[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 134 (Friday, July 30, 2021)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E855-E856]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  HONORING THE 100TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE LEADINGTON FREE WILL BAPTIST 
                                 CHURCH

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. JASON SMITH

                              of missouri

                    in the house of representatives

                         Friday, July 30, 2021

  Mr. SMITH of Missouri. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor 
Leadington Free Will Baptist Church of Leadington. Missouri, organized 
100 years ago, under an old oak tree. It was in December of 1921 that 
J.L. Yancy and T.J. Mann organized the church. In 1923, church members 
voted to buy a little house in front of Woodlawn Cemetery where they 
worshiped until the present sanctuary was built in 1965.
  From a founding congregation of 11, the church has grown to 89 
members today. Ruby Lawson is the oldest of the current worshipers who 
has attended the church all her life. Wayne Patton is Associate Pastor. 
Every Sunday, they gather at 9:45 a.m. for Sunday School and 10:45 a.m. 
for worship.
  Though the church's records from 1929 until 1946 have been lost. it 
is clear this house or worship has stood the test of time. It marks its 
centennial of service standing tall as a monument to its members' 
enduring faith and commitment to their community.
  I am proud to represent this dedicated body of believers as they mark 
the 100th anniversary or Leadington Free Will Baptist Church on August 
22, 2021, and to recognize them today before the United States House of 
Representatives.

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