Thank you, members, former members, and friends of Pleasant Green Baptist Church, for being a blessing to the Portsmouth, Ohio community & the Pleasant Green Baptist Church family. I pray that this letter finds you well. It is a joy to celebrate the anniversary of Pleasant Green's founding.
It's incredible to think that the church started to meet in 1865, at the end of America's Civil War, a fight because of African American slavery. On the corner of Tenth & Findlay Streets, our predecessors, under the direction of Rev. Butler Harper, built a place of worship. Little did they realize what would happen, but I'm sure they dreamed a bit about the possibilities. Now, the membership of Pleasant Green Baptist Church has more opportunities to change the world through the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
With the faithfulness of the previous pastors, deacons, trustees, ministry workers, sisters, & brothers, we have a cloud of witnesses that are cheering for us. It is their shoulders we are standing on today. Ultimately, this commemoration is about God's faithfulness to Pleasant Green, Portsmouth, & Scioto County.
In the forming, maintaining, & growing of Pleasant Green throughout the years, there have been some level of opposition. The members of Pleasant Green have fought the good fight of faith & stayed steadfast abounding in the work of the Lord. The Lord's assignment continues today from the Northend Portsmouth, Ohio, to our missional efforts in Africa. Wow, we, including you, have a lot to be proud of & many reasons to be thankful to God. First Lady, and I love each of you and there is nothing you can do about it!!
Driven by and Focused on the Will, the Way, & the Word of Christ,
Reverend Antonio Neely,
Senior Pastor Elect,
Pleasant Green Baptist Church
