[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 43 (Wednesday, April 13, 2005)]
[Senate]
[Page S3550]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




               EZION-MOUNT CARMEL UNITED METHODIST CHURCH

 Mr. BIDEN. Mr. President, I rise today to commemorate the 
200th anniversary of a true Delaware institution, Ezion-Mount Carmel 
United Methodist Church. Ezion-Mount Carmel stands as a testament to 
the power of faith and community. It has survived through several 
incarnations to become a beacon of light in Wilmington, and a constant 
reminder that we can--and we must--triumph over adversity.
  Ezion-Mount Carmel's history is as complex as one might expect from 
such a venerable institution. Its genesis was when the African-American 
members of the Old Asbury Methodist Church, unsatisfied with being 
forced to worship from the church's balcony, founded their own 
congregation and helped establish the freedom to worship in Delaware. 
That congregation would ultimately come to be known as Ezion-Mount 
Carmel United Methodist Church, and it has survived war, fire and 
community strife with a clear purpose and mission.
  Beyond its extraordinary past, Ezion-Mount Carmel is a dynamic force 
for good today. One of Wilmington's community outreach leaders, the 
church offers numerous programs which have a real, positive effect on 
the often troubled community in which it resides. As it has for two 
centuries, Ezion-Mount Carmel continues to be a place of refuge and 
hope for those in need. It is where a congregation and a community 
gather to gain strength from each other and from God, and to continue a 
legacy of remarkable achievement.
  For its noble past, its exciting present and its promising future, I 
ask that the Senate join me in congratulating Ezion-Mount Carmel United 
Methodist Church on its 200th anniversary.

                          ____________________