Senate Resolution No. 1320

BY: Senator GAUGHRAN

COMMEMORATING the 175th Anniversary of the West
Hills United Methodist Church of Huntington Station,
New York

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
175th Anniversary of the West Hills United Methodist Church of
Huntington Station, New York, to be celebrated at a service on Sunday,
April 28, 2019; and

WHEREAS, On September 9, 1844, a meeting was called for the purpose
of electing a Board of Trustees to preside over what would become the
Methodist Episcopal Church of West Hills; the first trustees were Elias
Brush, Derrick Ireland, Walter B. Hill, David Valentine, and Israel
Oakley; after this was recorded in the office of the Suffolk County
Clerk on September 23, 1844, the Church was officially established; and

WHEREAS, Following this, the congregation came together to build a
place of worship, and land was acquired from Aaron Oakley for $25, upon
which the church was built; the deed, signed in 1845, allowed for the
purchasing of 1/2 acre, on which the trustees "shall not erect any
dwelling ... except a house for Public Worship and horse sheds with the
appurtenances..."; the single room building was erected at a cost of
$600, which was a considerable sum at that time; and

WHEREAS, In May of 1958, James Boyd became pastor, and his
enthusiasm for redeveloping the church spread among his congregation; a
Sunday School and a Membership and Evangelical committee were formed and
a morning service was added to increase participation; and

WHEREAS, Within 10 months, 62 individuals had joined the church, and
expansion would soon be needed; a building committee was established,
and on land provided by Harry Jones, the church was moved off of Jericho
Turnpike to its present location; the sanctuary itself was enlarged by
several feet, and two wings were added to the structure, providing
offices and classrooms; a fellowship hall and kitchen were also added
downstairs; and

WHEREAS, In the early fall of 1960, the first sermon was preached in
the new church which retained the same arched ceiling and wainscoting,
and the identical altar and pews from the original building; eventually,
additional pews were purchased from the East Meadow Methodist Church and
new lighting fixtures from the Valley Stream Church; and

WHEREAS, Many hours were spent by the members installing the
basement tiles and the kitchen ceiling, and funds were raised by the

Woman's Society of Christian Service through festivals, fairs, and other
sales, with the money used to purchase kitchen appliances; and

WHEREAS, Between 1961 and 1962, 99 people were received into the
church; by 1964, the total church membership numbered 302, a gain of 293
since June of 1958; enrollment in the elementary school division topped
150; by 1968, total membership peaked at 442, and a full nursery school
program was soon initiated; and

WHEREAS, During the late 1970s and into the 1980s, the members of
West Hills continued to forge ahead with ideas for a better church and
community by hosting an outdoor Christmas Pageant and a Haunted House,
and reestablishing the West Hills Vacation Bible School; and

WHEREAS, The members of West Hills, whether they number nine, ninety
nine, or three hundred and nine, have never been idle. Their hands are
always working on some new idea, some new way of making the church a
better place to worship the Lord together; and

WHEREAS, For 175 years, the people of West Hills have gathered in a
small white church to worship together in faith and fellowship; the
congregation has come together, in good times and bad, times of peace
and times of war, times of happiness and times of grief; and

WHEREAS, The people of West Hills have brought new meanings to the
words family, fellowship, kindness, and love; the West Hills United
Methodist Church has both struggled and flourished, prospered and
endured, yet no matter what, the church has stood as a beacon of light,
shining its message of hope and love into the darkness of the world; and

WHEREAS, Under the luminous leadership of Pastor Melanie Ollett, the
West Hills United Methodist 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 175th Anniversary of the West Hills United Methodist
Church, 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 Melanie Ollett, Pastor, West Hills United Methodist
Church.