[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 63 (Friday, May 19, 2000)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E774]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


           TRIBUTE TO THE PILGRIM BAPTIST CHURCH OF SAN MATEO

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                            HON. TOM LANTOS

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                         Thursday, May 18, 2000

  Mr. LANTOS. Mr. Speaker, I would like to urge my colleagues to join 
me in recognizing the proud history and social contributions of the 
Pilgrim Baptist Church of San Mateo, California. Since its founding 
over seventy-three years ago, this house of worship has grown not only 
in numbers but also in its commitment to community service.
  During the 1920's, the Peninsula south of San Francisco was dotted 
with small towns, neighborhoods filled with people of many colors and 
creeds who were drawn to the beauty and promise of the Bay Area. In 
this era of change the Pilgrim Baptist Church was born. On New Year's 
Eve 1925, A.J. Lucas of San Mateo hosted a prayer and watch meeting in 
his North Fremont Street residence. These gatherings became regular 
occurrences in the months to follow, as Mr. Lucas and his fellow 
believers convened on Sunday and Thursday evenings at the Lucas' home. 
On April 4, 1926, the church was formally organized and named the 
Abyssinia Missionary Baptist Church.
  During the decades to come, as America waged a world war and the City 
of San Mateo grew into a vibrant community of culture and commerce, the 
Pilgrim Baptist Church continued to thrive. In 1962, when it 
constructed its present sanctuary at a cost of over $100,000, Pilgrim 
had over four hundred members. The church's outstanding reputation 
inspired the formation of new congregations throughout the Peninsula, 
many of them guided by former Pilgrim members.
  In addition to educating its congregation and community about 
religious principles, the Pilgrim Baptist family offers a network of 
support that reflects the finest of its Christian values. Men and women 
with problems can turn to the church for spiritual guidance, emotional 
strength, and peer support. Others turn to Pilgrim Baptist Church in 
times of joy, among them the many Peninsula students who celebrate 
their high school graduations at the church's annual festivities to 
honor the accomplishments of African-American youth in the Bay Area. 
Some of these young people have received college scholarships from The 
Dukes and Duchesses, a group of Pilgrim congregants who work together 
to encourage minority educational advancement.
  Mr. Speaker, chronicling every one of Pilgrim's religious and 
cultural contributions would be an arduous task. From the Home Bible 
Study Ministry to the annual concerts of the Mass Choir in honor of 
Black History Month, the Pilgrim Baptist Church offers extraordinary 
blessings to so many Bay Area residents.
  Today, more than three-quarters of a century after A.J. Lucas began 
holding prayer meetings in his home, Pilgrim Baptist Church remains a 
beacon for the San Mateo community. Under the able leadership of its 
current pastor, Rev. Larry Wayne Ellis, membership is now approaching 
600 people, and the congregation prepares to dedicate a new Education 
and Fellowship Building addition this July.
  Mr. Speaker, the contributions of Pilgrim Baptist Church truly 
reflect the Biblical injunction to love and serve one another. I urge 
all of my colleagues in the Congress to join me in commending the 
values and public service of this exceptional San Mateo institution.

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