HR1106 97TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR1106 LRB097 21722 GRL 70158 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of Representatives are pleased to congratulate the congregation of the First United Methodist Church in Elgin on the occasion of the church's 175th anniversary; and

WHEREAS, The rich history of the First United Methodist Church began in 1837, when Reverend Washington Wilcox was appointed as the head of the Elgin Circuit and became the first minister of the First United Methodist Church; and

WHEREAS, The cornerstone of the building currently used by the congregation of the First United Methodist Church was laid on January 24, 1924; it is the third structure built on that site since 1839; the building covers over half a city block and has 101 rooms; and

WHEREAS, The First United Methodist Church has been a strong part of the Elgin community throughout the years, seeing Elgin residents and the congregation through the Civil War, both World Wars, and the Great Depression; the church has given unstinting support to numerous community-wide Christian efforts, including the All People's Inter-Faith Food Pantry and Friendly Aid programs for the less fortunate; the church was instrumental in organizing a volunteer chaplaincy at Sherman Hospital, and in the later development of a full-time Chaplain's office at the hospital; and

WHEREAS, In July of 1950, with a congregation of 1,600 members, the First United Methodist Church appointed Carlton C. Rogers to serve as minister; after 34 years of service, Carlton Rogers became the longest-serving minister in the church's history; and

WHEREAS, First United Methodist Church inaugurated the annual Elgin Inter-Faith Service in 1972; the program extends the hand of fellowship to clergymen of the Catholic and Jewish faiths in symbolic religious service and has been cited by the United States Congress; and

WHEREAS, Today, the First United Methodist Church continues its service to the community by opening its doors to various groups and organizations as a meeting place; the congregation also participates in food pantry events and hosts weekly Soup Kettle Evenings; and

WHEREAS, The scope and divergence of the church's activities and a Christian commitment that extends from Elgin to the greater community of the world demonstrates that the First United Methodist Church has met and exceeded the expectations of its 175-year history; and

WHEREAS, The First United Methodist Church has planned a year-long celebration, with several public events to bring the congregation together and revisit its early roots; the congregation will also have an official 175th anniversary service on October 14, 2012; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-SEVENTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we congratulate the congregation of the First United Methodist Church on the occasion of the church's 175th anniversary and wish them continued success and happiness in the future; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to the First United Methodist Church as a symbol of our esteem and respect.