Cleo Fields in the 119th Congress. HON. CLEO FIELDS of louisiana in the house of representatives Tuesday, October 6, 2026 Mr. FIELDS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Second Union Missionary Baptist Church, located
Full text
HON. CLEO FIELDS
of louisiana
in the house of representatives
Mr. FIELDS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Second Union Missionary Baptist Church, located at 6436 Old Baton Rouge Highway in Alexandria, Louisiana, on the historic Inglewood Plantation, a congregation that has traveled more than 130 years by faith. The church was founded and organized on March 12, 1894, under the leadership of Rev. George Washington. Rev. Matt Bryar served as its second pastor until early 1903, and Rev. Mack Williams became the third pastor in 1903. During Rev. Mack Williams' illness, Rev. Isaac Williams, who had been baptized at the church and later ordained, carried on the services. Under the leadership of both men, the church held Sunday school and Baptist Youth Planning Unit services and purchased one-third of an acre of property.
Rev. Lewis Jones became pastor in 1923 and served until his death on May 7, 1929, and Rev. J.S. Robinson served from July 1929 until 1935, during which time the church purchased an additional half acre of property. Rev. Dave Williams served faithfully from 1935 until 1938. That year, Dr. G.C. Jacobs was elected pastor, and under his leadership and guidance the church prospered in many ways, including through the time and patience it took to form the many auxiliaries and organizations in which the congregation takes pride today. The church building was torn down by Hurricane Audrey and later rebuilt, with classrooms and air conditioning added in later years. Dr. Jacobs resigned in January 1976 because of illness after serving as pastor for 38 years, and Rev. Albert Robinson, an associate minister, carried on services until a pastor was elected.
In April 1976, Rev. Wilbert Wilson, Jr., was elected pastor, and under his leadership the church prospered tremendously. He organized the Welfare Fund, through which the church helped many people in need, and the church supported charitable organizations including the Wolverine Foundation, the Sickle Cell Anemia Foundation, and the Doll and Toy Fund. The Youth Department was organized and membership increased greatly. In 1979, five deacons were ordained: Curtis Robinson, Sr., Johnnie Elie, Wesley Anderson, Charlie Gilmore, and Joseph Hudson, Jr., Deacon Gilmore was later called into the ministry and appointed as Youth Minister. In 1985, the church built a new cafeteria and fellowship hall, dedicated in the names of the late Rev. G.C. Jacobs and Deacon Dan Taylor. Rev. Wilson remained pastor until August 1985.
On December 19, 1985, Rev. Theodore Simon was elected pastor, and he was installed on January 26, 1986, by the United Educational Missionary Baptist Association under the leadership of the late Dr. R.B. Bennett. During his tenure, the church held night services and Baptist Training Union classes on first and third Sunday nights, and ministers Charles Dearbone and Charles Simon were appointed to lead Wednesday night Bible study. Significant improvements were made to the church and fellowship hall in 1996 and 1997, and the congregation gathered for its first Watch Care Service to welcome the year 2000. Pastor Simon retired in June 2001 because of illness, preaching his last sermon on the fourth Sunday in June. During his leadership, the congregation was fed with the Word of God, and he encouraged the church to “keep on keeping on.”
On October 14, 2001, Rev. Joseph Martin, Jr., was elected pastor, and with his vision many updates were made to the church. He continues to serve today as Senior Pastor, supported by associate pastors Rev. Robert Phillips and Rev. Reginal Babin. In 2002, the congregation undertook a major restoration of the Inglewood Cemetery, including the purchase of crosses and a flagpole, and a dedication service was held on May 25, 2003, at which a bronze memorial donated by Mrs. Polly Keller Winters was unveiled. In 2005, Mrs. Patricia Fowler donated an additional 0.51 acres of land, appraised at $10,000, to the church.
ceremony for its new sanctuary, a historic event attended by ministers, councilmembers, and other elected officials. The new sanctuary was completed in November 2012, and a ribbon-cutting ceremony was held on December 9, 2012, assisted by the Central Louisiana Chamber of Commerce. A passing of the torch ceremony took place that day, with the torch passed from an older member of the church down to its youngest, and the sanctuary was formally dedicated on December 16, 2012. The church lives by a creed built around five purposes: Worship, Reach, Teach, Grow, and Serve, ministering to the needs of the community. In the years that followed, the church established its website in 2015, laid the foundation for a parking lot, dedicated the Fowler and Davis Conference Room, and renamed the old sanctuary the Simon and Martin Family Center in 2017.
eight deacons: Roosevelt M. Anderson, Sr., Jerrell Antwine, Sr., James D. Hickman, Kevin U. Johnson, Gary W. Phillips, Sr., Tommy Robinson, Jr., Anthony Sewell, Sr., and James Woods, Sr. That same year, Inglewood Grace Community Outreach Ministries, Inc., the church's outreach ministry, accepted the donation of 0.312 acres of property from Moreland Farms, LLC.
members who laid its early foundation, celebrated the present, and anticipated the future with great faith.
Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in celebrating Second Union Missionary Baptist Church, Senior Pastor Joseph Martin, Jr., and its dedicated congregation for more than 130 years of faith, resilience, and service to the Alexandria community. May Second Union continue to keep on keeping on for generations to come.