2026 SESSION
ENROLLED
SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 146
Commending Mount Calvary Baptist Church.
Agreed to by the Senate, March 5, 2026
Agreed to by the House of Delegates, March 9, 2026
WHEREAS, for 150 years, Mount Calvary Baptist Church in Hopewell has provided its congregation with inspirational spiritual guidance, joyous occasions for worship and fellowship, and meaningful opportunities for community outreach; and
WHEREAS, Mount Calvary Baptist Church was founded in 1876 by the Reverend William Willis and a small group of parishioners, who held worship services initially in members' homes; and
WHEREAS, the Reverend Willis was succeeded by the Reverend Norman Dugger, who spearheaded the construction of a 15-by-25-foot building to serve as the church's place of worship; and
WHEREAS, during World War I, the federal government acquired Mount Calvary Baptist Church's property to expand Fort Lee, displacing the congregation; with great faith and resolve, Mount Calvary Baptist Church's congregation persevered, and the church's trustees purchased the land in 1920 where the church now stands; and
WHEREAS, Mount Calvary Baptist Church has flourished over the years under the leadership of a distinguished line of pastors, including the Reverend Dr. L.W. Jacobs, who was the longest-tenured pastor in church history, and the Reverend Dr. Vodricka L. Epps, who became the church's 11th pastor on July 17, 2016; and