[Congressional Bills 111th Congress] [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office] [H. Con. Res. 312 Introduced in House (IH)] 111th CONGRESS 2d Session H. CON. RES. 312 Recognizing Springfield Baptist Church as the first African-American church established in the City of Greensboro, Georgia, following the Emancipation Proclamation and, therefore, the oldest in Greene County, on the occasion of its placement as a permanent marker by the Georgia Historical Society. _______________________________________________________________________ IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES July 30, 2010 Mr. Broun of Georgia (for himself, Mr. Kingston, Mr. Westmoreland, Mr. Johnson of Georgia, Mr. Lewis of Georgia, Mr. Scott of Georgia, Mr. Gingrey of Georgia, Mr. Price of Georgia, Mr. Barrow, Mr. Bishop of Georgia, and Mr. Marshall) submitted the following concurrent resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform _______________________________________________________________________ CONCURRENT RESOLUTION Recognizing Springfield Baptist Church as the first African-American church established in the City of Greensboro, Georgia, following the Emancipation Proclamation and, therefore, the oldest in Greene County, on the occasion of its placement as a permanent marker by the Georgia Historical Society. Whereas during the dark days of United States history when the Nation embraced slavery, there were 56 African-American members listed in the First Book of Conference at First Baptist Church in Greensboro, Georgia, in 1845, and those individuals were required to gain permission from their slave owners in order to seek membership; Whereas in the midst of the Civil War, African-American slaves residing in Greene County identified the importance of organizing themselves for better worship and establishing a church for their mutual encouragement and edification; Whereas, on January 27, 1864, Henry Porter, Frank Massey, Umply Stocks, and Jack Terrell, all of whom were under the cruel institution of slavery, pulled their resources together to purchase 1.25 acres of land on the southern edge of Greensboro for $6.25; Whereas soon after, the aforementioned slaves purchased the Old Georgia Depot Building, converting the former train depot into a place of worship and named it Springfield Baptist Church; Whereas after the Civil War, freedmen developed a community surrounding the church, identifying the neighborhood as ``Canaan'', a Biblical reference to the land which God promised to his chosen people, the Israelites; Whereas throughout the years, many distinguished guests, who were instrumental in advocating for civil rights, ministered at Springfield Baptist Church, including Dr. Samuel H. Archer, Dr. Charles D. Hubert, and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.; Whereas, on September 8, 1987, the U.S. Department of the Interior National Park Service distinguished Springfield Baptist Church as a sacred edifice ``worthy of preservation'' and, therefore, placed the church on its National Register of Historic Places; and Whereas the strength and compassion of the generations of families, who embraced Springfield Baptist as their church home, have contributed to making Greene County a stronger and more attractive community in which to live: Now, therefore, be it Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring), That Congress-- (1) recognizes Springfield Baptist Church as the first African-American church established in the City of Greensboro, Georgia, following the Emancipation Proclamation and, therefore, the oldest in Greene County, on the occasion of its placement as a permanent marker by the Georgia Historical Society; and (2) commends the congregation of Springfield Baptist Church, including its many generations of pastors, church leaders, and families, for serving as a source of encouragement, inspiration, and pride for members of the community for more than a century. <all>