Honor Union Church Bicentennial

9, 2019 WHEREAS, Religious institutions, and the many spiritual, social and educational benefits they confer, play a vital role in the development of the moral fabric of a responsible citizenry; and WHEREAS, It is the tradition of this State and this Nation to pay tribute to those institutions and individuals who have contributed to the ethical and spiritual values of their communities; and WHEREAS, This Legislative Body takes pleasure in commemorating the 200th Anniversary of Union Presbyterian Church of Endicott, New York; and WHEREAS, Under the motto, "Sharing the Light of Christ, Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow," this auspicious occasion will be celebrated with a myriad of events throughout the year; the highlight of which will be a special Mass held on Pentecost Sunday, June 9, 2019, followed by an Anniversary Dinner at Riverdale Banquet Hall in Endwell, New York; and WHEREAS, Joshua and John Mersereau, spies for General George Washington during the Revolutionary War, helped form the Dutch Reformed Church in the Town of Union in 1791; after a period of illness and death in the congregation, the log cabin church went mostly unused until the Mersereau brothers and a dozen others formed what they called "The First Presbyterian Society in the Town of Union" on Wednesday, March 10, 1819; later, it was renamed Union Presbyterian Church; and WHEREAS, Today, under the luminous leadership of Reverend Patricia J. Raube, Union Presbyterian Church is a place of faithfulness, hospitality, action, tender-hearted generosity, energy, intelligence, imagination and love; and WHEREAS, For 200 years, this open-minded congregation has lived to serve their Lord, their congregation, their community, and their world; and WHEREAS, The Union Presbyterian Church stands on the threshold of tomorrow, prepared to meet the challenges of the coming decades while retaining that spiritual resolve which characterizes its past; and WHEREAS, It is the custom of this Legislative Body to take note of enduring religious institutions and to bring such institutions to the attention of the people of this Empire State; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to commemorate the 200th Anniversary of Union Presbyterian Church of Endicott, New York, on June 9, 2019, fully confident that this commemoration reflects the belief in those values which enhance the dignity and purpose of life; and be it further RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be transmitted to The Reverend Patricia Raube, Union Presbyterian Church of Endicott, New York.