State: Virginia

CERTIFICATE of RECOGNITION

By virtue of the authority vested by the Constitution in the Governor of the Commonwealth of Virginia, there is hereby officially recognized:

THE 8^THANNUAL CHRISTIAN HERITAGE WEEK

WHEREAS, the Constitution of Virginia states, “That religion or the duty which we owe to our Creator, and the manner of discharging it, can be directed only by reason and conviction; not by force or violence; and therefore all men are equally entitled to the free exercise of religion, according to the dictates of conscience”; and

WHEREAS, George Washington, our nation’s first President, proclaimed that we are, “animated alone by the pure spirit of Christianity, and conducting ourselves as the faithful subjects of our free government, we may enjoy every temporal and spiritual felicity”; and

WHEREAS, Thomas Jefferson, author of the Declaration of Independence posed the question, “Can the liberties of a nation be secure when we have removed the conviction that these liberties are the gift of God?”; and

WHEREAS, James Madison, who is known as the father of the Constitution of the United States of America, advocated “the diffusion of the light of Christianity in our nation” in his Memorial and Remonstrance;and

WHEREAS, Patrick Henry quoted Proverbs 14:34 for our nation, saying, “Righteousness alone can exalt a nation, but sin is a disgrace to any people”; and

WHEREAS, George Mason affirmed in the Virginia Declaration of Rights, forerunner to our United States Bill of Rights, “That it is the mutual duty of all to practice Christian forbearance, love and charity towards each other”; and

WHEREAS, these Virginians, and many other truly great men and women of America, were statesmen of caliber and integrity, giants in the structuring of American government and history and men unafraid to express their Christian faith in Almighty God;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, James S. Gilmore, III, do hereby recognize March 11-17, 2001 as THE 8^THANNUAL CHRISTIAN HERITAGE WEEK in the COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA, and I call this observance to the attention of all our citizens.

James S. Gilmore

Governor

Anne P. Petera

Secretary of the Commonwealth

CERTIFICATE of RECOGNITION

By virtue of the authority vested by the Constitution in the Governor of the Commonwealth of Virginia, there is hereby officially recognized:

THE 6^THANNUAL CHRISTIAN HERITAGE WEEK

WHEREAS, the Constitution of the Commonwealth of Virginia states that, “all men are equally entitled to the free exercise of religion according to the dictates of conscience; and that it is the mutual duty of all to practice Christian forbearance, love, and charity towards each other”; and

WHEREAS, the Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom was written by Thomas Jefferson and passed by the Virginia General Assembly in 1786, and religious freedom is an inalienable right recognized by the Constitution of the United States; and

WHEREAS, the principles of liberty, justice and equality upon which our great Commonwealth and nation were founded, as well as the very structure of representative government, originated from the tenets of Christianity; and

WHEREAS, Virginia is the birthplace of great men of faith such as George Washington, James Madison, Patrick Henry and George Mason who, as statesmen and leaders of integrity, courageously fought to preserve and protect morality; and

WHEREAS, Patrick Henry proclaimed, “It cannot be emphasized too strongly or too often that this great nation as founded not by religionists, but by Christians, not on religions, but on the gospel of Jesus Christ”; and

WHEREAS, it is fitting that the people of our Commonwealth recognize that the free and orderly society which we presently enjoy was established to a large extent by the faithful service of the men and women of moral integrity who preceded us;

NOW, THEREFORE, I James S. Gilmore, III, do hereby recognize March 7-13, 1999 as THE 6^THANNUAL CHRISTIAN HERITAGE WEEK in the COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA, and I call this observance to the attention of all our citizens.

James. S. Gilmore

 Governor

 Anne P. Petera

Secretary of the Commonwealth

Virginia

CERTIFICATE OF RECOGNITION

By virtue of the authority vested by the Constitution in the Governor of the

Commonwealth of Virginia, there is hereby officially recognized:

 AMERICA’S CHRISTIAN HERITAGE WEEK

WHEREAS, religious freedom is recognized as a fundamental right of citizenship in the First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States and the Constitution of the Commonwealth of Virginia; and

WHEREAS, Virginia is the birthplace of men such as James Madison, Thomas Jefferson, George Mason and Patrick Henry, who fought for and secured the freedom of conscience; and

WHEREAS, great men of faith, such as George Washington, Roger Sherman and John Quincy Adams served in American government not only to preserve and protect private morality but to encourage national happiness through religious principle; and

WHEREAS, the principles of liberty, justice and equality before the law, as well as the very structure of representative government, are rooted in Christianity and prove the indispensable nature of the faith in the history of our Commonwealth and our nation; and

WHEREAS,  during this week, all citizens are urged to remember that America’s Christian heritage is essential to define our spiritual and structural foundation and to ensure liberty in the United States;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, James S. Gilmore, III, do hereby recognize the week of November 22-28 as AMERICA’S CHRISTIAN HERITAGE WEEK in the COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA, and I call this observance to the attention of all our citizens.

James S. Gilmore, III 

Secretary of the Commonwealth

Anne P. Petera

Secretary of the Commonwealth

Virginia

CERTIFICATE OF RECOGNITION

By virtue of the authority vested by the Constitution in the Governor of the

Commonwealth of Virginia, there is hereby officially recognized:

 AMERICA’S CHRISTIAN HERITAGE WEEK

WHEREAS, the brave settlers who ventured to America in 1607 under the First Virginia Charter granted by King James I put their faith in God and offered a prayer of Thanksgiving upon arriving in the New World at the Jamestown settlement; and

WHEREAS, the English adventurers who were granted this charter were charged with several purposes, among them “propagating Christian religion;” and

WHEREAS, in his Notes on the State of Virginia, Thomas Jefferson asked “Can the liberties of a nation be thought secure when we have removed their only firm basis, a conviction in the minds of the people that these liberties are the gift of God?,” and

WHEREAS, Mr. Jefferson later proclaimed as Governor of Virginia in 1779, a Public Day of Thanksgiving and Prayer, “That He would in mercy look down upon us, pardon all our sins and receive us into His favour; and finally, that He would establish the independence of these United States upon the basis of religion and virtue, and support and protect them in the enjoyment of peace, liberty and safety;” and

WHEREAS, James Madison proclaimed, “And to the same Divine Author of every good and perfect gift we are indebted for all the privileges and advantages, religious and civil, which are so richly enjoyed in this favored land” by Presidential Proclamation in 1815; and

WHEREAS, the Commonwealth of Virginia was the first State to recognize the Statute of Religious Freedom and Article 1, Section 16 of the Virginia Constitution states “it is the mutual duty of all to practice Christian forbearance, love, and charity towards each other;” and

WHEREAS, churches are important spiritual centers for millions of our citizens and help build strong families and cohesive communities; and

WHEREAS, during this Thanksgiving season we can all give thanks for the guidance, blessings and immeasurable bounty of our Creator, which has shaped the rich history of our Commonwealth and nation and brought us prosperity, freedom and opportunity;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, George Allen, Governor, do hereby recognize November 23-29, 1997, as CHRISTIAN HERITAGE WEEK in the COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA, and I call this observance to the attention of all our citizens.

George Allen

Governor

Becky Davis Beamer

Secretary of the Commonwealth

Virginia

CERTIFICATE OF RECOGNITION

 By virtue of the authority vested by the Constitution in the Governor of the

Commonwealth of Virginia, there is hereby officially recognized:

 AMERICA’S CHRISTIAN HERITAGE WEEK

WHEREAS, the formation of the Virginia Colony began April 10, 1606 with the First Charter of Virginia having among the several purposes of the company being “propagating Christian Religion”; one hundred and four English settlers on April 26, 1607, landed on the shores of Virginia; and

WHEREAS, these settlers planted a cross at what they called Cape Henry and offered a prayer of thanksgiving and dedication of the land to God: “…. That from these very shores the gospel shall go forth to not only this New World, but the entire world”, and this landing resulted in the first permanent English settlement at Jamestown; and

WHEREAS, our Virginia history is replete with references to the Bible, the Ten Commandments, and faith in God from George Washington, Patrick Henry, and James Madison; and

WHEREAS, the Declaration of Independence, Constitution and Bill of Rights all flowed from authors having similar views;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, George Allen, Governor, do hereby recognize November 20-26, 1994, as CHRISTIAN HERITAGE WEEK in the COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA, and I call this observance to the attention of all our citizens.

George Allen

Governor

Becky Davis Beamer

Secretary of the Commonwealth