Bill Text: VA HR302 | 2019 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Commending Clover Hill Baptist Church.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)
Status: (Passed) 2019-02-20 - Bill text as passed House (HR302ER) [HR302 Detail]
Download: Virginia-2019-HR302-Introduced.html
WHEREAS, in 2019, Clover Hill Baptist Church celebrates 50 years of providing spiritual leadership, opportunities for joyful worship, and generous outreach to the members of the North Chesterfield community; and
WHEREAS, originally known as Gospel Crusade Baptist Church, Clover Hill Baptist Church traces its roots to the fall of 1968, when a group of believers met in a cabinet shop on Hull Street to form their own congregation; the Reverend Calvin T. Eaves was called as pastor, preaching his first sermon on November 24, 1968; and
WHEREAS, Clover Hill Baptist Church was formally organized with 80 charter members on February 9, 1969, and took its name from its location in the Clover Hill district of Chesterfield County; and
WHEREAS, shortly after its establishment, Clover Hill Baptist Church acquired a ten-acre tract of land on Courthouse Road and initiated a building fund under Harvey Tyndall; the church sold bonds to finance a new building, which was completed by general contractor Curtis Owens in 1972 and dedicated on Easter Sunday of that year; and
WHEREAS, Clover Hill Baptist Church sold additional bonds to fund a two-story educational building, which was completed in 1974, and later added a bus garage to better serve the growing congregation; the Reverend Dwight Norville was appointed director of the Bus Ministry and the Children's Church; and
WHEREAS, Clover Hill Baptist Church experienced significant growth in the 1970s, appointing its first associate pastor, the Reverend Barney Freasier, and music minister Wayne Raborn; the church continued to expand its ministries, including Sunday school programs and classes for the deaf, as well as the mentally and physically handicapped; and
WHEREAS, on May 12, 1976, Clover Hill Baptist Church assumed ownership of Richmond Christian School on Newby's Bridge Road and subsequently purchased the Gill School property on Belmont Road in 1983; by 2002, Richmond Christian School had grown to an enrollment of more than 600 students, and in 2005, the church sold the school to a group of parents who have maintained its legacy of excellence; and
WHEREAS, in September 1978, Clover Hill Baptist Church established the Clover Land Pre-School and Day Care, which at one time cared for 200 children between the ages of two and five; Linda Crotty led the program for more than 30 years, and Jeannette Young has been the current director since 2015; and
WHEREAS, Clover Hill Baptist Church expanded its message in 1982 through a television ministry under the direction of Jay Sears that was broadcast every Monday night for 34 years; and
WHEREAS, Clover Hill Baptist Church has also benefited from the leadership of the Reverend Robert Gallagher as associate pastor and the Reverend Abe Simon, who joined the church in 1987 as director of the Golden Age Fellowship and later became an associate pastor; and
WHEREAS, the current senior pastor of Clover Hill Baptist Church, the Reverend Mark Crockett, was elected on April 15, 2018, and has helped the church grow in both faith and numbers; and
WHEREAS, Clover Hill Baptist Church is a well-known landmark in Chesterfield County, providing spiritual guidance to many local families and significant outreach to the surrounding community, and supporting missionary programs at home and abroad; and
WHEREAS, Clover Hill Baptist Church will commemorate its 50th anniversary milestone with a banquet at Bishop Ireton Center on February 9, 2019, and a service on February 10, 2019, featuring presentations on the history of the church, as well as testimonies and special guests; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, That Clover Hill Baptist Church hereby be commended on the occasion of its 50th anniversary; and, be it
RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to the Reverend Mark Crockett, senior pastor of Clover Hill Baptist Church, as an expression of the House of Delegates' admiration for its legacy of service to the residents of North Chesterfield.
