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