[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 161 (2015), Part 4]
[House]
[Page 5261]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




     150TH ANNIVERSARY OF FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH, GALLATIN, TENNESSEE

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from 
Tennessee (Mrs. Black) for 5 minutes.
  Mrs. BLACK. Mr. Speaker, it isn't often that Members can take to the 
House floor to share good news, but, this morning, I have an 
opportunity to do just that.
  Today, I rise to honor the 150th anniversary of the First Baptist 
Church on East Winchester Street in my hometown of Gallatin.
  Founded in 1865 by a former slave named Robert Belote, the First 
Baptist Church is a congregation steeped in history and poised to 
continue changing hearts and changing lives for many years to come. Its 
mission is to be a ``church of welcome,'' and over the years, they have 
certainly lived up to that goal.
  In the beginning, their congregation was known as Union Church 
because they welcomed ex-slaves from all denominations--Catholic, 
Baptist, Presbyterian. No matter your background or your upbringing, 
there was a place for all of God's children within their pews.

                              {time}  1215

  The church has been destroyed multiple times over the years, first by 
heavy winds and then by fire, but they always rebuilt and reemerged 
stronger than before.
  They weathered the Reconstruction era following the Civil War, the 
economic uncertainty of the Great Depression, and the rise and the fall 
of the Jim Crow South. They are truly a statement to Christ's promise 
in the Gospel of Matthew when He proclaimed, ``Upon this rock I will 
build My church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.''
  Today the church's attendance climbed to approximately 1,000 people. 
I have had the opportunity to join my friends and neighbors at First 
Baptist Church for worship on many occasions. I have sat under the 
powerful teaching of their pastor and my dear friend, Reverend Derrick 
Jackson, and I can tell you that, 150 years later, God is still doing 
mighty work in the life of this special community of believers.
  I am thankful for how First Baptist Church has personally ministered 
to me and so many others in our community, and I wish them many years 
of continued growth and prosperity.

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