[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 60 (Tuesday, April 9, 2024)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E317]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




    CELEBRATING THE 80TH ANNIVERSARY OF BLOOMINGDALE BAPTIST CHURCH

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                         HON. DIANA HARSHBARGER

                              of tennessee

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, April 9, 2024

  Mrs. HARSHBARGER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to the 
80th anniversary of the Bloomingdale Baptist Church, who serves as a 
beacon of faith and hope to the residents of East Tennessee, as the 
oldest Baptist church in the region. Since its founding, the church has 
been a cornerstone of spiritual guidance and unwavering support to the 
Bloomingdale community.
  On April 2, 1944, a council of eight preachers and thirteen deacons 
answered the call for faith services and formed the Bloomingdale 
Baptist Church, the first Baptist church in the area. Since then, 
thirteen charter members, in an assembly of letters, statements, and 
baptisms, built community service, faith, and charity as the strong 
foundations to rest the church. To this very day, these spiritual 
values live loudly within the hearts of Bloomingdale Baptist Church 
congregants and its leadership.
  Throughout Bloomingdale Baptist's history, a tradition of devoted 
leadership has remained a perennial source of inspiration and renewal. 
The first elected pastor, James Taft Richards, led worship services 
with a passion and faith that invigorated church members until 1950. 
His successor, Pastor Joseph William Byrd, renowned as a symbol of 
resolve, served as the longest-tenured Southern Baptist pastor to lead 
a single church. Following Pastor Byrd's tenure, Pastor Phillip R. 
Whittemore helmed the church, upholding its enduring legacy of faith 
and community service until his retirement in 2023. Now, as the church 
looks forward, Pastor Wade Childress provides stability and an 
uplifting vision for the future as Bloomingdale Baptist Church's 
interim pastor.
  Bloomingdale Baptist Church has not only served as a place of 
worship, but a welcoming center for community life. It has witnessed 
countless baptisms, marriages, and gatherings, each event enriching the 
lives of its congregation and the Bloomingdale community at large. As 
Bloomingdale Baptist Church celebrates this remarkable milestone, we 
recognize its steadfast and profound impact for generations of church 
members, instilling faith, love, and service to the community it serves 
and beyond.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in congratulating 
Bloomingdale Baptist Church on its 80th anniversary. I wish Pastor 
Childress and the entire congregation another 80 wonderful years of 
continued faith and service in the Bloomingdale community.

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