[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 113 (Thursday, July 29, 2010)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1487]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




           THE 170TH ANNIVERSARY OF ST. JOHN'S A.M.E. CHURCH

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                     HON. ROBERT C. ``BOBBY'' SCOTT

                              of virginia

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, July 29, 2010

  Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Madam Speaker, I rise today to congratulate a 
storied institution of faith in the Third Congressional District. This 
year, Saint John's African Methodist Episcopal (A.M.E.) Church is 
celebrating its 170th anniversary, and I would like to highlight some 
moments from the history of the church and its contribution to our 
community.
  St. John's was organized in 1840 within the old Cumberland Street 
Methodist Episcopal Church in Norfolk. The land where the church now 
stands was purchased for just $450 in 1848. The church disconnected 
from the Methodist Episcopal Church in 1863 and was formally received 
into the African Methodist Episcopal Church in 1864. Elder John M. 
Brown was the Church's first pastor.
  The church grew rapidly. Additional land to erect a parsonage was 
bought in 1865, and the church was enlarged twice between 1868 and 
1888. In 1888, the present church building on Bute Street was erected. 
St. John's exterior has stood nearly unchanged since then.
  St. John's flourished in Norfolk during the turn of the century. The 
church was the first African-American congregation in Norfolk to 
install a pipe organ. The parsonage was completed, and in 1908 St. 
John's had reached such a level of prominence as to host the General 
Conference of the entire African Methodist Episcopal Church.
  St. John's continued to grow in the early twentieth century. Its 
membership grew to over 1000, and two new churches grew from it. This 
rapid growth helped the church burn its mortgage after just 46 years in 
1915. Along with its internal growth, St. John's was also active in the 
community. The church established the first African-American Boy Scout 
Troop in Norfolk in 1930 and the first African-American Girl Scout 
Troop in 1935.

  The growth of St. John's in the second half of the century mirrored 
our country's growth. The church building underwent a massive 
renovation in 1956. The church's growth helped it to pay off the 
mortgage of the parsonage, install air conditioning, and buy buses, 
pianos, organs and robes for new choirs.
  Over the last 25 years, St. John's has continued to both grow and 
stay relevant in the community. The church has started many new 
ministries to address the needs of both its members and its Downtown 
Norfolk neighborhood. An education building conceived earlier was 
finally built, and the church created a Social Service Outreach 
Program, the Hope Outreach Ministry, and the Medical and Wellness 
Ministry. In 1986, St. John's A.M.E. was registered as a Virginia 
Historic Landmark. St. John's has taken care to develop programs for 
the next generation of its members, recently revitalizing its 
Children's Choir, and establishing both a Nursery and Young Adult 
Choir.
  St. John's has had numerous pastors over its history, and many 
members have left St. John's to enter the priesthood and to preside 
over congregations of their own. In addition to First Pastor Rev. 
Brown, a selected list of pastors includes: Rev. W.D. Cook; Rev. J.R. 
Johnson; Rev. Walter L. Hildebrand; Rev. A.R. Powell; Rev. Walter C. 
Davis; Rev. L.W. Knight, Sr.; Rev. Larry S. Hinton; and the current 
pastor, Rev. John D. Burton.
  As St. John's gathers to celebrate this historic milestone, the 
church can truly remember its past, celebrate its present, and focus on 
the future knowing in the words of Rev. Burton that ``Everything is 
going to be alright!'' I would like to congratulate Rev. Burton and all 
of the members of Saint John's African Methodist Episcopal Church on 
the occasion of their 170th anniversary.

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