IN THE COUNTY LEGISLATURE OF JACKSON COUNTY, MISSOURI
Title
A RESOLUTION congratulating St. James Missionary Baptist Church of Kansas City, Missouri, on the occasion of its 150th anniversary.
Intro
RESOLUTION NO. 20539, October 26, 2020
INTRODUCED BY Scott Burnett, Theresa Cass Galvin and Ronald E. Finley, County Legislators
Body
WHEREAS, St. James Missionary Baptist Church of Kansas City, Missouri, is celebrating its 150th Anniversary; and,
WHEREAS, St. James Missionary Baptist Church was founded on November 3, 1870, by brothers Wallace E. and Howard Smith, who arrived in Westport, Missouri, from Richmond, Kentucky, with their families; and,
WHEREAS, the families eventually came to this area and, finding no Baptist church for African-Americans in Westport, together with other founding members Frank and Lettie Wells, B.J. Yates, and Henry Collins, Sr., they formed a new church led by the Reverend Jesse Harris; and,
WHEREAS, early church services were held at temporary quarters at the southeast corner of Archibald Street and what is now Mill Street, with many members baptized in Brush Creek; and,
WHEREAS, in its early form, St. James was known as the United Baptist Church of Christ at St. James Chapel and, in 1883, the young preacher L.M. Leonard ran a successful revival meeting, resulting in a great expansion of the church’s membership; and,
WHEREAS, by the turn of the century, St. James had grown to a stable and established church, clearing its debt with a steady membership and notable pastoral leadership; and,
WHEREAS, over its history, St. James has suffered two significant fires, one in 1987 and the other in 1996 and, despite these setbacks, the church has rebuilt with new hope and growing faith; and,
WHEREAS, out of its struggle St. James now envisions itself as a multicultural church that makes a difference by serving food to the homeless, caring for children of single mothers, and collecting clothes for the needy - a church that is community-driven and reflective of its racially diverse, young Westport neighborhood; and,
WHEREAS, as it plans for the future, St. James Missionary Baptist Church has selected its current pastor, the Reverend Paul O. Jones, to lead the congregation in its mission; now therefore,
BE IT RESOLVED by the County Legislature of Jackson County, Missouri, that the Legislature hereby congratulates St. James Missionary Baptist Church, on the occasion of its 150th anniversary and extends sincere best wishes for continued success in the future.
Enacted and Approved
Effective Date: This Resolution shall be effective immediately upon its passage by a majority of the Legislature.
APPROVED AS TO FORM:
______________________________ ________________________________
Chief Deputy County Counselor County Counselor
Certificate of Passage
I hereby certify that the attached resolution, Resolution No. 20539 of October 26, 2020, was duly passed on October 26, 2020 by the Jackson County Legislature. The votes thereon were as follows:
Yeas _______7__________ Nays _____0______
Abstaining _____0______ Absent _____2_______
______________________ ______________________________
Date Mary Jo Spino, Clerk of Legislature