SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION 1623
By Southerland
A RESOLUTION to recognize Calvary Baptist Church of Erwin on
the occasion of its 100th anniversary.
WHEREAS, the churches of this nation have been an integral part of our history as a people and have had an unparalleled impact on forming and maintaining a stable and just society; and WHEREAS, it is appropriate that we should recognize those venerable religious institutions and their congregations that, through their unflagging capacity for love, dedication of
spirit, and faith in God, enrich the lives of people in their communities; and WHEREAS, one such dynamic and historic community of faith is Calvary Baptist Church of Erwin, whose members are celebrating the church's 100th anniversary on June 9, 2024; and WHEREAS, in the spring of 1924, First Baptist Church of Erwin held a tent revival near Banner Hill in the south part of Erwin, which produced many professions of faith in the community; and WHEREAS, Reverend A.C. Sherwood and the members of First Baptist Church of Erwin decided to place a mission in the Banner Hill area, and seven members relocated to the new mission, named Pleasant Hill Baptist; and WHEREAS, within four years, Lillydale Baptist merged with Calvary, and the congregation and its leaders decided to replace the wood building known as "The Old Tabernacle" with a new sanctuary and rename the mission Calvary Baptist Church; and WHEREAS, through the following years, the congregation at Calvary Baptist Church continued to thrive in the new "Rock Church," adding a Sunday School annex, a parsonage, and surrounding property, before building the church's current sanctuary in 1962; and SJR1623
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WHEREAS, a Christian Family Life Center was added in 2017, which has not only met the needs of the congregation but has also provided a location for a homeschool co-op supported by Calvary Baptist Church; and WHEREAS, the congregation at Calvary Baptist Church believes in the full support of
foreign and local missions, and in March 2022, Calvary Cares was established to provide food,
clothing, and spiritual and physical needs for the Unicoi County community; additionally, Calvary Baptist started a mission on Chestoa Pike in South Erwin, which became Chestoa Baptist Church; and WHEREAS, a longstanding member of Holston Baptist Association, Calvary Baptist Church has stood on the rock-solid foundation of Christian belief, service, and love for 100
years, serving as a bastion of faith and outreach to the people of its community; and WHEREAS, thanks to the church's faith, leadership, and strength of its members, the Calvary Baptist Church has persevered and continues to grow; it is truly one of the great religious institutions and catalysts for positive spiritual change in our state and nation, and the members of this exceptional congregation should be appropriately honored for their exemplary service to their fellow Christians and to the good people of Tennessee; now, therefore,
BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDRED THIRTEENTH
GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE, THE HOUSE OF
REPRESENTATIVES CONCURRING, that we join in the celebration of the centennial anniversary of Calvary Baptist Church of Erwin, thank the good people of its congregation and their ministers for their notable service to the Lord and the State of Tennessee, and wish them much continued success.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that an appropriate copy of this resolution be prepared for presentation with this final clause omitted from such copy and upon proper request made to
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the appropriate clerk, the language appearing immediately following the State seal appear without House or Senate designation.
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