[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 40 (Tuesday, March 11, 2014)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E354]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




     COMMEMORATING THE 150TH ANNIVERSARY OF OMEGA CHRISTIAN CHURCH

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                          HON. SUSAN W. BROOKS

                               of indiana

                    in the house of representatives

                        Tuesday, March 11, 2014

  Mrs. BROOKS of Indiana. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in recognition of 
the 150th anniversary of Omega Christian Church in Arcadia, Indiana. It 
is a pleasure to congratulate the church in celebration of this special 
occasion.
  Omega Christian Church was founded during some of our Nation's 
darkest days, in 1863 during the midst of the Civil War. At the time of 
the church's founding, the area was known as Bethany, but later became 
called Omega and is now Arcadia. Exemplifying the best of the 
hardworking and enterprising Hoosier spirit, the residents built the 
church themselves using local timber. Joseph Lacy oversaw the 
construction, and Dr. Silas Blount gave the dedication sermon in 
November of 1863. It was in this humble wooden structure that Knowles 
Shaw (1834-1878), an early minister of the church who was a prominent 
evangelist and composer of religious music, wrote the hymnal ``Bringing 
in the Sheaves.''
  In the years following the war, the community around Omega Christian 
Church began to grow and prosper. After construction was finished on 
the church, a sawmill, general store, resident doctor, blacksmith, and 
post office were also established. In 1926, sixty-three years after the 
completion of the original structure, the church was moved and enlarged 
to make room for the growing congregation. The framework and sanctuary 
of the church are original and are still in use today, making the Omega 
Christian Church the oldest building in White River Township.
  The church continued to grow and expand throughout the following 
years, including major structural improvements. While the physical 
building may have changed and evolved, Omega Christian Church's mission 
remains the same from its founding in 1863: to serve God, to serve his 
people, and to be a light in the community where stability, comfort, 
strength, and family can be found, all in the name of Jesus Christ. 
Today I am proud to recognize this small country church and thank them 
for their contributions to the spiritual well-being of their community. 
May the next 150 years be equally blessed.

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