2026 SESSION

ENROLLED

SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 163

Commending Cedar Grove Baptist Church.

Agreed to by the Senate, March 5, 2026

Agreed to by the House of Delegates, March 9, 2026

WHEREAS, for 150 years, Cedar Grove Baptist Church in Charles City County has provided its congregation with inspirational spiritual guidance, joyous occasions for worship and fellowship, and meaningful opportunities for community outreach; and

WHEREAS, Cedar Grove Baptist Church was founded on October 9, 1875, by a group of 26 individuals from nearby Elam Baptist Church, including the Reverend Thomas Bailey, who served as the church's first pastor; and

WHEREAS, after Reverend Bailey's tenure, Cedar Grove Baptist Church was led by a succession of visionary pastors, including the Reverend Thomas H. Johnson, the Reverend J.D. Scott, the Reverend D.W. Cotman, the Reverend J.J. Sweat, the Reverend Samuel L. Massie, the Reverend J.J. Harris, the Reverend Milton Christian, the Reverend William A. Shackleford, the Reverend Raymond N. Skipper, the Reverend William H. Gibson III, the Reverend Gilbert G. Campbell, and the Reverend F. Wayne Henley; and

WHEREAS, over the years, the congregation at Cedar Grove Baptist Church steadily grew, and regular renovations and improvements to the church building were made to accommodate this progress; and

WHEREAS, Cedar Grove Baptist Church's imprint on the Charles City County community includes serving as the mother church of Samaria Indian Baptist Church, which was founded by 48 members of Cedar Grove Baptist Church on April 13, 1901; and

WHEREAS, the members of Cedar Grove Baptist Church have engaged in many good deeds to benefit individuals and families in Charles City County and beyond, embodying the church's core values of worship, evangelism, discipleship, fellowship, service, and stewardship; and

WHEREAS, guided by its motto, “a people of God, chosen by God, to be servants of God,” Cedar Grove Baptist Church has made a profound and lasting impact on the Charles City County community; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the Senate, the House of Delegates concurring, That the General Assembly hereby commend Cedar Grove Baptist Church on the occasion of its 150th anniversary; and, be it

RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the Senate prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to Cedar Grove Baptist Church as an expression of the General Assembly's admiration for the church's contributions to Charles City County and the Commonwealth.