[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 160 (2014), Part 4]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 5770]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




     COMMEMORATING THE 150TH ANNIVERSARY OF OMEGA CHRISTIAN CHURCH

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. SUSAN W. BROOKS

                               of indiana

                    in the house of representatives

                         Monday, April 7, 2014

  Mrs. BROOKS of Indiana. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in recognition of 
the 150th anniversary of Omega Christian Church, in White River 
Township, Hamilton County, Indiana. It is a pleasure to congratulate 
the church in celebration of this special occasion.
  Omega Christian Church was founded during some of our nation's 
darkest days, in 1863 during the midst of the Civil War. At the time of 
the church's founding, the surrounding neighborhood was known as 
Bethany but later came to be called Omega. Exemplifying the best of the 
hardworking and enterprising Hoosier spirit, the residents built the 
church themselves using local timber. Joseph Lacy oversaw the 
construction, and Dr. Silas Blount gave the dedicatory sermon in 
November of 1863. Knowles Shaw (1834-1878), an early minister of the 
church, became a prominent evangelist and composer of religious music 
and is best known for the hymn ``Bringing in the Sheaves''.
  In the years following the war, the community around the church began 
to grow and prosper. After construction was finished on the church, a 
sawmill, general store, doctor's office, blacksmith shop, and post 
office were also established. In 1926, the church was moved and 
enlarged to make room for the growing congregation. The framework and 
sanctuary of the church are original and are still in use today, making 
the Omega Christian Church the oldest building in White River Township.
  The church continued to grow and expand throughout the following 
years. While the physical building has changed, the mission of the 
Omega Christian Church remains unchanged from its founding in 1863: to 
serve God and His people, and to be a light in the community where 
stability, comfort, strength, and family can be found, all in the name 
of Jesus Christ. Today the Church reaches out to serve in other 
ministries far beyond the dreams of its pioneer founders, including 
supporting the Damou Christian Mission near Jacmel on the southern 
coast of Haiti. The Mission maintains a school for more than a thousand 
students, an assisted living facility for the elderly, and two 
orphanages established following the tragic earthquake of 2010.
  Today, I am proud to recognize ``the small country church that 
cares'' and thank them for their contributions to the spiritual well-
being of their community and the world. May the next 150 years be 
equally blessed.

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