Bill Text: VA HJR798 | 2017 | Regular Session | Enrolled
Bill Title: Commending Mahan Street First Baptist Church.
Spectrum: Bipartisan Bill
Status: (Passed) 2017-02-03 - Bill text as passed House and Senate (HJ798ER) [HJR798 Detail]
Download: Virginia-2017-HJR798-Enrolled.html
WHEREAS, in 2016, Mahan Street First Baptist Church in Suffolk celebrated 150 years of spiritual leadership, generous community outreach, and joyful worship in the Baptist tradition; and
WHEREAS, Mahan Street First Baptist Church was established in 1866 and held its first services in a house in Cedar Hill Cemetery before moving to a two-room brick building on what is now the corner of North Main Street and Mahan Street; and
WHEREAS, the Reverend Jordan Thompson served as the first official pastor of Mahan Street First Baptist Church, and, in 1870, he and members of the congregation erected a sanctuary on land donated by Alfred Adkins; and
WHEREAS, throughout its history, Mahan Street First Baptist Church has worked to meet both the spiritual and earthly needs of all Suffolk residents and helped establish many other church communities in the area; and
WHEREAS, over the years, Mahan Street First Baptist Church has thrived, and it now counts nearly 300 people as active members of the congregation; the church is affectionately known as "112" for its street address; and
WHEREAS, a strong work ethic is a hallmark of the Mahan Street First Baptist Church community, and congregants have come from all walks of life in Suffolk, including public servants, educators, doctors, and attorneys; and
WHEREAS, Mahan Street First Baptist Church commemorated its 150th anniversary with a banquet at the Edmonds Center in Portsmouth in November 2016, and the church plans to construct a new sanctuary to better serve its growing congregation; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, the Senate concurring, That the General Assembly hereby commend Mahan Street First Baptist Church on the occasion of its 150th anniversary in 2016; and, be it
RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to the Reverend Dr. Steven G. Blunt, pastor of Mahan Street First Baptist Church, as an expression of the General Assembly's admiration for the church's long legacy of service to the Suffolk community.