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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, One of the oldest African American churches in |
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Texas, St. Paul United Methodist in San Antonio marked another |
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milestone in its illustrious history on November 19, 2006, with the |
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celebration of its 140th anniversary; and |
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WHEREAS, St. Paul became the first black church to be |
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established in San Antonio when a local minister, the Reverend A. |
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Larkin Carper, organized former members of Travis Park Methodist |
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Episcopal Church into a new congregation in 1866; soon afterward, |
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parishioners of St. Paul voted to affiliate with the northern |
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branch of the Methodist Church, and they began holding services in |
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an area known as Newcomville, on the near West Side; and |
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WHEREAS, The congregation met at several different sites |
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before erecting a substantial building at its present location on |
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the East Side in 1921-1922; since that time, members have enlarged |
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their campus through the purchase of adjacent property, and the |
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church complex has undergone expansion and renovation; and |
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WHEREAS, Congregants of St. Paul have long sought to address |
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the basic needs of their community: following the Civil War, St. |
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Paul hosted the Lincoln School, the first African American school |
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to open its doors in San Antonio; in the 1940s, the church |
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established St. Paul House, which served the East Side as both a |
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secular and religious meeting place and, in the days of |
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segregation, also provided lodging for travelers; today, St. Paul |
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is engaged in a number of outreach efforts, including such |
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collaborative undertakings as the Wesley Nursing Program, which the |
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church helped to pioneer, and the Feed My Lambs food and clothing |
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bank, managed by the St. Paul United Methodist Women; and |
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WHEREAS, Through the years, St. Paul has been led by a number |
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of able pastors; in addition to Reverend Carper, ministers have |
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included the Reverends Mack Henson, C. L. Madison, J. W. Weakley, L. |
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H. Richardson, J. W. Warren, G. A. Deslandes, Robert S. Mosby, K. W. |
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McMillan, Earnest Smith, Jacob H. Carruthers, T. M. Bruton, Lavalle |
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H. Lowe, Prenza L. Woods, Hector Grant, Robert Felder, and Terrence |
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Hays; the congregation is now guided by the Reverend Dr. Marcus A. |
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L. Freeman III; and |
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WHEREAS, Individual members have contributed their talents |
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to the community in many roles, both as professionals and as |
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tradesmen and craftsmen; in addition, the mothers of the |
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congregation, especially, have instilled strong values in their |
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children, raising them to be responsible citizens and productive |
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members of society; and |
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WHEREAS, St. Paul's rich heritage was recognized in 2002, |
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when the church received a United Methodist Historical Marker; and |
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WHEREAS, Sustained by a common purpose, warm fellowship, and |
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inspired leadership, the members of St. Paul United Methodist |
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Church have remained constant in their devotion and witness to |
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their faith, and it is a pleasure to commemorate this joyous |
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occasion in the life of their church; now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 80th Texas |
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Legislature hereby congratulate the Reverend Dr. Marcus A. L. |
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Freeman III and the congregants of St. Paul United Methodist Church |
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on the 140th anniversary of the church's founding and extend to them |
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sincere best wishes as they embark on a new decade of worship and |
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service; and, be it further |
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RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
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prepared for Reverend Freeman and the church's congregation as an |
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expression of high regard by the Texas House of Representatives. |
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McClendon |
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______________________________ |
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Speaker of the House |
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I certify that H.R. No. 2108 was adopted by the House on May |
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25, 2007, by a non-record vote. |
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______________________________ |
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Chief Clerk of the House |
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