[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 147 (2001), Part 8]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 10684]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



                 HONORING CENTRAL CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. KEN BENTSEN

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, June 13, 2001

  Mr. BENTSEN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the 150th Anniversary 
of ``The First German Evangelical Lutheran Church,'' presently known as 
Central Congregational Church, located at 1311 Holman, Houston, Texas. 
In 1851, Pastor Casper Braun arrived in Houston to help German speaking 
settlers transition to their new home. He was responsible for founding 
the congregation in September of 1851.
  Over the years, the church has built three permanent facilities; a 
white wooden colonial style structure, a red brick building with a 
Gothic style white sandstone trim, and its most recent structure, built 
in 1927, a tan brick with red terra cotta roof directly from northern 
Italy. The church currently houses the Houston chapter of Habitat for 
Humanity and the Houston Graduate School of Theology, and is also 
responsible for financing five new Lutheran churches in the Houston 
area.
  The 87 members of the Central Congregational Church, under the 
leadership of Pastor Dr. W. Clark Chamberlain have been involved in 
many community outreach programs in hopes of attracting new 
parishioners. Since 1975, Central Congregational Church has 
participated in the Christian Community Services Center of Houston. 
This service organization is an interfaith alliance of more than three 
dozen congregations, who work together for betterment of the community. 
The alliance provides job training, job placement, emergency relief, 
clothes, back-to-school programs, a thrift shop, day care services, and 
delivers meals to senior citizens who are shut in. Currently, the 
church prepares more than 100 meals a day for home-bound individuals.
  Mr. Speaker, the Central Congregational Church has a long history of 
faithful service to the Houston area. The tireless efforts of the 
leaders and parishioners at Central Congregational Church has made them 
a shining example for other community groups to emulate. I applaud the 
parish and its members for their commitment to the community and wish 
them success in the forthcoming years.

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