Bill Text: VA SJR94 | 2024 | Regular Session | Enrolled
Bill Title: Commending Beulah Baptist Church.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Passed) 2024-02-19 - Bill text as passed Senate and House (SJ94ER) [SJR94 Detail]
Download: Virginia-2024-SJR94-Enrolled.html
WHEREAS, for 160 years, Beulah Baptist Church of Alexandria has provided its members with uplifting spiritual guidance, countless moments of joy, fellowship, worship, and opportunities for generous community outreach; and
WHEREAS, with roots that trace back to a school for former enslaved African Americans, Beulah Baptist Church was founded on October 19, 1863, by the Reverend Clem Robinson, who also served as the congregation's first pastor; and
WHEREAS, started by free-born men and women, Beulah Baptist Church was the first Black Baptist church founded after the start of the Civil War and is today the second oldest Baptist church in the City of Alexandria; and
WHEREAS, Beulah Baptist Church stands proudly as a house of freedom and faith where all are welcomed and its members are committed to engaging in projects and services that will make an impact at the church, in the Alexandria community, and beyond; and
WHEREAS, following the Reverend Clem Robinson, Beulah Baptist Church has been led by several other accomplished pastors, including the Reverend Dr. Columbus Watson, who worked tirelessly as pastor for more than a half-century to provide sage counsel to the church's members and ensure the church's prosperity and longevity; and
WHEREAS, since 2017, Beulah Baptist Church has thrived under the thoughtful stewardship of its current pastor, the Reverend Quardricos Bernard Driskell, a legislative affairs and public policy expert in the areas of education and health whose efforts have improved the quality of life for others and advanced a number of social justice and human rights causes; and
WHEREAS, over the past 160 years, Beulah Baptist Church has been a spiritual home for its many members, who have found community and a greater sense of purpose within its walls; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED by the Senate, the House of Delegates concurring, That the General Assembly hereby commend Beulah Baptist Church as its congregation celebrates the church's 160th anniversary; and, be it
RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the Senate prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to the Reverend Quardricos Bernard Driskell, pastor of Beulah Baptist Church, as an expression of the General Assembly's admiration for the church's history and its contributions to the Commonwealth.
