[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 125 (Monday, September 30, 2002)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1702-E1703]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




     HONORING THE 165TH ANNIVERSARY OF ALL SAINTS EPISCOPAL CHURCH

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. DALE E. KILDEE

                              of michigan

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, September 26, 2002

  Mr. KILDEE. Mr. Speaker, I ask the House of Representatives to join 
me in congratulating All Saints Church upon celebrating 165 years of 
worship, fellowship and outreach in Pontiac, Michigan.
  All Saints Episcopal Church was started in 1837 as a mission. 
Reverend Algernon Hollister, of nearby St. John's Parish in Troy, first 
organized the parish to serve the one thousand persons living in the 
Pontiac area at that time. Initially called Zion Church, its first 
liturgy was celebrated on September 24 with 16 persons receiving the 
Eucharist that Sunday morning. The parish moved quickly to build a

[[Page E1703]]

church. The original wooden structure built on the corner of Williams 
and Pike Streets was replaced with a stone church in 1854.
  After struggling for years under several rectors, the parish 
experienced a transformation under the leadership of Reverend Lawrence 
Stevens. He assumed the rector's position in 1881. Known for his 
generosity to persons in need he was also noted for his ability to 
comfort the sick and mourning. His energy infused the parish and the 
congregation became a center in the community to assist the poor and 
suffering. Even after his stewardship of the parish was over, his 
influence could still be felt. When the parish hall was added in 1927 
it was named in his honor.
  The congregation decided to rename the parish in 1904. Now known as 
All Saints Episcopal Church, the parish suffered a blow the next year. 
Fire destroyed part of the church. Undaunted, the parish cleared away 
the rubble, erected a temporary roof and continued to celebrate the 
Eucharist until a new building was finished in 1908. The parish 
continued its growth and in 1922 two hundred families made it their 
spiritual home. That year Reverend Bates Burt became the church's new 
pastor. He remained in that post for the next 25 years and guided All 
Saints Church in several important missions. Together with his son, 
Alfred, and the church organist, Wihla Hutson, Reverend Burt composed 
several Christmas carols. They are now known as ``Burt Carols'' and 
sung in churches throughout the Anglican Communion. He was instrumental 
in the building of Stevens Hall and his vision shaped the use of that 
structure. He saw the parish hall as not only a meeting place for the 
congregation but of the community as a whole. His vision of social 
justice and interaction with all the citizens of Pontiac has guided the 
parish in the intervening years.
  Through the Great Depression and World War II, All Saints Parish has 
been a beacon to those desperate to sustain body and soul. When the 
congregations of other denominations decided to leave the city of 
Pontiac during the period of the Fair Housing Covenant and mandatory 
school integration, All Saints Parish voted to remain in their home in 
the heart of the city. The parish members believed that God had placed 
the church in its location and they would be violating His mandate to 
desert the city in its time of crisis. With the advent of Reverend 
Catherine Waynick as rector in 1993, the people of All Saints Parish 
expanded their outreach and started the Bound Together program. Serving 
the children of Pontiac, it provides tutoring, social activities, arts 
and crafts and hot food to nourish both their physical and spiritual 
lives.
  Three rectors of All Saints Parish have been elevated to the 
episcopate, the Reverend Herbert Fox, the Reverend Ivol Curtis and the 
Reverend Catherine Waynick. In 1997 the national Episcopal Church 
designated All Saints as a Jubilee Center. This honor was accorded to 
the parish to recognize its vibrant, ongoing partnership with the 
greater Pontiac community.
  For 165 years All Saints Parish has been a dynamic force for the 
public good. At every time of social need or upheaval, the parishioners 
have resoundingly responded by living the gospel spoken every Sunday in 
the sanctuary. The inspiration for living by Christian ideals is 
repeated again and again in the lives of the clergy and congregation of 
this parish. Mr. Speaker I ask the House of Representatives to rise 
with me and applaud the continuity of Christian life that has resonated 
for 16 decades and resonates today through All Saints Parish.

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