[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 178 (Friday, October 8, 2021)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1072-E1073]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




    CELEBRATING THE 132ND ANNIVERSARY OF ST. JAMES A.M.E. CHURCH OF 
                         DOUGLASVILLE, GEORGIA

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. DAVID SCOTT

                               of georgia

                    in the house of representatives

                        Friday, October 8, 2021

  Mr. DAVID SCOTT of Georgia. Madam Speaker, I rise today to celebrate 
the 132nd anniversary of the St. James African Methodist Episcopal 
(A.M.E.) Church of Douglasville, Georgia on October 10, 2021.
  Since its founding in 1889, St. James A.M.E. Church has served the 
greater Douglasville area through ministry, service, and fellowship. As 
they mark this momentous occasion, it is my pleasure to extend 
congratulations to the church leaders, elders, and congregation. There 
are many ways to gauge the impact a religious institution has on its 
community. However, one of the most telling is its longevity, for that 
demonstrates that teaching of a loving gospel can move generations of 
God's people.
  The mission of St. James A.M.E. is to minister to the spiritual, 
physical, emotional, and environmental needs of all people through 
spreading the word of Christ. However, this church community does not 
just preach the gospel on Sundays, but instead carries the gospel with 
them every day through their good deeds. Saving the lost, serving the 
needy, feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, housing the homeless, 
caring for the sick, are only a few examples of how St. James A.M.E. 
impacts its community.
  St. James A.M.E. has been a beacon of Christian light and fellowship 
for a very long time. They take care of their community and those that 
are struggling. Loving our neighbors as we love ourselves is deeply 
engrained in St. James A.M.E.'s culture. Through the spirit of selfless 
generosity and love for others, God has shined his light on this 
congregation, and you all have taken that light and steadfastly turned 
it on your community. For fifteen years, St. James A.M.E. has partnered 
with the Atlanta Community Food Bank to serve meals and provide goods 
to fellow neighbors. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the church set up a 
mobile food bank and food pantry for patrons to easily get meals for 
their families. Additionally, St. James A.M.E. organized a COVID-19 
vaccination event to ensure that citizens of the greater Douglasville 
area had access to this lifesaving vaccine.
  Throughout the 132 years of St. James A.M.E., its members and fellow 
Black and African American neighbors were not afforded the same 
freedoms as their white brothers and sisters. This church has lived 
through the great Civil Rights Movement and the continued effects of 
racism and bigotry. Through their perseverance, they have continued to 
promote equality in their community, through actions such as working 
tirelessly during the 2020 election cycle to ensure voters were 
registered and had all the information they needed to cast their ballot 
on election day.
  I am pleased to congratulate your church leaders, elders, and the 
generations of congregants at St. James A.M.E. Church for setting 
positive examples as leaders in ministry for the city of Douglasville. 
From the first pastors back in 1889, Reverend Pierce and Reverend 
Lawrence, to today's Reverend LeRoy Ladson, Jr., these leaders have 
grounded this community's faith and united the people of Douglasville 
through the Word of God.
  Madam Speaker, as St. James A.M.E. Church of Douglasville, Georgia 
marks its 132nd anniversary, I would like to applaud this church's 
steadfast commitment to God's Word and God's people. I want to close 
with a fitting scripture that epitomizes the spirit of St. James 
A.M.E., Galatians 6:9, which reads, ``And let us not grow weary of 
doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.''
  May God continue to bless St. James A.M.E. Church of Douglasville, 
Georgia.

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