2026 SESSION

INTRODUCED

26108079D

HOUSE RESOLUTION NO. 471

Offered March 12, 2026

Commending Norview Baptist Church.

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Patron—Glass

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WHEREAS, for 100 years, Norview Baptist Church has provided its congregation with uplifting spiritual guidance, joyous occasions for worship and fellowship, and meaningful opportunities for community outreach; and

WHEREAS, Norview Baptist Church was founded on May 31, 1925, with 45 charter members, and its first services were held in the home of Mr. and Mrs. James Garrett on Hugo Avenue; and

WHEREAS, shortly thereafter, Norview Baptist Church moved into a newly erected building on property at the intersection of Sewells Point Road and Green Street that had been donated by a charter member and deacon of the church, W.W. Davis; and

WHEREAS, after its first church building burned down in 1947, Norview Baptist Church held services in the Norview High School auditorium temporarily before relocating to a newly constructed building at the Five Points intersection in Norfolk in 1949; and

WHEREAS, as the congregation at Norview Baptist Church continued to grow, the church added a second unit to its building in 1951, followed by a new sanctuary that was dedicated on November 24, 1960; and

WHEREAS, by the 1960s, Norview Baptist Church's congregation had swelled to more than 1,000 members, and it had some of the highest Sunday school and vacation Bible school enrollments in the Commonwealth; and

WHEREAS, Norview Baptist Church helped the Hampton Roads Region and beyond grow in faith by spearheading the establishment of new churches, including Bayside Baptist Church in Virginia Beach, and by supporting an array of local and foreign missions, youth activities, and discipleship programs; and

WHEREAS, Norview Baptist Church has been led since its founding by a distinguished line of pastors and faith leaders, including its current interim pastor, the Reverend Fred L. Williams; and

WHEREAS, Norview Baptist Church makes a difference in the lives of others through a number of outreach endeavors, including a food pantry and clothing closet; and

WHEREAS, guided by its mission, “loving Five Points and beyond for the glory of God,” Norview Baptist Church continues to be a spiritual beacon in the community and to touch the lives of many through discipleship, worship, outreach, and prayer; and

WHEREAS, in May 2025, the congregation at Norview Baptist Church commemorated the church's centennial, providing a moment to reflect upon the vision of the church's founders and the ways in which the church has made a positive and lasting impact on the Norfolk community over the past century; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, That Norview Baptist Church hereby be commended for its legacy of service on the occasion of its 100th anniversary; and, be it

RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to Norview Baptist Church as an expression of the House of Delegates' admiration for the church's contributions to Norfolk and the Commonwealth.