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2018 SPECIAL SESSION I


HOUSE RESOLUTION NO. 633
Commending New Grafton Baptist Church.

 

Agreed to by the House of Delegates, May 30, 2018

 

WHEREAS, for more than 100 years, New Grafton Baptist Church has provided wise spiritual leadership, generous community outreach, and opportunities for uplifting worship to the residents of Newport News; and

WHEREAS, on November 10, 1915, the Reverend Silas E. Corsey, a member of Grafton Baptist Church, established the Grafton Mission in Newport News; in 1918, the congregation raised enough money to begin construction on a permanent home and renamed the Grafton Mission to New Grafton Baptist Church; and

WHEREAS, after Reverend Corsey, New Grafton Baptist Church was ably led by the Reverend N. E. Jackson, the Reverend Isaac Daniels, the Reverend R. H. Green, the Reverend W. M. Alston, and the Reverend D. M. Willis, Sr.; and

WHEREAS, New Grafton Baptist Church began construction on a new building in 1963, and the church moved to its current location in 1981, after the construction of I-664; and

WHEREAS, the Reverend S. D. Sparrow, Sr., assumed the pastorship in 1989 and led the church through a period of great growth and development; the church reached 1,000 members for the first time in its history and instituted many new ministries, youth activities, and generous outreach programs; and

WHEREAS, in 1997, New Grafton Baptist Church joined with Grafton Baptist Church in Grafton and Grafton Baptist Church in Yorktown to host “Our Grafton Family Reunion,” a beloved annual event that celebrates the churches’ shared histories and common experiences; and

WHEREAS, on November 2, 2000, the Reverend Dr. Michael L. Sumler became the eighth pastor of New Grafton Baptist Church, and the congregation has flourished under his wise leadership, adding new members and ministries and strengthening church administration; the church has also undergone extensive renovations and renewed affiliations with local, state, and national religious organizations; and

WHEREAS, Reverend Sumler introduced the new church theme of “Love, Prayer, and Forgiveness” and fulfilled his vision to build a new 500-seat sanctuary to better serve the growing congregation; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, That New Grafton Baptist Church be commended for its more than 100 years of service to the community; and, be it

RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to the Reverend Dr. Michael L. Sumler, pastor of New Grafton Baptist Church, as an expression of the House of Delegates’ admiration for the church’s legacy of contributions to the residents of Newport News.