By:  Ratliff                                         S.C.R. No. 163
                             SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
    1-1        WHEREAS, The Legislature of the State of Texas is pleased and
    1-2  proud to congratulate the First Baptist Church of Marshall, Texas,
    1-3  which will celebrate 150 years of ministry and proclaiming the
    1-4  gospel on May 21, 1995; and
    1-5        WHEREAS, At the time of Texas' annexation into the United
    1-6  States of America, Baptists in Marshall were meeting regularly for
    1-7  worship; and
    1-8        WHEREAS, Although the church has traditionally celebrated
    1-9  1845 as its date of beginning, research shows that the Baptist
   1-10  Church of Marshall was officially organized with 12 charter members
   1-11  in May, 1847, by John Bryce, a native Virginian and Southern
   1-12  Baptist missionary in Texas; and
   1-13        WHEREAS, Early meetings of the Marshall Baptist Church were
   1-14  held in a log schoolhouse; later the congregation worshipped under
   1-15  a brush arbor erected on the property of James McCown; baptisms
   1-16  took place in nearby creeks; and
   1-17        WHEREAS, In 1848, Mr. McCown donated the tract of land in
   1-18  Marshall's original town site which continues to be the location of
   1-19  the church today; and
   1-20        WHEREAS, Marshall Baptist Church built its first permanent
   1-21  building in 1849; the oblong frame structure with a belfry was used
   1-22  for worship by other denominations and for lectures, concerts, and
   1-23  school commencements; and
    2-1        WHEREAS, In 1890, after 40 years of use, the original
    2-2  building was moved to the corner of the block to make room for a
    2-3  new Gothic sanctuary; the 600-seat edifice was completed in 1893;
    2-4  and
    2-5        WHEREAS, In 1904, the church helped organize the Second
    2-6  Baptist Church; Bethesda Baptist Church had been the first church
    2-7  to come out of the Marshall Baptist Church in 1867; the First
    2-8  Baptist Church has been instrumental in founding eight missions;
    2-9  and
   2-10        WHEREAS, In 1953, the First Baptist Church built its third
   2-11  sanctuary, a red brick Georgian Colonial structure; two years
   2-12  later, a Children's Building was constructed; a new educational
   2-13  building, to replace the 1928 Frazier Hall, and a chapel were added
   2-14  in 1972; and
   2-15        WHEREAS, Under the distinguished leadership of the present
   2-16  pastor, H. Hollie Atkinson, a renovation and refurbishing of the
   2-17  sanctuary was completed in 1987; and
   2-18        WHEREAS, Today, the First Baptist Church in its second
   2-19  century celebrates the faith of its fathers as it anticipates its
   2-20  future; now, therefore, be it
   2-21        RESOLVED, That the 74th Legislature of the State of Texas
   2-22  hereby salute the First Baptist Church of Marshall, Texas, on its
   2-23  150th anniversary and wish it many more years of devoted service to
   2-24  its members; and, be it further
   2-25        RESOLVED, That a copy of this resolution be prepared for the
    3-1  congregation of First Baptist Church as a memento of this grand
    3-2  occasion.