H 5752

South Carolina General Assembly
126th Session, 2025-2026
Bill 5752
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 ONE HUNDRED
sixtieth anniversary of St. Matthew United Methodist Church and to congratulate
Reverend Shirley P. Gordon and the congregation for years of dedicated service
to their God and the Camden community.
Whereas, the House of
Representatives is pleased to learn that St. Matthew United Methodist Church will
celebrate its one hundred sixtieth anniversary at a gala on Saturday, September
12, 2026; and
Whereas, the early
members of St. Matthew Church spent years meeting in a grape arbor until 1866
when African Americans became recognized as American citizens. Those members
created a legal agreement in which each member agreed to pay fifty cents a year
for land on which to build a church until the balance was paid in full, a great
sacrifice in times of such economic hardship; and
Whereas, four acres of
land were obtained, and these pioneers acquired the necessary materials to
construct a small church. In 1879, they finished construction of a one-room
church building, and they called the church St. Matthew; and
Whereas, when the
church grew year after year, the building could no longer accommodate the congregants,
so they had to revert to the grape arbor as a place for childrens' classes
while the church developed plans to construct a larger edifice in 1892 for
twice the membership and a parsonage; and
Whereas, the church was
renamed St. Matthew Methodist Episcopal Church; catechism classes began, and
various choirs formed during this time. Community assistance and participation
were also important to the St. Matthew congregation, and as a result the
membership continued to grow; and
Whereas, new
accommodations were needed to house this growth, and in 1919, a decision was
made to extend the building by adding rooms to either side. Church members
solicited monetary and material donations from the community. Lumber was
donated by Mr. Shivers, a close white friend of the congregation. As the
blessings came, various members donated their time and talent to construct the
rooms themselves; and
Whereas, the beautiful
place, with high cathedral ceilings and an open sanctuary, made it even more
encouraging for people to travel long distances on foot to get to church. Some
walked barefoot, but they arrived eager to begin worship service. Water was needed
as the parched congregants who arrived to worship would rush to the drinking
well. It was later replaced with public water lines; and
Whereas, as modern utilities
became available, electricity was installed, dirt roads were paved, and cars
became affordable. In 1970, church officials, fascinated by modern materials, decided
to beautify the internal and external church structure. The parsonage was demolished,
and the church building was bricked on the outside to maintain its longevity. The
interior was paneled, floors were carpeted, and seats were replaced. The
grounds were leveled, and shrubbery was planted. The bell inside the church's
steeple had inadvertently been left out during the 1970 renovations, a bell that
is over one hundred years old. It was kept in a safe place until 2000 and is now
encased on the church grounds; and
Whereas, a new church
to the right of the old St. Matthew Church was built on the same four-acre
tract purchased over a hundred years ago. December 4, 1988, marked the first
service held in the new church with services conducted by Pastor R. L. Snowden
and District Superintendent Gloria Robbins Davis. Three hundred twenty members
and friends were present for this service; and
Whereas, the South
Carolina House of Representatives commends St. Matthew United Methodist Church
in Camden for over one and a half centuries of ministry in and service to the
community and extends warmest congratulations on the occasion of the church's
historic anniversary. 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 one hundred sixtieth
anniversary of St. Matthew United Methodist Church and congratulate Reverend Shirley
P. Gordon and the congregation for years of dedicated service to their God and
the Camden community.
Be it further resolved
that a copy of this resolution be presented to Reverend Shirley P. Gordon.
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This web page was last updated on August 11, 2026 at 03:05 PM