79R16566 MDM-D

By:  Jones of Dallas                                              H.R. No. 1633



R E S O L U T I O N
	WHEREAS, The Reverend Jesse Brown and the faithful 
congregants and friends of New Hope Missionary Baptist Church are 
giving thanks for the church's two centuries of service to the 
Wheelock community; and
	WHEREAS, Founded about 1800, New Hope is the only African 
American house of worship in the area today; initially, members met 
in a log structure they had built deep in the woods of Robertson 
County, but poor roads and difficult travel hindered the church's 
growth; Sam and Lucy Bell Stubbs Mitchell generously offered land 
on Hearne Road for a new church building, and the New Hope church 
home has remained at that site since its relocation in the early 
20th century; and
	WHEREAS, The church has met various needs in the lives of 
nearby residents throughout its rich history, for it served the 
surrounding community as a one-teacher school, with Mr. Rocha 
Middleton as an early instructor; in addition to services on the 
first Sunday of the month, activities offered included deacon's 
meetings, a mission society, Sunday school, and various programs 
for young people, including Baptist Training Union and the Young 
People's Star Light Band; and
	WHEREAS, Regularly scheduled events hosted by the 
congregation have ranged from summertime baptisms conducted in a 
pond, to weeklong revivals, to Juneteenth celebrations; the center 
of community life, New Hope has been the scene of meetings, 
area-wide homecoming festivities in June, fish fries, potluck 
suppers, and other fund-raising endeavors to help defray church 
expenses; and
	WHEREAS, For two centuries, New Hope Missionary Baptist 
Church has been a source of spiritual guidance and practical 
assistance for generations of Texans, and it is most deserving of 
special recognition; now, therefore, be it
	RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 79th Texas 
Legislature hereby honor New Hope Missionary Baptist Church in 
Wheelock on its notable anniversary celebration and extend sincere 
best wishes to Reverend Jesse Brown and members of the 
congregation; and, be it further
	RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be 
prepared for the church as an expression of high regard by the Texas 
House of Representatives.