[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 71 (Thursday, June 9, 1994)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: June 9, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
             100TH ANNIVERSARY OF BROOKDALE BAPTIST CHURCH

                                 ______


                            HON. HERB KLEIN

                             of new jersey

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, June 8, 1994

  Mr. KLEIN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor of Brookdale Baptist 
Church's 100th anniversary.
  The Brookdale Baptist Church was formally incorporated on June 5, 
1894. A small building had been built in 1873, and Henry Hepburn, a 
local resident, later purchased the property for $1,000 with the 
assistance of Dr. Charles A. Cook. This initiated the Brookdale Baptist 
Church as a mission of the First Baptist Church of Bloomfield, NJ.
  At first, oil lamps hung from the ceiling and wood-burning stoves 
provided the heat inside the building. There was an old Methodist 
kneeling bench, and a railing stretched across the church. The pulpit 
furniture consisted of a large desk, two chairs, a settee, and a clock. 
A Sunday School class later donated a tiny pump-organ.
  The church began to grow in the ensuing years. The membership reached 
47 by 1900, and by 1930 grew to 107. Under the ministry of Rev. Enoch 
S. Moore, membership more than doubled.
  This growth continued under the leadership of Dr. Charles W. Anderson 
from 1939 to 1972 and resulted in needed expansion. A new wing was 
added in 1941 and a separate Georgian-type brick building was 
constructed on the corner of Broad Street and Mountain Avenue by 1947. 
These building improvements increased the seating to 750. Eventually, 
an educational building was added in the rear. In 1965 the current 
1,780-seat auditorium was built to accommodate the church's huge growth 
in membership.
  Brookdale Baptist Church has also been a leader in missionary work, 
sending many missionaries to farflung corners of the world.
  The surge in membership and building enlargement are a testament to 
the hard work, determination, and commitment of the parishioners of the 
Brookdale Baptist Church. It is with great pleasure that I ask my 
colleagues to join me in paying tribute on this distinguished occasion.

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