[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 152 (2006), Part 9]
[Senate]
[Page 12515]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




 RECOGNIZING ST. JOHN INSTITUTIONAL MISSIONARY BAPTIST CHURCH OF MIAMI 
                        ON ITS 100TH ANNIVERSARY

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. KENDRICK B. MEEK

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, June 22, 2006

  Mr. MEEK of Florida. Mr. Speaker, today I rise to pay tribute to the 
St. John Institutional Missionary Baptist Church on the occasion of its 
100th anniversary on Sunday, June 25, 2006.
  Its pastor, the Reverend Henry Nevin, will lead his congregation to 
celebrate this milestone in the history of this beloved church that has 
become the Citadel of Faith in Miami's Overtown community. Indeed, St. 
John's longevity of service is directly related to its essential role 
in the community and its service to its members and to all those who 
now seek comfort and solace in its sanctuary.
  On June 17, 1906, a group of dedicated Christians decided to build 
the Second Baptist Church, which came to be known as the New St. John 
Institutional Missionary Baptist Church. In 1939, the late Sis. Cora 
Lee Thomas Brown, the only surviving founder at that time, and Sis. 
Victoria Darry, the first secretary of the Sunday School, provided 
information to validate the revered history of the Church. It was 
legally known as the St. John Baptist Church of Miami, Florida, and the 
Reverend John Bynom was called as the first pastor, while brothers 
Grant Faulkner and Willis Williams were consecrated as the first 
Deacons.
  In the succeeding years, the membership grew. Their second pastor, 
the Rev. N.B. Williams, known as a Master Builder, called upon his 
congregation to consider plans for a permanent location. In January, 
1912, the Rev. Jarius Wilkerson Drake arrived in Miami from 
Jacksonville and assumed the leadership of the church. This pastor 
succeeded in expanding the congregation to 1,000-members in 1939. The 
current location of this church was purchased with a $10,000 deposit at 
a local bank, and thereafter a building was erected to house the 
burgeoning membership in the year 1940.
  Rev. Drake was God's shepherd par excellence, as he guided and served 
the congregation well until his death in February, 1951. This Man of 
God was revered as a fearless leader and community builder whose life 
was filled with Christian charity on one hand and civic pride on the 
other. He was soon followed by Rev. Thedford Johnson during the latter 
part of 1951, who proficiently guided the church into a veritable 
sanctuary of worship and learning, as he created a good mixture of 
religion and civic responsibility that would strengthen church members 
not only to become spiritual and moral leaders, but also as responsible 
and conscientious guardians of good government and civic pride.
  On April 17, 1982, the Rev. Charles Uptgrow succeeded Rev. Johnson, 
and on March 28, 1985 the Rev. Henry Nevin was appointed pastor and 
continues in this capacity until the present. He has emphasized Bible 
Study classes for the members of his congregation, and this focus gave 
way to the continuing enhancement of church membership amidst constant 
worship and praise to Almighty God. Through the genuine efforts of the 
current pastor, the faith-action service that now defines the St. John 
Institutional Missionary Baptist Church has truly persevered in showing 
its congregation the way and expounding for its membership the Truth 
that emanates from the study of Holy Scriptures.
  Rev. Nevin's inspiring leadership is genuinely admirable. As a 
servant of God and as a deeply spiritual leader immersed in Scriptural 
commitment, he has earned the deepest respect and superlative 
commendation of our community. We therefore congratulate the members on 
their Centennial Celebration of their venerable Church and wish them 
continued success as they begin a new century of service.

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