[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 123 (Wednesday, September 25, 2002)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1642]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[[Page E1642]]
    CELEBRATING THE 75TH ANNIVERSARY OF HYDE PARK COMMUNITY UNITED 
                            METHODIST CHURCH

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. ROB PORTMAN

                                of ohio

                    in the house of representatives

                      Tuesday, September 24, 2002

  Mr. PORTMAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Hyde Park 
Community United Methodist Church on the 75th anniversary of its 
consecration.
  The origins of the Church can be traced to 1879 when the Mount 
Lookout Methodist Episcopal Church was organized by fifteen Methodists 
who were meeting in area homes. In 1880, a wooden church was erected at 
the site of the current church on the corner of Observatory Road and 
Grace Avenue on land donated by John Kilgour.
  Meanwhile, in 1907, another small group of congregants left the Mount 
Lookout M.E. and formed the Hyde Park Methodist Episcopal Church. They 
constructed a building at 2753 Erie Avenue, which was completed in 
1915. Both churches continued to grow. After the Mount Lookout M.E. 
Church was damaged by termites and a tornado and the Hyde Park M.E. 
Church building experienced structural difficulties, Bishop Henderson 
urged the two churches to merge, and in 1922 the two became the Mt. 
Lookout Hyde Park United Methodist Episcopal Church.
  In 1923, the pastor of the newly merged churches, Reverend Warren 
Dunham, articulated the vision of the community church, and encouraged 
the construction of a new building. The congregation moved quickly to 
construct a large and impressive Gothic structure that required 
substantial financial sacrifice by its members. The present building 
was dedicated on the site of the original Mount Lookout M.E. Church on 
September 25, 1927.
  Since 1927, the Church has grown significantly, enlarging its 
buildings and adding to its membership. But its Invitation, dedicated 
on its founding, in 1927, remains unaltered, and as timeless today as 
then. It reads:

     To all who mourn and need comfort
     To all who are tired and need rest
     To all who are friendless and want friendship
     To all who are lonely and want companionship
     To all who are homeless and want sheltering love
     To all who pray, and all who do not, but ought
     To all who sin and need a savior;
     and to who-so-ever-will, this church opens wide its doors, 
           and in the name of Jesus, our Lord, bids welcome!

  The inclusive spirit of this Invitation is one reason Hyde Park 
Community United Methodist Church has been blessed by such growth and 
success over the years. The Church community is a shining example of 
the United Methodist Church's current nationwide inclusiveness campaign 
of ``Open Hearts, Open Minds, Open Doors.''
  Over the years, the Church has had a proud tradition of not just 
serving the spiritual needs of the congregation, but also reaching out 
to help others. Consistent with the vision laid out in the 1920s, the 
Church has been active in the community. This includes the Hyde Park 
community, the Greater Cincinnati area and our greater national and 
world community through its ministries on Christian education, United 
Methodist Women, Spiritual Direction, affiliations with churches in 
other countries, and mission programs.
  All of us in Greater Cincinnati congratulate the Church, its pastors, 
parishioners, and staff on the occasion of the Church's 75th 
anniversary. We also look forward to many more years of the Hyde Park 
Community United Methodist Church and its open Invitation and 
commitment to our community.

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