South Carolina H 4078: Reports submitted to General Assembly

Bill Text

2025-2026 Bill 4078 Text of Previous Version (Feb. 25, 2025) - South Carolina Legislature Online 

South Carolina General Assembly
126th Session, 2025-2026

Bill 4078

Indicates Matter Stricken
Indicates New Matter

(Text matches printed bills. Document has been reformatted to meet World Wide Web specifications.)

A house RESOLUTION

TO CELEBRATE THE JOYOUS OCCASION OF 
THE historic ONE HUNDRED FIFTIETH ANNIVERSARY OF Langrum Branch Baptist CHURCH 
AND TO CONGRATULATE AND HONOR Reverend Richard Pickering Sr. AND THE 
CONGREGATION FOR a century and a half OF DEDICATED SERVICE TO THE York 
COMMUNITY.

Whereas, the South Carolina House of Representatives is gratified to 
learn that members of Langrum Branch Baptist Church of York will celebrate their 
one hundred fiftieth anniversary in 2025; and

Whereas, Langrum Branch Baptist Church was organized in Yorkville in 
1875. The church took its name from nearby Langham Creek, which was the 
church's original name. It is believed that the members first met in a brush 
arbor with Reverend Allen Bert as their first minister. A few years later, the 
first sanctuary was constructed, a one-room building that served for over thirty 
years; and

Whereas, under the leadership of Pastor Perry C. Little in 1909, plans 
were laid to build a new church, and land was purchased through donations from members 
and friends. The church continued to prosper for the next thirty-one years, during 
the tenure of several pastors; and

Whereas, by this time, the church had an active vocal choir and the 
Missionary Society, and the trustees began work on the original restricted deed 
granted by York County. Since the church had been properly used for forty 
years, a new deed ceded the original three acres to the church; and

Whereas, as the congregation continued to grow in the early 1930s, the 
church formed the first usher board in the area. Under the leadership of 
Reverend S. G. Walker in the late 1930s, the Brotherhood Club and the musical choir 
were organized. Through the 1940s, the church was remodeled, and the addition 
of Sunday school rooms was completed in 1952. The dining room was added to the 
church, and a bus was purchased to help members without transportation to get 
to services. Church services began to be held every Sunday, instead of only twice 
a month; and

Whereas, before retiring in 1982, Reverend T. B. Bowser led the 
church to purchase property and begin a building fund program for a new 
sanctuary to meet the church's growing needs; and

Whereas, under the leadership of Reverend Osbey Roddey, the Langrum 
Branch Baptist Church purchased an additional five acres, totaling some twelve 
acres, and established a monetary goal to begin building the sanctuary in four 
phases. Construction for the new church facility began in September 1986 and 
was completed in mid-1987. The church purchased two vans, a twenty-five-passenger 
bus, a new organ, and additional tables and cushioned chairs for the dining 
hall; and

Whereas, in 1984, the church wrote and adopted a personnel and 
procedures manual and petitioned the county and state delegations for the 
pavement of the Langrum Branch Road. Dr. Roddey emphasized local and foreign missions 
and education, and an educational scholarship fund was established for members 
attending post-high school institutions. In 1999, a young adult choir was 
organized, and a storage building/garage was built on the church property. Dr. 
Roddey retired in 2015 after thirty-two years of faithful service, and Reverend 
Richard Pickering Sr. became senior pastor in 2016; and

Whereas, Reverend Pickering reorganized the trustee ministry, directed 
the updating of the sound system, created an online presence through social 
media, and initiated the development of the church's website, which helped the 
members stay connected through the COVID-19 pandemic. He established the church 
vision and motto of "REACHing the world for Christ as people serving people." The 
congregation enters its one hundred fiftieth year with a desire to continue the 
church's legacy with plans for improvements to the sanctuary and the addition 
of a community center, a daycare, affordable senior housing, and a community 
garden. Now, therefore,

Be it resolved by the House of Representatives:

That the members of the South 
Carolina House of Representatives, by this 
resolution, celebrate the joyous occasion of the historic one hundred fiftieth 
anniversary of Langrum Branch Baptist Church and congratulate and honor Reverend 
Richard Pickering Sr. and the congregation for a century and a half of 
dedicated service to the York community.

Be it further resolved that a copy 
of this resolution be presented to Reverend Richard Pickering Sr.

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