the Pilgrim Prayer Band gathered under the Reverend Floyd Patterson to officially form Pilgrim Baptist Church; services moved from members' homes to a Roanoke storefront, which was later demolished for the construction of a new sanctuary; and

WHEREAS, Pilgrim Baptist Church later relocated to the intersection of 13th Street and Rugby Boulevard, where it served members of the community for four decades, before moving to its current home on 8th Street; and

WHEREAS, over the years, Pilgrim Baptist Church benefited from the wise leadership of several pastors, including Benjamin Law, Carl Gill, Thomas Holmes, and Robert Jeffrey; the sixth and current pastor, Dwight O. Steele, Sr., has overseen significant growth in membership and community involvement as the second-longest-serving pastor in church history; and

WHEREAS, with a loyal congregation of more than 1,000 members, Pilgrim Baptist Church is devoted to its mission to live in accordance with the Word of God, evangelize the world, and promote social, economic, and educational welfare in the community; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, the Senate concurring, That the General Assembly hereby commend Pilgrim Baptist Church, on the occasion of its 100th anniversary, for its spiritual leadership of its congregation and support for all residents of Roanoke; and, be it

RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to the Reverend Dwight O. Steele, Sr., pastor of Pilgrim Baptist Church, as an expression of the General Assembly's admiration for its storied history and numerous contributions to the community.