This is not an official government website.
© 2026 PLEJ LC. All rights reserved.
Congressional Daily Record
This section is a tribute, commemoration, or district-facing statement. It mentions members such as Cleo Fields. Extensions of Remarks are statements submitted for the official record, even if they were not spoken live on the floor.
Issued
October 5, 2026
house side of the record
People
1
Linked members mentioned in this section
Legislation
0
No linked legislation in this section
Committees
0
No linked committees in this section
Senate Holds
0
No hold activity linked here
Source Document
Connected Data
People mentioned
1 Helpful Term
Extensions of Remarks
Material lawmakers submit for the official record even when it was not spoken live on the floor.
Source Control
Reader mode is for comprehension. The linked government PDF is the official published source.
Download official Extensions PDFReturn to issue contextHON. CLEO FIELDS
of louisiana
in the house of representatives
Mr. FIELDS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor St. Alma Baptist Church, a historic congregation in the rural community of Lakeland in Pointe Coupee Parish, Louisiana. Slavery was abolished in 1865, and 9 years later, in 1874, under the leadership of its founding pastor, Rev. Horace Jones, St. Alma Baptist Church was erected on the Alma Plantation. The original church was a white wooden building with three rows of benches and a wood heater set in the middle of the sanctuary. Its initial membership of 65 persons consisted mainly of field workers, with Jake Whitfield serving as president of the Board of Deacons and William Watkins as senior deacon. Within just 9 years of freedom, a congregation of field workers had built a house of worship of its own.
From its earliest years, St. Alma was committed to educating the children of the community. In the early 1900s, the church served as the local school for elementary students, and it continued that mission through The Saint Alma Elementary School until a school was built on the grounds of the church under the administration of the Pointe Coupee Parish School Board. That school did not close until the late 1950s. Rev. Horace Jones served the congregation until his death on June 8, 1920, and after a year without a pastor, the congregation elected Rev. Steven Johnson in 1921.
Over the course of its long history, St. Alma has been blessed with seven pastors, the first four of whom served until their deaths. Rev. Steven Johnson served until his death in 1928, and Rev. Sidney Davis served faithfully until his death in 1950. Rev. Cenas Jones then led the congregation until his death in 1973. Rev. James Allen Terrance was installed as pastor on February 6, 1994, and served until February 28, 2003, when he resigned to become pastor of Friendship Baptist Church in Kansas City, Missouri. Rev. Davis Thomas, Jr. was installed as the church's sixth pastor on March 28, 2004, and served until his resignation on March 8, 2007.
On February 17, 2008, Rev. Dr. Mary Moss was installed as St. Alma's seventh pastor, a historic moment in the life of what was then a 134- year-old church. She became the first woman elected to the position of pastor of this traditional Baptist church and the first woman ever installed by the Fourth District Baptist Association, then 133 years old.
Many ministries have been born out of St. Alma Baptist Church, each designed to meet the present needs of its members and the local community. In this post-pandemic season, the church remains faithful to intergenerational ministry, producing strong young leaders and helping its members find their fit for ministry, and more than 15 new members have been added. Central to its outreach is a radio broadcast aired on WXOK in Baton Rouge and KCLF in New Roads, carrying the church's message well beyond Lakeland. Today, St. Alma looks toward the future with plans to build a new sanctuary at 3736 Rougon Road. As the congregation testifies along with the Psalmist in Psalm 118:23, “This is the Lord's doing; it is marvelous in our eyes.”
Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in celebrating St. Alma Baptist Church, Rev. Dr. Mary Moss, and the dedicated congregation for more than 150 years of faith, perseverance, and service to the people of Pointe Coupee Parish and the surrounding community.