H 4940

South Carolina General Assembly
126th Session, 2025-2026
Bill 4940
Indicates Matter Stricken
Indicates New Matter
(Text matches printed bills. Document has been reformatted to meet World Wide Web specifications.)
A house RESOLUTION
TO CONGRATULATE CONGRUITY PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH (USA)
IN SUMTER ON THE OCCASION OF ITS ONE HUNDRED FIFTIETH ANNIVERSARY AND TO WISH
THE CHURCH CONTINUED SUCCESS AS IT SPREADS THE GOSPEL THROUGHOUT THE COMMUNITY
ITS CALLED TO SERVE.
Whereas, the members of
the South Carolina House of Representatives are pleased to congratulate
Congruity Presbyterian Church (USA) on the occasion of its one hundred fiftieth
anniversary which it celebrated in August 2025; and
Whereas, began by
enslaved people who only were permitted to worship in the presence of their
masters in the Concord Presbyterian Church of Sumter, Congruity Presbyterian
was officially organized around 1875 under a brush harbor by Rev. W.R. Miller.
These outstanding and strong laymen gave the organization a sound and durable
foundation on which to build; and
Whereas, one of the
rich heritages of the church has been its uplifting music ministry, a tradition
that continues to this day. Leadership was another key component of the
church's foundation. Under the leadership of Rev. J.H. Nelson, renovations were
made to the second church to include restrooms, running water and a heating
system. A homecoming program was started and continues annually the fourth
Sunday in August; and
Whereas, in 1967 Rev.
R.C. Johnson became pastor and a new modern brick structure was erected. His
tenure also saw the installation of Flossie Benjamin and Pearl Pringle as the
first female elders, paving the way for future women in the ministry; and
Whereas, Rev. L. Hill
became pastor in 1975 to begin his ministerial career. His youthfulness
contributed to the initiation of a number of youth activities including
baseball and basketball leagues. The sanctuary was remodeled, and financial
resources were put in place for construction of an educational building. Rev.
Hill also began an ecumenical outreach to other religious denominations in the
area; and
Whereas, seeing the
need for greater educational involvement, an education building was constructed
under the leadership of Rev. S. Morse, and a tutorial program known as Project
Uplift was housed in the church's educational building with twenty-six senior
high participants; and
Whereas, successive
pastors continued such improvements as a paved parking lot, a pastor's study,
an IBM computer system, the purchase of a passenger van, and stained glass
windows. Under the tenure of Rev. A. Washington, the current supply pastor, the
sanctuary and fellowship hall were renovated, a media technology room to house
equipment and technology to broadcast weekly services was built, and a security
system was installed; and
Whereas, with the
commitment and the dedication of its members and the community, Congruity
Presbyterian Church (USA) is well poised to continue playing a pivotal role in
the spiritual, education, and civic life of Sumter County and beyond. Now,
therefore,
Be it resolved by the House of Representatives:
That the members of the
South Carolina House of Representatives,
by this resolution, congratulate Congruity Presbyterian Church (USA) on the
occasion of its one hundred fiftieth anniversary and wish it continued success
as it spreads the gospel throughout the community it is called to serve.
Be it further resolved
that a copy of this resolution be presented to the pastor and members of
Congruity Presbyterian Church (USA).
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This web page was last updated on January 15, 2026 at 11:11 AM