A house RESOLUTION

 

TO CELEBRATE THE JOYOUS OCCASION OF THE EIGHTY-FIFTH ANNIVERSARY OF THE OAK GROVE BAPTIST CHURCH AND TO CONGRATULATE ITS PASTOR, THE REVEREND DR. WILLIE J. THOMPSON JR., AND THE CHURCH'S CONGREGATION FOR YEARS OF DEDICATED SERVICE TO ELGIN.

 

Whereas, the South Carolina House of Representatives is pleased to learn that Oak Grove Baptist Church of Elgin will celebrate its eighty-fifth anniversary with a formal gala on May 16, 2025; and

 

Whereas, Oak Grove Baptist Church started in 1940 with two deacons, Mason Hudson and P. B. Boyd, and worship services were held at Deacon Boyd's home and other members' homes. As the Lord prospered the church, founding members began having prayer and worship services at The Old School House, about a mile from the current campus, with several ministers providing services; and

 

Whereas, services were soon held in the peach orchard shed of Mr. Ike Jacobs, about a thousand feet from the church today, a site that the church used for many years. In June 1954, Sister Mae Bell Hudson purchased an acre of land from Mr. Jacobs, on which a wooden church was built by Mr. Warren and Estill Carter, and it was called Oak Grove Baptist Church because of the surrounding oak trees; and

 

Whereas, Reverend A. D. Robinson was the church's first pastor, and after several other pastors, Reverend J. R. Butler was called, serving as pastor from 1960 to 1982, and in 1968, Deacon Brooks Hudson Jr. became chairman of the Deacon Board and served for over forty years. Under their leadership, a new church was built. and

 

Whereas, in 1982, Reverend Willie J. Goodwin Jr. became the pastor, and during his tenure, many improvements were made to the church, including a pastor's study, classrooms to the rear of the church, baptism pool upgrading, and a fellowship hall, among others. After the church's incorporation in 1988, twenty preachers were ordained or licensed, several of whom were called to lead churches locally or nationally, and during that time, the trustee ministry expanded. In 1996, some two acres of land were purchased for a new sanctuary, and the first worship service was held in it early in 2004. Reverend Goodwin retired in 2010 after twenty-seven years of service to Oak Grove; and

 

Whereas, in 2012, Reverend Dr. Albert Downing was called as senior pastor, serving until 2016. During his tenure, the deacon and trustee ministries expanded; the first associate pastor, Reverend Andrew Kendrick, was added (2013); a new sound system and a sanctuary screen, an electronic street sign, a nursery, and a fourteen-passenger bus were purchased; and the capacity to spread the Gospel grew by adding a radio broadcast on WFMV 95.3, live streaming its morning worship service, publishing the Vision magazine, and sending the pastor and missionaries to the Philippines and Australia; and

 

Whereas, the church called Dr. Willie J. Thompson Jr. to serve as senior pastor in 2017, and since then over one hundred new members have increased church membership to over six hundred. The church ministries now include the Young Worshippers Experience, Membership Care Services Ministry, Stepping for Jesus step team, Sheep School, and the Good News Club; and

 

Whereas, to assist the community, the church launched a Back-Pack Outreach program and deployed mentors to area elementary schools. To address the lack of access to careers in science, technology, engineering, and math, the church launched a strategy to construct a state-of-the-art S.T.R.E.A.M. Center on the existing campus to provide children training for these careers; and

 

Whereas, the House of Representatives commends Oak Grove Baptist Church in Elgin for eight and a half decades of ministry and service to the community and extends warmest congratulations on the occasion of the church's historic anniversary. Now, therefore,

 

Be it resolved by the House of Representatives:

 

That the members of the South Carolina House of Representatives, by this resolution, celebrate the joyous occasion of the eighty-fifth anniversary of Oak Grove Baptist Church and congratulate its pastor, the Reverend Dr. Willie J. Thompson Jr., and the church's congregation for years of dedicated service in the Elgin.

 

Be it further resolved that a copy of this resolution be presented to Reverend Dr. Willie J. Thompson Jr.

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