[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 124 (Thursday, September 29, 2005)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1985]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[[Page E1985]]
      RECOGNIZING THE 100TH ANNIVERSARY OF WALLACE BAPTIST CHURCH

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                            HON. JEFF MILLER

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, September 29, 2005

  Mr. MILLER of Florida. Mr. Speaker, it is a great honor for me to 
rise today to recognize the 100th anniversary of Wallace Baptist Church 
in my district. Through several locations and many pastors, the church 
has continuously provided a place of worship for the people of 
northwest Florida.
  Originally founded as the New Smyrna Baptist Church, a small 
congregation first met in Bagdad, Florida, in 1905. For nearly 40 
years, the church met in that location, constantly adding new members 
to their congregation and establishing a reputation as a house where 
all were welcome.
  The original 40 years added many people to the original congregation, 
and recognizing the need for more land, a group of 32 people in 1942 
began meeting a short distance away in the Wallace Schoolhouse. The 
land had been donated to them by a local family interested in seeing 
the local community prosper. Less than a year later, the church had its 
own building constructed and continued to use the pulpit from their 
first building. The pulpit still exists to this day, though it is no 
longer used. In addition, wood from the original building was used for 
construction of the new podium, instilling a physical sense of 
tradition that the church carries with it as it continues into the 
future.
  Approximately 20 years later, now under the name of Wallace Baptist 
Church, a larger auditorium was constructed to accommodate the 
increasing size of the church's membership. The previous building, 
adjacent to the auditorium, remained in use as a meeting place for 
Sunday School. A few years later, recognizing their long-term stability 
and consistent growth both in congregation size as well as services 
offered, the church voted to incorporate as Wallace Baptist Church.
  The church continued to add facilities over the next several decades 
as it continued to flourish, so I much so that in 2003 the more than 
300 members of the church saw the pressing need for a larger main 
sanctuary and voted to have one built. The groundbreaking on the new 
site occurred earlier this year. Under the present leadership of Rev. 
Lee Botts and having already shown consistent growth, I am confident 
that the church and its mission will continue to be recognized by many 
as a great place to worship, continuing to serve the community well 
into the future.
  Mr. Speaker, on behalf of the U.S. Congress, I am proud of the 
success of Wallace Baptist Church over the last 100 years and look 
forward to its next century of service.

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