--- title: SR 1105. Central United Methodist Church; recognize and commend collection: bills id: 2025-2026/sr1105 cite_as: SR 1105, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.) canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr1105 md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr1105.md text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr1105/text source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/74691 date: 2026-04-02 status: passed corpus_version: bills-2026-09-13 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/sr1104.md next: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr1106.md index: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/index.md omitted: votes and history omitted_chars: 94 omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr1105.md?full=1 bill_number: SR 1105 session: 2025-2026 Regular Session session_slug: 2025-2026 chamber: Senate bill_type: resolution status_date: 2026-04-02 last_action: Senate Read and Adopted sponsors: - Nan Orrock - Ed Harbison text_version: Enrolled has_text: true legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/SR1105/2025 upstream_id: 2141048 summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5 topic_tags: - commemorative resolution - Atlanta history - Central United Methodist Church - civil rights history --- # SR 1105. Central United Methodist Church; recognize and commend ## Text Senate Resolution 1105 By: Senators Orrock of the 36th and Harbison of the 15th A RESOLUTION Recognizing and commending Central United Methodist Church on the occasion of its 160th anniversary; and for other purposes. WHEREAS, Central United Methodist Church was organized as a church mission in 1866 and recognized by the Annual Methodist Conference as Clark Chapel Methodist Episcopal Church in 1867; and WHEREAS, the church was named for Bishop Davis W. Clark, who became bishop in 1864 and was the first President of the Freedmen's Aid Society; and WHEREAS, the first location of the church was on Frasier Street in the Summerhill community of Atlanta, Georgia; and WHEREAS, in 1875, Clark Chapel moved and merged with Loyd Street Methodist Episcopal Church located at the corner of Loyd Street (now Central Avenue) and Hunter Street (now Martin Luther King Jr. Drive); and WHEREAS, Clark Chapel served as the birthplace of Clark University (now Clark Atlanta University) and Gammon Theological Seminary when classes for the schools assembled in the church's basement; and WHEREAS, the church changed its name to Central Avenue Methodist Episcopal Church in 1901 and moved in 1928 to its current location at 501 Martin Luther King Jr. Drive SW (formerly Mitchell Street); and WHEREAS, Central helped mold the civic and religious character of Atlanta as the city evolved into the leader of the Southeast educationally and industrially as well as a hub for civil rights activism; and WHEREAS, some of the most progressive and influential movements for racial equality were engendered by and through Central; and WHEREAS, Central has a storied history and continues its journey of religious, civic, moral, and educational leadership; and WHEREAS, Central, "The Church at the Heart of the City with the City at Heart," is considered the oldest Black Methodist church in the City of Atlanta. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE that the members of this body recognize the rich history of Central United Methodist Church, commend its 160 years of dedicated service to the Lord and community, and extend their warmest best wishes for its continued growth and success. BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Secretary of the Senate is authorized and directed to make an appropriate copy of this resolution available for distribution to Central United Methodist Church. ## 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 Senate resolution recognizes and commends Central United Methodist Church in Atlanta on its 160th anniversary, honoring its history as one of the city's oldest Black congregations. ### Plain-language summary This resolution is a ceremonial statement from the Georgia Senate rather than a change to state law. It traces the history of Central United Methodist Church in Atlanta, from its founding as a church mission in 1866 through its various name changes, relocations, and its role as the birthplace of what became Clark Atlanta University and Gammon Theological Seminary. The resolution formally recognizes the church's history, commends its 160 years of service to its community, and wishes it continued success. It also directs the Secretary of the Senate to prepare a copy of the resolution for distribution to the church. The resolution creates no new rules, funding, or legal requirements. ### What it does - Formally recognizes the 160th anniversary of Central United Methodist Church in Atlanta. - Commends the church for its history of religious, civic, and educational leadership. - Directs the Secretary of the Senate to prepare and distribute a copy of the resolution to the church. - Creates no new law, funding, or enforceable requirement, since it is a ceremonial resolution. ### Who it affects The resolution directly names Central United Methodist Church in Atlanta and its congregation. It has no broader legal effect on other churches, institutions, or Georgia residents generally. ### Why it matters The resolution has no practical or legal effect on Georgians beyond the honor itself. Its significance is symbolic, marking public recognition by the Georgia Senate of a historic Atlanta church tied to civil rights history and the founding of Clark Atlanta University. ### Key provisions - The resolution recounts the church's founding in 1866 and its early names, including Clark Chapel Methodist Episcopal Church. - It notes the church's basement hosted early classes for what became Clark Atlanta University and Gammon Theological Seminary. - The resolving clause formally commends the church's 160 years of service and wishes it continued success. - A further resolved clause directs the Secretary of the Senate to provide a copy of the resolution to the church. ## Status - Status: Passed (2026-04-02) - Last action: Senate Read and Adopted (2026-04-02) - Sponsors: Nan Orrock, Ed Harbison - Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/74691 > The history, votes, and amendments (94 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr1105.md?full=1