WHEREAS, Faith Baptist Church in Fredericksburg celebrates 40 years of worship, ministry, missions, and education in 2015; and

WHEREAS, Dr. Don Forrester moved to Fredericksburg in the fall of 1974, having been sent as a mission pastor from a church in Texas; in January 1975, he and a small group signed a founding charter, creating Faith Baptist Church in Fredericksburg, with Dr. Forrester as its pastor; and

WHEREAS, from its beginnings, Faith Baptist Church has enjoyed an active and growing ministry; its first outreach effort, in 1975, was to establish the Faith Worldwide Missions program; the church holds annual mission conferences and has sponsored hundreds of missionaries who serve in many parts of the world; and

WHEREAS, a month after its founding, the congregation moved to its present location on Plank Road, and today, Faith Baptist Church's 12-acre campus contains an auditorium, fellowship hall, education buildings, a sports field, picnic area, and staff housing; and

WHEREAS, Faith Baptist Church supports many ministries; the church helped organize the Baptist Youth Fellowship program, a teen missionary evangelism effort, small group Bible studies, and an Eastern European outreach in Romania; and

WHEREAS, Christian education is another component of Faith Baptist Church's ministry; it is home to a child care center, Faith Baptist School for kindergarten through 12th grade students, and Virginia Baptist College, which was started by area pastors as Berean Baptist Institute; and

WHEREAS, Dr. Don Forrester became pastor emeritus of Faith Baptist Church in 2011, and Watson H. Morgan, Jr., a native of the area, then was selected to be senior pastor; under his leadership, the church has continued to grow and flourish; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, the Senate concurring, That the General Assembly hereby commend Faith Baptist Church in Fredericksburg on the occasion of its 40th anniversary in 2015 and for its many good works at home and abroad; and, be it

RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to Watson H. Morgan, Jr., senior pastor of Faith Baptist Church, as an expression of the General Assembly's respect and admiration for providing worship, fellowship, outreach, and a church home to people in the Fredericksburg area, the Commonwealth, and the world.