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2012 SESSION
12105299DWHEREAS, Beulah Baptist Church in Aylett celebrates its 200th anniversary in 2012; and
WHEREAS, a small group of men, who were members of Upper College Church, met on September 26, 1812, to discuss and establish a new church in King William County; the group’s leader was Robert B. Semple, who became the first pastor of Beulah Baptist Church and served for four years; and
WHEREAS, the members of Upper College Church supported the formation of Beulah Baptist Church; Elder John Courtney, pastor of Upper College Church, was a member of the group that constituted the new church and named it Beulah Baptist Church; and
WHEREAS, membership grew quickly at Beulah Baptist Church during its early years, as nearby families found the church to be a welcoming place of worship; a Woman’s Missionary Society was formed in 1832, and a Sunday school was established in 1838; and
WHEREAS, church members met in Beulah Meeting House until 1846, when the original building was sold, and the proceeds paid for the construction of a new brick church at the same location that is still in use today; the 1812 meeting house was bought by a local doctor who reconstructed it on his land to use as a barn; and
WHEREAS, after the Civil War, a group of members desired to establish their own church and “requested the favor of withdrawing from Beulah”; the rest of the members supported this request, and Providence Church was built, organized, and financed under the auspices of Beulah Baptist Church; and
WHEREAS, during the twentieth century, the interior and exterior of Beulah Baptist Church underwent major changes; a baptistery was installed in 1905 and two Sunday school classrooms were added to the rear of the building, and in 1910, a Colonial-style portico was erected; and
WHEREAS, Christian education continued to be a major focus at Beulah Baptist Church, as a second Sunday school addition was built in 1954, and 30 years later, in 1984, the church constructed an educational building, whose cornerstone was given by B.W. White; and
WHEREAS, other improvements to Beulah Baptist Church include the 1941 installation of memorial lights in the sanctuary and the dedication of a new parsonage on July 10, 1960; and
WHEREAS, the members of Beulah Baptist Church have planned many special events in the months leading up to the church’s 200th anniversary celebration; a gala event will take place on September 30, 2012; and
WHEREAS, the community surrounding Beulah Baptist Church has changed and evolved during the last two centuries, but the church and its members have remained steadfast in their vision and Christian mission to reach out to all people; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, That Beulah Baptist Church hereby be commended on the occasion of its 200th anniversary; and, be it
RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to Beulah Baptist Church as an expression of the House of Delegates’ congratulations and admiration for its two centuries of worship and outreach to the people of King William County.