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2023 SESSION

23103686D
HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 579
Offered January 23, 2023
Commending Hill Street Baptist Church.
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Patrons-- Rasoul, Austin, Head and McNamara; Senator: Edwards
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WHEREAS, for 130 years, Hill Street Baptist Church of Roanoke has provided spiritual guidance, generous community outreach, and opportunities for joyful worship to members of the community; and

WHEREAS, Hill Street Baptist Church traces its origins to 1892, when a congregation of five individuals gathered under the leadership of the Reverend M.L. Minter and formed what was then known as Park Street Baptist Church; and

WHEREAS, following the brief tenure of the Reverend William Greene, the Reverend R.R. Henry led the congregation from 1896 to 1904, during which time the church changed locations and was renamed Hill Street Baptist Church; and

WHEREAS, the Reverend Mosses E. Johnson served faithfully as pastor of Hill Street Baptist Church from 1904 until 1907 and was subsequently replaced by the Reverend J.Y. King, who led the congregation from 1908 to 1916; and

WHEREAS, from 1917 to 1955, Hill Street Baptist Church was led by the Reverend David R. Powell, during which time the church building was remodeled extensively and the congregation swelled to approximately 500 parishioners; and

WHEREAS, after the brief tenures of the Reverend Thomas E. Crews and the Reverend Robert Johnson Smith, Hill Street Baptist Church benefited from the long tenure of the Reverend Raymond R. Wilkinson, who led the congregation from 1958 to 1991 and who served as an advocate and leader for various causes in the community during that time; and

WHEREAS, following urban renewal efforts of the City of Roanoke in the mid-1970s, Hill Street Baptist Church built a new church building in the area of its former church, which opened its doors to the congregation on March 1, 1981; and

WHEREAS, Hill Street Baptist Church was led in the early 1990s by the Reverend Perry W. Medley and then Deacon Woodrow Walker, Sr., before the Reverend Johnny R. Stone was unanimously elected to serve as pastor on June 25, 1995; and

WHEREAS, Hill Street Baptist Church is currently led by the Reverend Preston Tyler, who has eagerly embraced the responsibility of shepherding the congregation through the next chapter in the church’s long and illustrious history; and

WHEREAS, over the past 130 years, Hill Street Baptist Church has been a source of solace for the many individuals who have found a sense of greater purpose and belonging within its walls; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, the Senate concurring, That the General Assembly hereby commend Hill Street Baptist Church of Roanoke on the occasion of its 130th anniversary; and, be it

RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to the Reverend Preston Tyler, pastor of Hill Street Baptist Church, as an expression of the General Assembly’s admiration for the church’s history and its contributions to the Commonwealth.