[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 198 (Tuesday, December 5, 2017)]
[House]
[Page H9629]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         RECOGNIZING STEVE HOGG

  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Ms. Ros-Lehtinen). The Chair recognizes the 
gentleman from South Carolina (Mr. Norman) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. NORMAN. Mr. Speaker, December is a special month. We celebrate 
the birth of Christ, but we are also celebrating a church in Rock Hill, 
South Carolina, that has done amazing things. It is a 30-year 
celebration for the First Baptist Church in Rock Hill, South Carolina. 
It is also celebrating a pastor that has stood the test of time. He has 
done amazing things at this church.
  Let me tell you what has occurred over the past 30 years.
  The church relocated in April 2004 to an 84,000-square-foot facility. 
It was 52 acres of land. Mr. Speaker, I can tell you, when the First 
Baptist Church made that move, the land out there was a forest. You 
didn't see the shopping centers, you didn't see the fast food, you 
didn't see the service stations and the clothing stores that are there 
now. They took a chance on faith.
  I remember when the board took that vote, it wasn't a simple 
majority. They had to have an 80 percent-plus in agreement of the board 
to locate there. If that is not democracy, I don't know what is.

  The budget was $490,000. It increased $2,637,800.
  They have had over 1,500 baptisms.
  They sponsored the first African-American congregation for membership 
in the York Baptist Association in 1994.
  They sponsored a second African-American congregation for membership 
in the York Baptist Association in 2017.
  Let me tell you about Pastor Hogg.
  Pastor Hogg was born on January 14, 1958. He was born in Roxana, 
Kentucky. He was baptized and ordained in the First Baptist Church of 
Whitesburg, Kentucky. He has been pastor of the Bethel Baptist Church. 
He has been pastor of the Colson Baptist Mission. He has been the 
summer missionary at the First Baptist Church. And he has been the bus 
minister at the First Baptist Church in Kentucky.
  Some of the honors and offices that he has devoted his time and 
talent to have been the South Carolina Baptist Convention, where he was 
president from 1993 to 1994. He was president of the Pastor's 
Conference. He was chairman of the United Christian Baccalaureate 
Planning Committee. He was on the Billy Graham Carolinas Crusade 
Executive Committee. He was a charter member of the city of Rock Hill 
No Room for Racism Committee.
  Some of the new things he has started while at First Baptist Church 
in Rock Hill were the contemporary worship service, deaf ministry, 
women and men's ministries, television broadcasts of morning worship 
services, live streaming of worship services, Sunbeams Day School, and 
conducted eight capital fund campaigns.
  Mr. Speaker, I could go on and on, but these 30 years are something 
to remember. It is something that ought to be a milestone for the 
church--and it is. If anybody has stood the test of time, it has been 
Steve Hogg and the First Baptist Church, and I commend the 
congregation. It is a great day for our State and it is a great day for 
America. God bless America.

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