[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 162 (2016), Part 4]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 5264]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




  CELEBRATION OF THE 150TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE WESLEY UNITED METHODIST 
                    CHURCH IN BATON ROUGE, LOUISIANA

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. GARRET GRAVES

                              of louisiana

                    in the house of representatives

                       Wednesday, April 27, 2016

  Mr. GRAVES of Louisiana. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the 
150th anniversary of the Wesley United Methodist Church of Baton Rouge.
  In 1866, the community decided it was time to build a church.
  And like good Louisianans, they set out to build one.
  Members of the church harvested wood from the forests north of Baton 
Rouge, floated the logs down the Mississippi River to their chosen site 
and used them to build the congregation's first church a house of 
worship built by hands of her parishioners.
  Throughout the dark days of segregation in our nation's history, the 
Wesley Methodist Church was a beacon of light and played an important 
role serving the African American in the heart of Louisiana's capital.
  Sadly, the original structure was destroyed by a storm in 1883, and 
shortly after being rebuilt, the church was again destroyed by a fire 
in 1892.
  But as a testimony to the church's importance in the community and to 
the perseverance of the spirit of Louisiana, Wesley United Methodist 
was rebuilt in its current location.
  Today, the Wesley United Methodist Church continues a proud tradition 
of service, fellowship, and ministry--as a church at the heart of the 
city, with the city at heart.

                          ____________________