Recognizing Bethesda Presbyterian Church

Floor Speech

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Mr. NORMAN. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize the outstanding achievement of a very special church, Bethesda Presbyterian Church, located in Camden, South Carolina.

Bethesda Presbyterian Church was established before the American Revolutionary War. Its first sanctuary was destroyed during that war, and two more were built in 1790 and 1806. The sanctuary present today was designed by Robert Mills.

The edifice is more classical than some of his later work and is one of the few surviving ecclesiastical designs. The sanctuary, completed over 200 years ago in 1822, is the work of Mills' maturing architecture, strongly influenced by Jeffersonian classicism.

In front of the sanctuary is a monument that is dedicated to the memory of Baron DeKalb, a Continental Army soldier killed in 1780 at the Battle of Camden. In 1985, the church and the monument were declared national historic landmarks.

Bethesda Presbyterian Church's mission is: ``To know, love, glorify, and serve our Lord God.'' The church provides a strong sense of community, fellowship, and worship as the members walk in their faith journey during both the joyous times and challenging times. I know personally that their members experience tremendous personal and spiritual growth.

I am pleased to recognize Bethesda Presbyterian as an outstanding church faithfully serving the Camden community and proudly serving as a historic landmark in the Fifth District of South Carolina. May God continue to bless this church and its congregation.

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