Bill Text: VA HJR433 | 2010 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Commending Emmanuel Episcopal Church on the occasion of its 150th anniversary.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Passed) 2010-03-12 - House: Bill text as passed House and Senate (HJ433ER) [HJR433 Detail]
Download: Virginia-2010-HJR433-Introduced.html
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WHEREAS, Emmanuel Episcopal Church of Richmond and its faithful congregation celebrate 150 years of service to the Lord and the community in 2010; and WHEREAS, in 1859 John Stewart, a wealthy and devout Christian, felt strongly about bringing the word of God to the community near his estate, Brook Hill, in Henrico County and he generously donated the land and funds for the building of a church; and WHEREAS, Emmanuel Episcopal Church, a 200-seat Gothic Revival style church, located on a seventeen acre tract, was consecrated on July 6, 1860, with The Reverend Richard Hooker Wilmer as its first rector; in its early years, Emmanuel, which means God With Us, persevered during the Civil War, with troops from both sides camping on the grounds and many soldiers attending services on Sunday; and WHEREAS, desirous to serve the community, Emmanuel Episcopal Church, which was known as The Little Church in the Pine Woods, started a parochial school in the Brook Hill community in the early 1860s that remained open until 1950, when the public schools in the area filled the needs of the children in the community; and WHEREAS, in 1910 the Joseph Bryan Building was built to serve as a parish hall and to house offices and the parochial school; in 2007 the building was refurbished and renamed the Bryan Education Center and now includes a media center, computer lab, and The Reverend Canon Reginald H. Fuller Chapel; and WHEREAS, over the years, Emmanuel Episcopal Church organized several ministries, including a Brotherhood of St. Andrews chapter and a Daughters of the King chapter, to better serve its members and the community; and WHEREAS, the congregation also established other churches, including the Emmanuel Chapel in Barton Heights, which later became the Church of the Epiphany; a chapel in Yangchow, China, in 1913; and a chapel in the Philippines in 1962; and WHEREAS, Emmanuel Episcopal Church has continued its outreach efforts in recent years through its sponsorship of families coming to America for a new life and participation in CARITAS and Habitat for Humanity; and WHEREAS, Emmanuel Episcopal Church received a historical landmark designation for Henrico County and the National Register in 1998; and WHEREAS, today the Emmanuel Episcopal Church congregation of over 400 members worships in a beautiful sanctuary with 13 stained glass windows and a 23-rank Heissler tracker organ; and the bell that was purchased by the women of the church in 1881 and hangs in the bell tower is still rung today before each Sunday service; and WHEREAS, Emmanuel Episcopal Church has been served throughout its 150-year history by immensely dedicated and able clergy, associate clergy, lay members and staff, who have provided visionary leadership, devout worship, meaningful Christian education, and enthusiastic ministry and community missions; and WHEREAS, throughout its long history, Emmanuel Episcopal Church has provided its devoted congregation, its neighbors, and the community a place to worship, to help others, and to grow in faith and service; and WHEREAS, Emmanuel Episcopal Church will celebrate its 150th anniversary on July 6, 2010, and hold special services on July 11, 2010, to commemorate its founding; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, the Senate concurring, That the General Assembly commend Emmanuel Episcopal Church on the occasion of its 150th anniversary; and, be it RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to The Reverend John Richard West, Jr., Emmanuel Episcopal Church's 16th Rector, as an expression of the General Assembly's congratulations and appreciation of the church's work in the community. |
