[Congressional Record Volume 159, Number 102 (Wednesday, July 17, 2013)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1078]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




CONGRATULATING METROPOLITAN AFRICAN METHODIST EPISCOPAL (AME) CHURCH ON 
                         ITS 175TH ANNIVERSARY

                                 ______
                                 

                       HON. ELEANOR HOLMES NORTON

                      of the district of columbia

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, July 17, 2013

  Ms. NORTON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to ask the House of 
Representatives to join me in congratulating Metropolitan African 
Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church, also known as ``The National 
Cathedral of African Methodism,'' on its 175th anniversary, and for its 
contributions to the District of Columbia.
  Founded in 1838, Metropolitan AME Church has a long history of 
notable activities and events. The church was a safe haven to runaway 
persons who were enslaved, and pioneered the Bethel Literary Society, 
which enriched the civic, cultural and intellectual lives of African 
American citizens. Through the years, Metropolitan AME Church has 
hosted a number of prominent speakers, such as Frederick Douglass, Paul 
Laurence Dunbar, Mary McLeod Bethune, Eleanor Roosevelt, Joel Elias 
Spingarn, E. E. Just, Alain Locke, Mordecai Johnson, Hubert H. 
Humphrey, Jesse Jackson, and Bishop Desmond Tutu, among others. The 
church was also the site of memorial services for Frederick Douglass, 
A. Philip Randolph and Rosa Parks. This historic landmark was also the 
location of both President Bill Clinton and Vice President Albert 
Gore's inauguration prayer services. In recent years, President Barack 
Obama and the First Family have worshipped at Metropolitan AME Church.
  Members of the congregation are committed to charity. Together, they 
rose over $56,000 in money and goods for the survivors of Hurricane 
Katrina and Rita. Metropolitan AME Church also supports social justice 
initiatives that aim to improve the lives of all citizens of the 
District of Columbia and surrounding jurisdictions. The church has 
worked with ex-offenders, who are reentering society and most recently, 
the church has focused on initiatives to ``Stop the Pipeline to 
Prison'' and ``Ending Gun Violence.''
  Metropolitan AME Church is committed to preserving the architectural 
and cultural heritage that distinguishes the District of Columbia. The 
church received the designation as an historical site and has renovated 
the church ($4.5 Million) to maintain its edifice as a part of AME 
history. Just recently, the church was awarded a $90,000 grant from the 
Partners in Preservation to restore the stained-glass windows 
surrounding the recently restored episcopacy windows on the church's 
primary facade.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask the House of Representatives to join me in 
celebrating the 175th anniversary of Metropolitan AME.

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