[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 129 (Tuesday, July 30, 2019)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1007]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  CELEBRATING THE 100TH ANNIVERSARY OF MOUNT ZION MISSIONARY BAPTIST 
                                 CHURCH

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. PETER J. VISCLOSKY

                               of indiana

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, July 30, 2019

  Mr. VISCLOSKY. Madam Speaker, it is with great respect and admiration 
that I take this time to congratulate Mount Zion Missionary Baptist 
Church of Hammond, Indiana, as the congregation joins together in 
celebration of the church's 100th anniversary. The parishioners along 
with Mount Zion's pastor, Reverend William R. Collins, will be 
commemorating this momentous occasion with a celebratory banquet on 
Friday, August 2, 2019, at the Chateau Banquet Center in Merrillville, 
Indiana.
  In 1919, Mount Zion Missionary Baptist Church became the first 
African American Baptist church to be established in the city of 
Hammond. Throughout the years, numerous remarkable pastors helped to 
build the church's leadership and expand its congregation, along with 
the services and programs offered to the community. In 1945, Reverend 
A.R. Burns became pastor of Mount Zion, a position he held for an 
astonishing fifty-three years. Pastor Burns accomplished many great 
things during his tenure at Mount Zion, and he was determined and 
passionate about his service. Under Pastor Burns' leadership, in 1949, 
the current church structure was completed at 1047 Kenwood Street, and 
it became known as ``The Friendly Place of Worship.'' Pastor Burns 
worked to secure safe housing for the elderly and was able to 
accomplish the construction of the Reverend A.R. Burns Mount Zion 
Pleasant View Plaza, with the first tenants moving in by 1983. In 
addition, Pastor Burns marched for civil rights with Rev. Dr. Martin 
Luther King Jr, and he supported the National Association for the 
Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). Pastor Burns passed away in 
1999, but he will be forever remembered for his faithfulness to his 
congregation.
  In 1998, Reverend William R. Collins became the leader of Mount Zion 
Missionary Baptist Church. Under Pastor Collins' outstanding direction, 
Mount Zion has become a cornerstone of the community, providing a food 
pantry and outreach program, offering vacation bible school, summer 
camp ministry, and various religious retreats, and being heavily 
involved in the Interfaith Federation. Under Pastor Collins' 
leadership, the church has also undergone numerous cosmetic 
improvements, and the membership has increased exponentially. Reverend 
Collins and the congregation of Mount Zion have been a true blessing to 
the community of Northwest Indiana and beyond.
  Madam Speaker, I ask that you and my other distinguished colleagues 
join me in honoring and congratulating Mount Zion Missionary Baptist 
Church in Hammond, Indiana, on its 100th anniversary. The members and 
church leaders have dedicated themselves to serving others, especially 
to those most in need, and they are an inspiration to us all.

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