[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 190 (Thursday, November 30, 1995)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2269]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 SALUTING THE CONGREGATION OF THE SALEM LUTHERAN CHURCH OF ROSEHILL, TX

                                 ______


                            HON. JACK FIELDS

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                       Thursday, November 30, 1995

  Mr. FIELDS of Texas. Mr. Speaker, faith is a wonderful but mysterious 
thing. It enhances our lives when times are good, and sustains us when 
life seems almost unbearable. Faith in God and love for one's fellow 
man are two of the most valuable gifts a person can possess.
  The men, women, and children who attend the Salem Lutheran Church in 
Rosehill, TX, realize that their faith springs from within. They 
recognize that their church's foundation is built on more than brick, 
concrete, and glass. They understand that that foundation is built upon 
the faith, the kindness and the compassion of each and every one of the 
church's members.
  Sadly, I must report that on the evening of Tuesday, November 21, a 
four-alarm fire destroyed the sanctuary of the Salem Lutheran Church. 
More than 25 fire trucks from Rosehill and nearby communities responded 
to the blaze, and only because of the decisive action of one fire 
fighter was the church's family center saved from destruction.
  Mr. Speaker, Salem Lutheran Church is the oldest Missouri Lutheran 
Church in the State of Texas. When founded in 1852, Salem Lutheran 
Church was the first church in the Tomball area, which then was known 
as Peck. In 1870, the one-room sanctuary was transformed into the Salem 
Lutheran School, with students in grades one through eight attending. A 
new sanctuary was erected nearby.
  Despite its long and proud history, Salem Lutheran Church has also 
known tragedy and heartache. In 1964, the church pastor and his wife 
were killed in an auto accident. Then, several months later, the church 
burned to the ground. Finally a new structure was built, and it was 
dedicated in 1967.
  Now that the sanctuary is gone, church services will be held at Salem 
Lutheran School. The 2,000 members of the church's congregation can 
look forward to better days ahead, however.
  Even before the November 21 blase, the church had begun a new, 2,000-
seat sanctuary, which, when completed, will be the largest Missouri 
Synod Lutheran Church in Texas. While construction of the new structure 
will continue for at least another year, I am confident that the 
congregation of Salem Lutheran Church will get through this difficult 
time because of its faith.
  No one knows why this latest disaster has struck Salem Lutheran 
Church. When adversity strikes, we often ask ourselves what we did to 
arouse God's wrath. The fact is that God has a plan for each and every 
one of use who believes in Him, including the men, women, and children 
who attend the Salem Lutheran Church.
  This latest tragedy, no matter how difficult it is for us to 
understand, is a part of that plan. And that knowledge will, I hope, 
sustain senior pastor Wayne Grauman; administrative pastor Doug Dommer; 
pastor of care and counseling Craig Whitson; and the entire 
congregation of the Salem Lutheran Church of Rosehill in the weeks and 
months ahead.
  Mr. Speaker, I know you join with me in keeping the congregation of 
the Salem Lutheran Church in our thoughts and prayers, and wishing them 
a full and speedy recovery from this most recent tragedy.

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