[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 158 (2012), Part 9]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 12273]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




     CELEBRATING THE 175TH ANNIVERSARY OF MT. VERNON BAPTIST CHURCH

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                         HON. RODNEY ALEXANDER

                              of louisiana

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, July 25, 2012

  Mr. ALEXANDER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in celebration of the 175th 
anniversary of Mt. Vernon Baptist Church in West Monroe, LA.
  The church began when a small band of early settlers in southwest 
Ouachita Parish established a place of worship. These pioneers 
initially held services in homes, and it is believed the first building 
of the Mt. Vernon Baptist Church was a simple one-room log house. While 
the building has changed many times over the past century to 
accommodate the ever-growing membership, the church has continued to 
provide spiritual guidance to the Ouachita Parish community since its 
inception. Today, the sanctuary comfortably seats 600, and the average 
Sunday school attendance is over 400.
  I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring Mt. Vernon Baptist Church 
for its dedication to providing a steadfast place of worship. Countless 
Sunday morning services, baptisms, and weddings have been held there, 
and I am confident it will be a strong source of Christian love, 
comfort and fellowship for well over the next 100 years.

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