R E S O L U T I O N 1-1 WHEREAS, The Reverend Ronald R. Walter will join with the 1-2 members of the congregation of First Evangelical Lutheran Church in 1-3 Galveston as they prepare to celebrate the church's 150th 1-4 anniversary; and 1-5 WHEREAS, Founded by Lutheran outreach missionaries from 1-6 Switzerland in the fall of 1850, the church quickly became an 1-7 established place of worship in the Galveston community, especially 1-8 for the German Lutheran families in that fast-growing area; 1-9 originally named First German Evangelical Lutheran Church, it 1-10 received its charter from the State of Texas in the fall of 1851; 1-11 and 1-12 WHEREAS, There was no public school in the area until 1871, 1-13 and a school established by the church offered a quality education 1-14 to children throughout the community for many years; and 1-15 WHEREAS, First Evangelical Lutheran Church traces its 1-16 architectural history to a building called Lyceum Hall, which it 1-17 purchased in 1852; originally located on the corner of 25th and 1-18 Winnie, the structure has been moved, enclosed, and remodeled 1-19 through the decades, and it still serves as a reminder of earlier 1-20 times; in 1915, a more traditional house of worship added to Lyceum 1-21 Hall afforded more space and multipurpose facilities, and in the 1-22 1950s the church erected a new building in which services are 1-23 currently held; and 1-24 WHEREAS, In 1984, First Evangelical Lutheran Church was 2-1 entered into the National Registry of Historical Places, and it was 2-2 recognized as the oldest Lutheran parish of German origin with a 2-3 continuous ministry in the state; and 2-4 WHEREAS, Plans for a 50th anniversary celebration in the fall 2-5 of 1900 were abandoned with the advent of the devastating Galveston 2-6 hurricane that destroyed much of the island's population and 2-7 buildings; although the church sustained severe interior damage to 2-8 its furnishings, the Lyceum Hall provided a haven for the homeless 2-9 and disheartened; and 2-10 WHEREAS, Innovative response to the needs of local citizens 2-11 led the congregation to organize a mission parish on the west end 2-12 of the island in 1929; known as St. Paul's Lutheran Church, it 2-13 continues to meet the spiritual needs of area residents; and 2-14 WHEREAS, More than 3,000 people attended the first outdoor 2-15 Easter sunrise service hosted by First Evangelical Lutheran Church 2-16 in 1950 on a municipal pier overlooking the Gulf of Mexico; and 2-17 WHEREAS, For a century and a half, First Evangelical Lutheran 2-18 Church members have demonstrated a steadfast commitment to 2-19 bettering their community, and their efforts in this regard are 2-20 truly worthy of special recognition; now, therefore, be it 2-21 RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 76th Texas 2-22 Legislature hereby congratulate the Reverend Ronald R. Walter and 2-23 the members of First Evangelical Lutheran Church on the occasion of 2-24 the church's 150th anniversary and commend them for contributing to 2-25 the church's dynamic history of providing support and inspiration 2-26 to generations of Texans; and, be it further 2-27 RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be 3-1 prepared for First Evangelical Lutheran Church as an expression of 3-2 high regard by the Texas House of Representatives. Gray Eiland _______________________________ Speaker of the House I certify that H.R. No. 894 was adopted by the House on May 22, 1999, by a non-record vote. _______________________________ Chief Clerk of the House