[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 194 (Friday, December 16, 2011)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2288]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  HONORING THE 60TH ANNIVERSARY OF CANAAN GALILEE MISSIONARY BAPTIST 
                                 CHURCH

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. JERRY F. COSTELLO

                              of illinois

                    in the house of representatives

                       Friday, December 16, 2011

  Mr. COSTELLO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to ask my colleagues to join 
me in recognizing the 60th Anniversary of Canaan Galilee Missionary 
Baptist Church in Madison, Illinois.
  In 1951, Mother Georgia Jones accepted her calling to help organize a 
new church in the Eagle Park area of Madison, Illinois. Word of Mother 
Jones' efforts reached Rev. C. D. McClinton, the former pastor of 
Southern Tabernacle Church in nearby Lovejoy. These two, along with a 
small group of dedicated pioneers, met for several weeks before forming 
a Mission which would become Canaan Galilee Missionary Baptist Church, 
with Rev. McClinton as the first Pastor.
  Early meetings of the new church were held in the Jones' home. Soon, 
a lot was purchased and the first church structure was constructed 
through the labors of the church members. A fire destroyed the first 
church building on Good Friday, 1966, and temporary facilities were 
required, including a tent where services were held during the summer 
and fall of 1966. Work was ongoing for a permanent replacement which 
would be completed in stages as resources were available. The physical 
church structure continued to develop as the church congregation grew 
and a new edifice was recently dedicated.
  Canaan Galilee Missionary Baptist Church has grown and expanded since 
its humble beginnings. A number of ministries have been instituted to 
serve not only the church congregation but also the Eagle Park 
community. The current and seventh pastor, Rev. Don Sanford, has been a 
driving force for expanding the church involvement in the community.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring the 60th 
Anniversary of Canaan Galilee Missionary Baptist Church and to wish 
them the best for many years to come.

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