2026 SESSION
ENROLLED
SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 291
Commending Little Bethel Baptist Church.
Agreed to by the Senate, March 11, 2026
Agreed to by the House of Delegates, March 12, 2026
WHEREAS, for 160 years, Little Bethel Baptist Church in Suffolk has greatly served the community by providing uplifting spiritual guidance, joyous occasions for worship and fellowship, and meaningful opportunities for charitable outreach; and
WHEREAS, one of the first Black Baptist churches in Hampton Roads, Little Bethel Baptist Church was organized in 1866 by a group of recently freed and formerly enslaved individuals who gathered under an oak tree on the P.L. Beale estate in the former Nansemond County to plan their Christian future; and
WHEREAS, Little Bethel Baptist Church's first church structure was completed in 1867, and the congregation met there for 27 years before relocating to its current location in Suffolk, which was formally dedicated in 1893; and
WHEREAS, from its first pastor, the Reverend W.M. Reid, to its current pastor, Tyrell K. Morris, Little Bethel Baptist Church has been led by a distinguished line of pastors; and
WHEREAS, Little Bethel Baptist Church has organized and supported a number of ministries and outreach activities over the years to help its members grow in their faith and to make a positive and lasting impact on the lives of others; and