2026 SESSION
ENROLLED
SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 163
Commending Cedar Grove Baptist Church.
Agreed to by the Senate, March 5, 2026
Agreed to by the House of Delegates, March 9, 2026
WHEREAS, for 150 years, Cedar Grove Baptist Church in Charles City County has provided its congregation with inspirational spiritual guidance, joyous occasions for worship and fellowship, and meaningful opportunities for community outreach; and
WHEREAS, Cedar Grove Baptist Church was founded on October 9, 1875, by a group of 26 individuals from nearby Elam Baptist Church, including the Reverend Thomas Bailey, who served as the church's first pastor; and
WHEREAS, after Reverend Bailey's tenure, Cedar Grove Baptist Church was led by a succession of visionary pastors, including the Reverend Thomas H. Johnson, the Reverend J.D. Scott, the Reverend D.W. Cotman, the Reverend J.J. Sweat, the Reverend Samuel L. Massie, the Reverend J.J. Harris, the Reverend Milton Christian, the Reverend William A. Shackleford, the Reverend Raymond N. Skipper, the Reverend William H. Gibson III, the Reverend Gilbert G. Campbell, and the Reverend F. Wayne Henley; and
WHEREAS, over the years, the congregation at Cedar Grove Baptist Church steadily grew, and regular renovations and improvements to the church building were made to accommodate this progress; and
WHEREAS, Cedar Grove Baptist Church's imprint on the Charles City County community includes serving as the mother church of Samaria Indian Baptist Church, which was founded by 48 members of Cedar Grove Baptist Church on April 13, 1901; and