79S10475 MDM-D

By:  Dutton                                                       H.R. No. 194



R E S O L U T I O N
	WHEREAS, Members and friends of Bethany Baptist Church in 
Houston are celebrating, on September 25, 2005, the 80th 
anniversary of the church's founding; and
	WHEREAS, This beloved institution, which grew out of the 
ministries of Cottage Grove Church and Houston Gardens Church, was 
organized in 1925 under the leadership of the Reverend Robert 
Alexander; that same year, it was admitted into the Union Baptist 
Association with 52 members; and
	WHEREAS, Bethany Baptist experienced moderate growth through 
the years until the early 1960s, when northeast Houston began to 
undergo dramatic demographic changes; in 1973, during a time of 
transition within the church and the city, the Reverend C. E. Carr 
became the congregation's first African American pastor; and
	WHEREAS, Since assuming the pulpit at Bethany Baptist in the 
mid-1980s, Dr. Steve W. Hall, Sr., has provided that church with 
powerful pastoral leadership, overseeing the continued development 
of the physical plant and impressive growth in the church 
membership rolls; his unwavering faith and guidance are a blessing 
to his congregants and the wider community; and
	WHEREAS, Bethany Baptist Church has been a haven of spiritual 
hope and assistance for generations of Texans, and it is a pleasure 
to join in honoring the church on this special day; now, therefore, 
be it
	RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 79th Texas 
Legislature, 1st Called Session, hereby congratulate Bethany 
Baptist Church on its 80th anniversary and extend to all those 
involved with the church sincere best wishes for the future; and, be 
it further
	RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be 
prepared for Bethany Baptist Church as an expression of high regard 
by the Texas House of Representatives.