[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 160 (2014), Part 11]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 16236]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




        120TH ANNIVERSARY OF FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH OF LENOIR CITY

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                        HON. JOHN J. DUNCAN, JR.

                              of tennessee

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, November 20, 2014

  Mr. DUNCAN of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, I wish today to congratulate a 
celebrated institution in my District on the occasion of its 120th 
anniversary.
  First Baptist Church of Lenoir City was founded in 1894 with just 16 
members in a one-room log cabin. Today, it has grown to more than 3,000 
worshippers and a 34-acre campus.
  I have represented Lenoir City in Congress for 26 years, and I have 
visited this church many times. It is a special and welcoming place 
with a history older than the city in which it is housed.
  Lenoir City is one of the most beautiful places on this Earth, tucked 
in the mountains and surrounded by lakes and rivers. It is easy to see 
why this area has become one of the most popular places to move in the 
entire Country.
  The congregation of First Baptist Church of Lenoir City has helped 
build the community since its inception. I know many people who worship 
there, and they are some of the kindest and most generous people I 
know.
  First Baptist Church of Lenoir City operates under a philosophy of 
community involvement. Its congregation does not just worship from 
afar; it gets involved at every level of the community and serves as an 
example of Christian values to all.
  The church is involved in more than 100 separate ministries with 
focuses ranging from young children to senior adults.
  The church also owns and operates the Lenoir City Christian Academy, 
serving students from kindergarten, to fourth grade, and runs after-
school and day care programs. The church also operates the Lenoir City 
Arts Center, designed to teach students music and the performing arts.
  Mr. Speaker, it is hard to imagine an institution having a bigger 
impact on a community than First Baptist Church of Lenoir City. I call 
on my Colleagues and other readers of the Record to join me in 
congratulating this church and its congregation on 120 years of 
Christian service.

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