The publication is reproduced in full below:
CELEBRATING THE 132ND ANNIVERSARY OF ST. JAMES A.M.E. CHURCH OF
DOUGLASVILLE, GEORGIA
______
HON. DAVID SCOTT
of georgia
in the house of representatives
Friday, October 8, 2021
Mr. DAVID SCOTT of Georgia. Madam Speaker, I rise today to celebrate the 132nd anniversary of the St. James African Methodist Episcopal
(A.M.E.) Church of Douglasville, Georgia on October 10, 2021.
Since its founding in 1889, St. James A.M.E. Church has served the greater Douglasville area through ministry, service, and fellowship. As they mark this momentous occasion, it is my pleasure to extend congratulations to the church leaders, elders, and congregation. There are many ways to gauge the impact a religious institution has on its community. However, one of the most telling is its longevity, for that demonstrates that teaching of a loving gospel can move generations of God's people.
The mission of St. James A.M.E. is to minister to the spiritual, physical, emotional, and environmental needs of all people through spreading the word of Christ. However, this church community does not just preach the gospel on Sundays, but instead carries the gospel with them every day through their good deeds. Saving the lost, serving the needy, feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, housing the homeless, caring for the sick, are only a few examples of how St. James A.M.E. impacts its community.
St. James A.M.E. has been a beacon of Christian light and fellowship for a very long time. They take care of their community and those that are struggling. Loving our neighbors as we love ourselves is deeply engrained in St. James A.M.E.'s culture. Through the spirit of selfless generosity and love for others, God has shined his light on this congregation, and you all have taken that light and steadfastly turned it on your community. For fifteen years, St. James A.M.E. has partnered with the Atlanta Community Food Bank to serve meals and provide goods to fellow neighbors. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the church set up a mobile food bank and food pantry for patrons to easily get meals for their families. Additionally, St. James A.M.E. organized a COVID-19 vaccination event to ensure that citizens of the greater Douglasville area had access to this lifesaving vaccine.
Throughout the 132 years of St. James A.M.E., its members and fellow Black and African American neighbors were not afforded the same freedoms as their white brothers and sisters. This church has lived through the great Civil Rights Movement and the continued effects of racism and bigotry. Through their perseverance, they have continued to promote equality in their community, through actions such as working tirelessly during the 2020 election cycle to ensure voters were registered and had all the information they needed to cast their ballot on election day.
I am pleased to congratulate your church leaders, elders, and the generations of congregants at St. James A.M.E. Church for setting positive examples as leaders in ministry for the city of Douglasville. From the first pastors back in 1889, Reverend Pierce and Reverend Lawrence, to today's Reverend LeRoy Ladson, Jr., these leaders have grounded this community's faith and united the people of Douglasville through the Word of God.
Madam Speaker, as St. James A.M.E. Church of Douglasville, Georgia marks its 132nd anniversary, I would like to applaud this church's steadfast commitment to God's Word and God's people. I want to close with a fitting scripture that epitomizes the spirit of St. James A.M.E., Galatians 6:9, which reads, ``And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.''
May God continue to bless St. James A.M.E. Church of Douglasville, Georgia.
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SOURCE: Congressional Record Vol. 167, No. 178
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