[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 147 (2001), Part 10]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 14076]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]


[[Page 14076]]

           GIVING PRAISE TO ZION EVANGELICAL LUTHERAN CHURCH

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. JAMES A. BARCIA

                              of michigan

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, July 19, 2001

  Mr. BARCIA. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to sing the praises of Zion 
Evangelical Lutheran Church in Bay City, Michigan, as Reverend William 
H. Allwardt, his family and the congregation celebrate the 100th 
anniversary of its founding. Since its humble beginnings in 1901 in a 
small wood-frame building, Zion has grown to become a stronghold of 
faith for over 2,000 members in and around Bay City.
  In 1901, Zion members first gathered to worship in a wooden building 
that once had been the Salzburg Band Hall. As the congregation grew, so 
did the need for a larger forum, resulting in the building in November 
1930 of the present-day church. From the beginning, church leaders also 
recognized that religious education doesn't take place only on Sundays, 
so they built a schoolhouse. The commitment to Christian education 
continues today inside the Zion Memorial Building, named to honor the 
men and women of Zion who served in World War II. During the last 
school year, 170 students studied and learned at Zion.
  Tradition and a sense of continuity have always been important 
elements in Zion's spiritual mission. In keeping with those practices, 
the church has had just seven pastors in a century's time. The present 
pastor, Reverend Allwardt, his wife, Paulette, and children, Will and 
Charice, have been part of the Zion family since 1978 and have 
contributed greatly to its rich history and Christian undertaking to 
spread the word of God to people near and far.
  A fruitful church cannot multiply the ranks of the faithful without 
reaching out and Zion's congregation has always opened its doors and 
expanded its influence well beyond the sanctuary and into the 
surrounding community. Over the years, Zion has led by Christian 
example with their involvement in many social organizations, including 
the Saginaw Valley Blood Program, the Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts of 
America, the Bay County Food Pantry and the CROP Walk.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring Zion 
Evangelical Lutheran Church for a century of Christian service, 
fellowship and leadership from the pulpit, the pews and among the 
greater community and in wishing them another hundred years of success.

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