By: Brimer H.R. No. 248 73R4400 PFG-D R E S O L U T I O N 1-1 WHEREAS, Three months after a fire severely damaged the 1-2 Pleasant Ridge Church of Christ, the congregation was happily able 1-3 to return to the church to worship in February, thanks to the hard 1-4 work of its members and the support of the Fort Worth community, 1-5 and this remarkable achievement will surely endure as a testament 1-6 to the power of faith and perseverance; and 1-7 WHEREAS, The five-alarm fire on November 9, 1992, destroyed 1-8 classrooms and offices at the church's education building on 1-9 Pleasant Ridge Road and left in its wake water and smoke-ruined 1-10 pews and carpeting in the sanctuary and an estimated $2.5 million 1-11 in structural damage; the enormity of the fire required the efforts 1-12 of 71 fire fighters from several local fire departments to 1-13 extinguish it; and 1-14 WHEREAS, Within days of the massive fire, volunteers were 1-15 working to refurbish the damaged sanctuary and rebuild the 1-16 destroyed education facility under the dedicated leadership of the 1-17 church's urgency committee, which acted swiftly and decisively in 1-18 the weeks that followed; headed by minister Pat Malone, the 1-19 nine-member committee met at 7:00 each weekday morning to plan the 1-20 rebuilding effort, devoting countless hours to the vital project; 1-21 and 1-22 WHEREAS, The 1,200 members of the church responded generously 1-23 in the aftermath of the tragedy, volunteering their time and energy 1-24 to the undertaking and raising contributions in an amount that 2-1 quickly surpassed all expectations; the church also received many 2-2 deeply appreciated donations from caring citizens in the community; 2-3 and 2-4 WHEREAS, Undaunted by the recent difficulties, this dedicated 2-5 congregation has carried on with its normal activities during the 2-6 church's repair, conducting services and Bible classes at local 2-7 schools and homes; despite the inconvenience, attendance remained 2-8 high at Sunday services, and the church has welcomed 12 new 2-9 families to the congregation since November; and 2-10 WHEREAS, Transforming a negative event into a positive 2-11 opportunity, the congregation looks forward to completing the new 2-12 larger facility and a family life center in time for Christmas; and 2-13 WHEREAS, One member compared the church's remarkable recovery 2-14 to the natural forces that form a diamond, just as that brilliant 2-15 gem is forged from great pressure, so too has this faithful 2-16 congregation emerged from adversity stronger and brighter than 2-17 ever; the congregation's recent efforts to overcome significant 2-18 hardship are indeed commendable and deserving of legislative 2-19 recognition; now, therefore, be it 2-20 RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 73rd Texas 2-21 Legislature honor the many dedicated members of the Pleasant Ridge 2-22 Church of Christ and the generous citizens of the Fort Worth 2-23 community who joined together to rebuild this valued house of 2-24 worship; and, be it further 2-25 RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be 2-26 prepared for the members of this outstanding congregation as an 2-27 expression of high regard by the Texas House of Representatives.