05 LC 98
0539
House
Resolution 419
By:
Representative Borders of the
175th
A
RESOLUTION
Recognizing
Macedonia First Baptist Church on the occasion of its 140th anniversary; and for
other purposes.
WHEREAS,
in 1865, in the first few years following the Civil War and Abraham Lincoln's
Emancipation Proclamation, Reverend Charles Anderson, a former slave, founded
the Macedonia First Baptist Church in Valdosta, Georgia; and
WHEREAS,
born into slavery in 1813, Reverend Anderson grew up on a farm owned by a
Savannah judge, and from 1859 to 1860, he held religious services in various
locations for a group of Valdosta's African American residents; and
WHEREAS,
by early 1868, he had gathered a group of members to form the church council,
which adopted the Articles of Faith of the Orthodox Baptist Church;
and
WHEREAS,
the old Troupville Baptist Church having been recently dismantled and its
materials stored, Reverend Anderson gave unselfishly of his time, talent, and
energy, working for several years to raise the $130.00 needed to buy the
second-hand lumber to construct a new and suitable church; and
WHEREAS,
in 1909, two years after Reverend Anderson's death at the age of 94, Pastor A.W.
Bryan supervised the construction of the sanctuary; and
WHEREAS,
140 years later, this spirit of determination and outstanding faith lives on in
today's Macedonia First Baptist Church, and it is only fitting and proper that
this body honor this church's proud tradition on this historic
milestone.
NOW,
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES that the members of
this body join in recognizing Macedonia First Baptist Church and extend their
sincere best wishes to each of its members on the momentous occasion of its
140th anniversary.
BE
IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Clerk of the House of Representatives is authorized
and directed to transmit an appropriate copy of this resolution to Macedonia
First Baptist Church.