HOUSE RESOLUTION NO. 43

BY  ABDUL-SAMAD

A Resolution to celebrate the centennial of the Trinity United Methodist Church building in Des Moines.

   WHEREAS, for over a century Trinity United Methodist Church has been a part of the Riverbend community of Des Moines, acting as a witness for peace and social justice and a haven for compassion, feeding both body and soul of those in the community; and
   WHEREAS, Trinity United has been a place of worship, a place of Christian education, and a place where diverse people are surrounded by a community of love and are sent out into the world to put their faith into action; and
   WHEREAS, Trinity United embraces three ministries, including the Trinity United Methodist Church, Las Americas Communidad de Fe, and Children and Family Urban Ministries; and
   WHEREAS, these three ministries offer a variety of community programs, including a prison ministry and an English-as-a-second-language program; and
   WHEREAS, feeding both the body and soul is most evident in the daily work of these ministries, where every day some 300 people come through the doors, some for a before-school breakfast or an after-school program for children and youth, some to learn English, some to attend a citizenship class, and some to simply get a wholesome meal in these hard times where the daily free supper which normally serves around 120 persons now serves as many as 170 persons; and
   WHEREAS, Trinity United Methodist Church can best be summed up in the words of one parishioner, “Trinity continues to go out of its way to be a beacon and a refuge [bringing]… hope to those without hope, joy to the sorrowful [and] relief to the marginalized of society”; NOW THEREFORE,

   BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, That the House of Representatives honors the centennial of the Trinity United Methodist Church building as it begins its second century of service, and urges the people of Des Moines to join the Trinity Centennial Celebration, June 11 and 12, 2011, at the landmark church, located at the corner of College and 8th Streets in Des Moines.