--- title: HR 699. Decatur Presbyterian Church; Decatur, Georgia; 200th anniversary; recognize collection: bills id: 2025-2026/hr699 cite_as: HR 699, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.) canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr699 md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr699.md text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr699/text source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/71585 date: 2025-03-21 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/hr698.md next: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr700.md index: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/index.md omitted: votes and history omitted_chars: 131 omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr699.md?full=1 bill_number: HR 699 session: 2025-2026 Regular Session session_slug: 2025-2026 chamber: House bill_type: resolution status_date: 2025-03-21 last_action: House Read and Adopted sponsors: - Mary Oliver - Omari Crawford - Karla Drenner text_version: Introduced has_text: true legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/HR699/2025 upstream_id: 2012822 summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5 topic_tags: - Decatur Presbyterian Church - commemorative resolution - DeKalb County history - church anniversary --- # HR 699. Decatur Presbyterian Church; Decatur, Georgia; 200th anniversary; recognize ## Text 25 LC 112 3451 House Resolution 699 By: Representatives Oliver of the 84th, Crawford of the 89th, and Drenner of the 85th A RESOLUTION Celebrating the 200th anniversary of Decatur Presbyterian Churc h, Decatur, Georgia; and1 for other purposes.2 WHEREAS, on Sunday, October 30, 1825, Decatur Presbyterian Church conducted its first3 worship service as an officially chartered congregation, three years after the United States4 signed a treaty with the Creek Indians and two years after the establishment of DeKalb5 County; and6 WHEREAS, to educate the children in faith, Presbyterians organi zed the Union Sunday7 School in 1831, the oldest Sunday School in DeKalb County, inviting other congregations8 as teachers and learners; and9 WHEREAS, women and children continued holding Sunday School and services during the10 Civil War while most men were serving in the military, despite Union troops taking over the11 church building and emptying it of its pews, pulpit, and papers; and12 WHEREAS, the mission-minded Decatur Presbyterian Church organiz ed 17 new13 congregations in the area, including Smyrna in 1827, followed b y First Atlanta, Rock14 Springs, Salem, Midway, Kirkwood, Ingleside, Panthersville, Oak hurst, Alexander15 H. R. 699 - 1 - 25 LC 112 3451 Memorial, Glen Haven, Emory, Trinity Decatur, Columbia, Clairmont, Memorial Drive, and16 finally North Decatur in 1955; and17 WHEREAS, to meet the need for educating young women, Decatur Pr esbyterian Church18 organized Decatur Female Seminary in 1889, later known as Agnes Scott College, named19 for the mother of Decatur Presbyterian Church Elder Colonel Sco tt, a primary financial20 supporter; and21 WHEREAS, in 1927, Decatur Presbyterian Church made it possible for Columbia22 Theological Seminary to move from Columbia, South Carolina, to Decatur, enhancing a23 partnership with its sister institution, which trained 14 of its installed pastors and numerous24 associate pastors, encouraged over 50 seminary interns to be trained within the congregation,25 and benefitted from trustees, faculty, staff, and presidents wh o were among the26 congregation's participants; and27 WHEREAS, the first church kindergarten in DeKalb County was reg istered in 1950 as28 Decatur Presbyterian Children's Community, which currently serv es over 100 students a29 year, from nine months through kindergarten, with thousands of alumni throughout the30 world; and31 WHEREAS, since the late 1800s, Decatur Presbyterian Church has supported global mission32 partners, in more recent years in South Sudan, Madagascar, Niger, the United States-Mexico33 border, and Taiwan, and financed the 1968 creation of the Toppl e Hospital in Soonchun,34 South Korea, to treat leprosy, polio, and other crippling diseases; and35 H. R. 699 - 2 - 25 LC 112 3451 WHEREAS, the congregation has generously hosted the Global Vill age Project within its36 buildings since 2010, enabling the specialized education of hundreds of refugee teenage girls;37 and38 WHEREAS, to serve those on the margins of society, Decatur Presbyterian Church created39 its Threshold Ministry in 2013 to provide assistance through direct services such as MARTA40 cards, mail service, hygiene kits, warm coats, and other aid, as well as referrals to Legal Aid,41 the Furniture Bank, Veterans Administration Services, First Ste p Staffing, and numerous42 housing and shelter opportunities; and43 WHEREAS, the congregation intends to celebrate its 200th anniversary to the glory of God44 on October 26, 2025, continuing its love of God and neighbor in to its third century and45 fulfilling its stated mission: "Rooted in the heart of Decatur, we worship, love, and serve with46 hospitality, generosity, and compassion."47 NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES that48 the members of this body recognize the rich history of Decatur Presbyterian Church,49 commend its 200 years of dedicated service to the Lord and comm unity, and extend their50 warmest best wishes for its continued growth and success.51 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Clerk of the House of Representatives is authorized52 and directed to make an appr opriate copy of t his resolution ava ilable for distribution to53 Decatur Presbyterian Church.54 H. R. 699 - 3 - ## 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 honors the 200th anniversary of Decatur Presbyterian Church in Decatur, Georgia, recognizing its history and community service. ### Plain-language summary This resolution is a ceremonial statement from the Georgia House of Representatives marking the 200th anniversary of Decatur Presbyterian Church, founded in 1825. It recounts the church's history, including founding the Union Sunday School in 1831, starting 17 other congregations, helping establish Agnes Scott College and bringing Columbia Theological Seminary to Decatur, and running community programs like a children's school and a ministry that provides food, transit cards, and referrals to people in need. The resolution does not change any Georgia law. It simply has the House formally recognize the church's history and service, wish it continued success, and direct the Clerk of the House to provide a copy of the resolution to the church. ### What it does - Formally recognizes the 200-year history of Decatur Presbyterian Church, founded in 1825 in DeKalb County. - Commends the church for its community service, including founding schools, mission programs, and assistance ministries. - Directs the Clerk of the House of Representatives to prepare and send a copy of the resolution to the church. - Creates no new law, funding, or regulatory requirement; it is a ceremonial statement of recognition. ### Who it affects The resolution directly names Decatur Presbyterian Church and its congregation. It has no regulatory effect on other Georgians, businesses, or government agencies beyond the House Clerk's administrative task of delivering a copy of the resolution. ### Why it matters The resolution carries no legal or financial consequences; it does not change any Georgia statute or create funding. Its practical effect is symbolic, giving official recognition from the state legislature to a longstanding Decatur institution's anniversary and community contributions. ### Key provisions - The whereas clauses recount the church's founding in 1825, its role in starting 17 other congregations, and its ties to Agnes Scott College and Columbia Theological Seminary. - The resolved clause has House members recognize the church's history and commend its 200 years of service and extend well wishes. - A further resolved clause directs the Clerk of the House to provide a copy of the resolution to Decatur Presbyterian Church. ## Status - Status: Passed (2025-03-21) - Last action: House Read and Adopted (2025-03-21) - Sponsors: Mary Oliver, Omari Crawford, Karla Drenner - Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/71585 > The history, votes, and amendments (131 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr699.md?full=1