--- title: HR 572. Steward Chapel African Methodist Episcopal Church; occasion of its 160th anniversary; recognize collection: bills id: 2025-2026/hr572 cite_as: HR 572, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.) canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr572 md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr572.md text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr572/text source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/71318 date: 2025-03-11 status: passed corpus_version: bills-2026-08-28 license: Public record of the Georgia General Assembly, via LegiScan; see about.md publisher: Georgia Commons, an independent project of Georgia Civic Data. Not the State of Georgia. Not legal advice. up: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026.md previous: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr571.md next: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr573.md index: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/index.md omitted: votes and history omitted_chars: 131 omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr572.md?full=1 bill_number: HR 572 session: 2025-2026 Regular Session session_slug: 2025-2026 chamber: House bill_type: resolution status_date: 2025-03-11 last_action: House Read and Adopted sponsors: - Anissa Jones - Robert Flournoy - Floyd Griffin - Teddy Reese - Tangie Herring text_version: Introduced has_text: true legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/HR572/2025 upstream_id: 2000275 summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5 topic_tags: - ceremonial resolution - Macon history - civil rights history - church anniversary --- # HR 572. Steward Chapel African Methodist Episcopal Church; occasion of its 160th anniversary; recognize ## Text 25 LC 112 3318 House Resolution 572 By: Representatives Jones of the 143rd, Flournoy of the 74th, Griffin of the 149th, Reese of the 140th, and Herring of the 145th A RESOLUTION Recognizing and commending Steward Chapel African Methodist Episcopal Church on the1 occasion of its 160th anniversary; and for other purposes.2 WHEREAS, organized in 1865, Steward Chapel African Methodist Episcopal Church has3 remained steadfast in its mission of spiritual and social uplif tment, guided by the divine4 direction of numerous pastors throughout the years; and5 WHEREAS, since its founding, Steward Chapel African Methodist E piscopal Church has6 served as a beacon of faith and resilience, persevering after t he destruction of its original7 church building in 1869 and securing a permanent place of worship through the unwavering8 dedication of its members; and9 WHEREAS, Steward Chapel African Methodist Episcopal Church played a pivotal role in10 the Civil Rights Movement as a hub for religious, political, an d social change, including11 hosting Dr. Benjamin E. Mays as a speaker in 1954 to discuss th e impact of the Supreme12 Court's Brown v. Board of Education decision; and13 H. R. 572 - 1 - 25 LC 112 3318 WHEREAS, in that same year, the church welcomed the renowned educator and activist Dr.14 Mary McLeod Bethune as the Women's Day speaker, drawing a capacity crowd from Macon15 and the surrounding communities; and16 WHEREAS, Steward Chapel African Methodist Episcopal Church cemented its role in the17 Civil Rights Movement when it hosted Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. on September 19, 1957,18 for his only major speech in Macon, wherein over 600 attendees braved heavy rain to hear19 his sermon titled "There is No East and No West"; and20 WHEREAS, the story of Steward Chapel African Methodist Episcopa l Church is one of21 triumph through the grace and sustaining power of God, and it s tands as an immovable22 witness to the truth that God keeps His promise; and23 WHEREAS, it is abundantly fitting and proper that this enduring example of God's message24 of peace and love be recognized and congratulated for its innumerable good works rendered25 on behalf of persons in need.26 NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES that27 the members of this body recognize the rich history of Steward Chapel African Methodist28 Episcopal Church, commend its 160 years of dedicated service to the Lord and community,29 and extend their most sincere best wishes for its continued growth and success.30 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Clerk of the House of Representatives is authorized31 and directed to make an appropriate copy of this resolution ava ilable for distribution to32 Steward Chapel African Methodist Episcopal Church.33 H. R. 572 - 2 - ## Summaries written by Georgia Commons The following was written by claude-sonnet-5 from the text above and is not part of the resolution. Quote the text, not the summary. A Georgia House resolution recognizes Steward Chapel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Macon on its 160th anniversary, honoring its history and role in the Civil Rights Movement. ### Plain-language summary This resolution from the Georgia House of Representatives honors Steward Chapel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Macon, founded in 1865, on the occasion of its 160th anniversary. It recounts the church's history, including the loss of its original building in 1869 and its rebuilding, and highlights its role during the Civil Rights Movement, including hosting Dr. Benjamin E. Mays, Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune, and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., who delivered a sermon there in 1957. The resolution formally commends the church for its 160 years of service and wishes it continued success. It directs the Clerk of the House of Representatives to prepare a copy of the resolution for distribution to the church. It does not change any Georgia law or provide funding. ### What it does - Formally recognizes and commends Steward Chapel African Methodist Episcopal Church on its 160th anniversary of founding in 1865. - Recounts the church's history, including rebuilding after its original building was destroyed in 1869. - Documents the church's role in hosting Civil Rights Movement figures including Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in 1957. - Directs the Clerk of the House of Representatives to prepare and distribute a copy of the resolution to the church. ### Who it affects This resolution directly concerns Steward Chapel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Macon, its congregation, and members of the Georgia House of Representatives who sponsored and adopted it. It has no regulatory or financial effect on other Georgians. ### Why it matters The resolution carries symbolic and ceremonial weight rather than legal effect. It gives official state recognition to a historic Macon church's community service and its documented role in civil rights history, providing the congregation a formal record of that recognition from the legislature. ### Key provisions - The preamble ('whereas' clauses) recounts the church's founding in 1865 and rebuilding after an 1869 fire. - The preamble describes the church's Civil Rights Movement role, including a 1957 sermon by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. attended by over 600 people. - The resolving clause has the House of Representatives commend the church's 160 years of service and wish it continued success. - A further resolution directs the Clerk of the House to provide a copy of the resolution to the church. ## Status - Status: Passed (2025-03-11) - Last action: House Read and Adopted (2025-03-11) - Sponsors: Anissa Jones, Robert Flournoy, Floyd Griffin, Teddy Reese, Tangie Herring - Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/71318 > The history, votes, and amendments (131 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr572.md?full=1