H 4078

South Carolina General Assembly
126th Session, 2025-2026
Bill 4078
Indicates Matter Stricken
Indicates New Matter
(Text matches printed bills. Document has been reformatted to meet World Wide Web specifications.)
A house RESOLUTION
TO CELEBRATE THE JOYOUS OCCASION OF
THE historic ONE HUNDRED FIFTIETH ANNIVERSARY OF Langrum Branch Baptist CHURCH
AND TO CONGRATULATE AND HONOR Reverend Richard Pickering Sr. AND THE
CONGREGATION FOR a century and a half OF DEDICATED SERVICE TO THE York
COMMUNITY.
Whereas, the South Carolina House of Representatives is gratified to
learn that members of Langrum Branch Baptist Church of York will celebrate their
one hundred fiftieth anniversary in 2025; and
Whereas, Langrum Branch Baptist Church was organized in Yorkville in
1875. The church took its name from nearby Langham Creek, which was the
church's original name. It is believed that the members first met in a brush
arbor with Reverend Allen Bert as their first minister. A few years later, the
first sanctuary was constructed, a one-room building that served for over thirty
years; and
Whereas, under the leadership of Pastor Perry C. Little in 1909, plans
were laid to build a new church, and land was purchased through donations from members
and friends. The church continued to prosper for the next thirty-one years, during
the tenure of several pastors; and
Whereas, by this time, the church had an active vocal choir and the
Missionary Society, and the trustees began work on the original restricted deed
granted by York County. Since the church had been properly used for forty
years, a new deed ceded the original three acres to the church; and
Whereas, as the congregation continued to grow in the early 1930s, the
church formed the first usher board in the area. Under the leadership of
Reverend S. G. Walker in the late 1930s, the Brotherhood Club and the musical choir
were organized. Through the 1940s, the church was remodeled, and the addition
of Sunday school rooms was completed in 1952. The dining room was added to the
church, and a bus was purchased to help members without transportation to get
to services. Church services began to be held every Sunday, instead of only twice
a month; and
Whereas, before retiring in 1982, Reverend T. B. Bowser led the
church to purchase property and begin a building fund program for a new
sanctuary to meet the church's growing needs; and
Whereas, under the leadership of Reverend Osbey Roddey, the Langrum
Branch Baptist Church purchased an additional five acres, totaling some twelve
acres, and established a monetary goal to begin building the sanctuary in four
phases. Construction for the new church facility began in September 1986 and
was completed in mid-1987. The church purchased two vans, a twenty-five-passenger
bus, a new organ, and additional tables and cushioned chairs for the dining
hall; and
Whereas, in 1984, the church wrote and adopted a personnel and
procedures manual and petitioned the county and state delegations for the
pavement of the Langrum Branch Road. Dr. Roddey emphasized local and foreign missions
and education, and an educational scholarship fund was established for members
attending post-high school institutions. In 1999, a young adult choir was
organized, and a storage building/garage was built on the church property. Dr.
Roddey retired in 2015 after thirty-two years of faithful service, and Reverend
Richard Pickering Sr. became senior pastor in 2016; and
Whereas, Reverend Pickering reorganized the trustee ministry, directed
the updating of the sound system, created an online presence through social
media, and initiated the development of the church's website, which helped the
members stay connected through the COVID-19 pandemic. He established the church
vision and motto of "REACHing the world for Christ as people serving people." The
congregation enters its one hundred fiftieth year with a desire to continue the
church's legacy with plans for improvements to the sanctuary and the addition
of a community center, a daycare, affordable senior housing, and a community
garden. 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 historic one hundred fiftieth
anniversary of Langrum Branch Baptist Church and congratulate and honor Reverend
Richard Pickering Sr. and the congregation for a century and a half of
dedicated service to the York community.
Be it further resolved that a copy
of this resolution be presented to Reverend Richard Pickering Sr.
----XX----
This web page was last updated on February 25, 2025 at 01:19 PM