USA > Alabama > The cyclopedia of the colored Baptists of Alabama, their leaders and their work > Part 2
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The price paid for Brother Cæsar Blackwell is given as
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INTRODUCTION.
COLORED BAPTISTS OF ALABAMA. '
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#625. Catching inspiration from the encouragement before them in the form of their brother Cæsar Blackwell's success, and the good will of the Christian white people to whose fel- lowship they belonged, Nathan Ashby and Jacob Belser (col- ored) soon became active workers.
TUSCALOOSA AND JEFFERSON COUNTIES.
Perhaps the first church (white) organized in Jefferson county was organized about the year 1818. Dr. Holcombe's history tells us that in 1823 the "Rock Creek Church," in Tuscaloosa county, received into its membership from South Carolina an African preacher, Job Davis. Mr. Holcombe says . of him: " He was an acceptable preacher, a man of deep thought, sound judgment, and was well skilled in the Scrip- tures of Divine Truth."
The venerable Mr. A. J. Waldrop, of Birmingham, in- formed the writer that when a little boy he heard Job preach in a camp meeting. He said: " The meeting had been in progress a week or so, and mother and father went to the camp on Sunday morning. The meeting was very cold. Brother Holcombe was wondering who would be the fit preacher to open the day's services, as Job, now free from his daily toil, walked into camp. As Brother Holcombe saw him, be remarked : 'There is our man.' Job was led up to the stand and invited to go up and take a seat. Job replied : ' No, I'll stand down here in front of it.' Job then reached back to the top of the stand and took off the Bible and opened it. I can never forget the deep thrill of devotion which Job's person and manner turned in upon the audience that day ; .something of the feeling is with me yet. He had hardly parted his lips before men and women began to sob. When he was through with his sermon, it was plain to all that the meeting was no longer a dead meeting. This was the begin-
ning of a revival which affected much of Tuscaloosa county." Mr. Holcombe says of Job, in another place in his book : "Job was brought from Africa to Charleston, S. C., in 1806; professed religion in 1812; soon learned to read and write; taught Sunday school for two summers in Abbeville district, S. C .; licensed to preach in 1818; came to Alabama in 1822; died November 17, 1835, in Pickens county. He lived the Christian, he died a saint."
Further, Mr. Holcombe says : " In those days we had but few better preachers than Job,"
Thus it appears that not only in wars for independence, but in gospel labors as well, the negro is in the foundations of this country.
Rev. Prince Murrell, who had bought himself some time before the days of the Emancipation, opened the work at Tuscaloosa of the dawn of freedom. Rev. Messrs. M. Tyler and M. D. Alexander came into the van at Lowndesboro.
LEE, MACON, BULLOCK AND BARBOUR COUNTIES.
EnAt Tuskegee, in Maeon, was the Rev. Doc. Phillips (a blacksmith), a man who, it seems, refused to accept his freedom at the hands of his white brethren in order that his preaching might be more acceptable to his people in slavery. At Auburn, in Lee, was the Rev. Thomas Glenn, a man respected and trusted no less by his white neighbors than by his own people for his genuine piety and honorable life.
In Barbour and Bullock, Revs. Jerry Shorter, M. Coleman, William MeCoo and Deacon J. E. Timothy possessed the spirit Fof leadership, and moved forward in the work of organization upon the appearance of liberty. Rev. E. Thornton soon ap- pears.
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INTRODUCTION.
COLORED BAPTISTS OF ALABAMA.
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GREENVILLE, BUTLER COUNTY.
In this town and county the Rev. Stewart Adams is the pioneer. In 1872 or 1873, he was appointed missionary under the American Baptist Home Mission Society, and was thus enabled to extend his operations, which resulted in the organ- ization of one of the first associations (Union).
SELMA.
Somewhere between 1840-45, a colored church was organ- ized in Selma, the first colored leader of which was a Mr. Samuel Phillips, a man who obtained his liberty (so the late Mr. A. Goldsby reported) by some service he rendered the country in the Mexican war. A. Goldsby and Charles White (late treasurer of our Convention) were principal persons in the organization.
So much has been said to show the ante-liberty growths. It seems fitting to close this chapter with the appearance of freedom as the writer saw it.
From the days of my earliest recollection, freedom's shadowy forms moved before the eyes of the Southern slave. lle felt or thought that he felt-he saw or thought he saw- the touch and visage of approaching liberty. In subdued tones it was whispered upon ears that could be trusted, that slavery, with all its accompanying horrors, was soon to be a thing of the past. Praying bands were organized and met in distant groves to pray for liberty. Gathered beneath the sighing trees and nightly skies, they whispered their agonies upon the ears of the Almighty-whispered lowly, lest the passing winds should bear their petitions to the ears of the overseer or master. And often- as with Daniel and his companions in Babylon- the God who reveals secrets to them that love him, uncovered
before our minds coming events, which caused us to laugh and cry. But we kept these things in our hearts, and it was a wonder to all around that the slave could sing in his fur- nace of hot afflictions. God, in unfolding hope, was with us in the fire, and so we were sustained.
DREAM TELLING.
They fall to dreaming : Contending armies are seen in battle, and the one favorable to the liberty of the slave is seen to prevail. Old trees appear to wither and disappear before trees of new sort.
The war cloud bursts and the slave mingles his prayers with the roar of the booming cannon, tarrying on his knees while the American soldiery contend in mortal strife. It was understand to mean liberty. At last the deadly struggle ceased, and emancipation was declared. It was only the dawning, and therefore the light was dim.
THE BITTER BUD.
One of the saddest mistakes of the slave was, that he thoughit so much of the pleasures of freedom and so little of its weighty obligations. To him, freedom meant mansions, lands, teams, money, position, educated sons and refined daughters, with the liberty to go and to act as he pleased. If he might have burdened his mind with thoughts of his sore destitution of heart, of intellect, of purse; if he might have thought of Abis poverty as to skill in the arts, sciences and professions of life, as to social status, as to domestic relations, as to opportu- nities to succeed in a wrestle for life by the side of the victo- rious white man-if he might have seen that to make himself & strong manhood was his first and his most important duty- if his mind might have been full of these thoughts, it had
A
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COLORED BAPTISTS OF ALABAMA.
been a thousand fold better for him. But, as his mind was on pleasures, he was disappointed when they proved only phan- toms, and hence the bud of liberty was bitter.
Indeed, to those who had the ability to discern, the first view of liberty was frightful in proportion as it was seri- ously considered. Naturally, as the shackles suddenly fell off, there was such a foreible rebounding of life, as in many cases made liberty mean license to live idle and lewd.
I can never forget my first impressions at the full view of freedom. O, what helplessness appeared in our condition !
Every day, for weeks, shoeless and hatless men and women, with half naked, hungry children, passed through the little town where I lived, not knowing whither they went, what were their names, nor what they sought. A certain man, when I first met him, was introduced to me as Mr. M -. A little after this, I was surprised to find that he was not Mr. M-, but was Mr. R -. And my ability to be surprised was considerably lessencd when I finally learned that Mr. R- was now Mr. H -.
Long and anxiously I waited for the appearance of some great colored men to assume leadership in matters of religion and education, but I waited in vain. My heart ached as though it would break, and was at last only partially relieved of its weight when my brother (Rev. J. Gomez) and I had built an humble house in which to worship God and teach the children. Into this we, boys though we were, called the people to meet to hear the reading of the Scriptures and to pray.
ORGANIZATION IN ALABAMA.
In 1864 there were four Colored Missionary Baptist Churches in Alabama, owning property worth about $10,000. Two of these were located in Mobile city-the Stone and the
Rev. L. S. Steinback in the Act of BaptisDI.
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COLORED BAPTISTS OF ALABAMA.
INTRODUCTION.
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St. Louis Street Churches. Another was located in Selma, and is now known as the First Colored Baptist Church.
Of course there was no association, no convention, no graded school of learning. The colored people of Mobile enjoyed superior advantages over those of other sections of the State and hence many of them had made fair attainments in letters. But in all the State there was but one Baptist preacher, to the writer's knowledge, in April, 1865, who could, with any degree of honesty, claim to be an educated Baptist negro preacher. This was one Rev. Moses B. Avery. I think he is now in Mississippi. Anyhow I know that soon after the close of the war he joined the Methodist brethren and left the State. It will be seen, therefore, that he was no help to the Colored Baptists of Alabama.
The change which the war had wrought as to the civil status of the black man, changing him from slave to freedman, affected his church standing, so that ex-master and ex-slave did not quite fit each other in the old " meeting house," as they had done in days of yore. There was restlessness on one side, and suspicion on the other. The black man wanted to go out and set up housekeeping for himself, while the white man in most cases feared and hesitated to lay on the hands of ordina- tion. We did not know each other. The "negro preacher" on one side of the river had but little opportunity to know his brother on the other side. Truly our beginning was dark and chaotic.
It is said that necessity is the mother of invention. In all ages of the world, and with all peoples, want-a sense of need-has gone before human creations. The black man of the South was like, in this, the balance of human kind. When set at liberty, he was for some time lost in looking upon the wonderful changes that had passed over him. But when be came to himself he began slowly to realize his needs. He
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began, for example, to feel the need of church and of school, and out of this feeling of want on these lines there arose thought, discussion, plan, action. Those who were of like faith and gospel practice began to meet for prayer and for conference, and at last to unite in church covenant, forming churches. Then churches, under the leadership of progressive men, were joined in associational compacts. They met first only to sing and pray, and listen to talks from white brethren. Want increased; burdens increased ; the horizon of duty and possibility widened. Under a sense of duty and repeated exercise, mind and heart developed into greater strength and into greater capacity for thought, plan, speech, and execution. Kindred spirits sought each other's fellowship and counsel, and talked about the work which might be done. Soon it was felt by some that a general State Convention was both neces- sary and possible. The desire, plan and call for such an or- ganization ripened among the brethren at and around the Capital City. Perhaps Montgomery was foremost, for the reason that here was the legislature, and here the colored people saw most of deliberative bodies, and heard most about their needs and opportunities.
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1.
Mrs Dinah Smith Jordan, Birmingham, Ala.
11. THE STATE CONVENTIONS
FIRST SESSION.
THE Colored Baptist Convention of Alabama was consti- tuted December 17, 1868, in the Columbus Street Baptist Church, in the city of Montgomery.
The officers elected were : Rev. Nathan Ashby, president ; Rev. J. W. Stevens, of Montgomery, vice-president, and Bro. H. Thompson, secretary.
The following appear in the roll of this session : Revs. N. Ashby, J. WCStevens, Jacob Belser, J. Epperson, and Bro. H. Thompson, of Montgomery county ; Revs. E. Wright and S. Adams, of Greenville; Rev. W. Farris, of Monroeville; Rev. S. Weaver, of Dallas county ; Revs. P. Gill and Samuel Morse, of Notasulga; James Finly, of Fayette; Revs. I. Glenn and A. Blackburn, of Auburn ; Rev. M. D. Alexander and M. Tyler, of Lowndesboro ; Rev. B. Nelson, of Lee county ; Rev. Mr. Wood, of Macon county; Rev. II. Coleman, of Union Springs ; Rev. W. II. McAlpin. of Talladega; Revs. John Dosier and Henry Stevens, of Uniontown; P. Underwood, .Thomas Smith, Ned Atkinson, and Rev. D. M. Phillips, of Tuskegee.
About twenty-seven churches were represented. About $150 was collected, and Rev. Washington Stevens was made Missionary.
SECOND SESSION.
This session was held in Montgomery in 1869, and the officers of the previous year being re-elected to their several
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COLORED BAPTISTS OF ALABAMA.
THE STATE CONVENTIONS.
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positions. Revs. Wm. McCoo, of Bullock county ; P. Murrell, . of Tuskaloosa ; John P. Lucas, pastor of Mt. Meigs; Henry Clark, of Opelika; B. Burke, of Mobile; Frank Quarles, of Georgia, and H. E. Talliaferro ( white), agent for the American Baptist Home Missionary Society ; Lewis Brown, of Sumter county ; A. Cunningham, of Conecuh county, and James Caldwell, of Marengo county, appear in the roll of this session. Fifty or sixty churches were represented; several hundred dollars were raised ; the missionary was short in his collec- tions ; Home Mission Society was endorsed.
THIRD SESSION.
This session was also held in Montgomery on October 5, 1870. As Rev. N. Ashby was sick, Rev. W. Stevens, the Missionary, was elected president, and Rev. M. Tyler vice- president. Rev. Charles Leavens, of Mobile, and Senator A. H. Curtis were enrolled. The ordained ministers present were: N. Ashby, James A. Foster, W. Stevens, F. Brooks, T. Glenn, Chas. Leavens, S. Adams, H. Stokes, C. Blunt, Wm. MeCoo, J. Caldwell, S. Weaver, J. Cole, J. W. McLeod, M. Tyler, B. Burke, P. Murrell, J. Dosier, D. M. Phillips, J. Wood, Ned Watkins, B. Bibb, H. Stevens, R. Mason.
FOURTH SESSION.
Held in Selma November 1-4, 1871. Brother W. H. Mc- Alpine was prominent. The officers elected were: Rev. I'. Murrell, president ; Rev. Stewart Adams, vice-president ; Rev. W. Stevens, recording secretary ; and H. Thompson, clerk.
Revs. D. Alexander, B. Bibb, J. Caldwell and J. Belser have passed away.
About $300 sent in by the churches : twenty-eight churches report Sunday Schools ; three Associations appear by their messengers.
FIFTH SESSION.
Held in Selma, November, 1872. Officers of previous year re-elected. A committee is appointed to confer with the white Convention in session in Eufaula. Two more Associa- tions are enrolled. $300 or $400 collected.
SIXTH SESSION.
Held in Tuscaloosa, November, 1873. The officers elected were : Rev. J. A. Foster, Montgomery, president; Rev. M. "Tyler, Lowndesboro, vice-president; Rev. P. Murrell, treas- Furer; and Bro. H. J. Europe, of Mobile, clerk. Three other Associations reported. Rev. A. Butler, Mobile, joined at this
session. Rev. W. H. McAlpine introduced the following, which was adopted :
Resolved, That we plant in the State of Alabama a the- ological school to educate our young men."
This threw life and aim into the Convention and the signs of activity immediately appeared. Four other Associations entered. Lively discussions ensued. The white Baptist Con- vention assembled in the same city at the same time advised against the educational scheme. The question whether God needed help in preparing his ministry-the question which fifty years before had agitated the white Convention of Ala- bama-was now stirring the souls of black men. Sunday Schools were allowed representation in the body.
SEVENTH SESSION.
Held in Mobile, in the St. Louis Street Church, November, 1874. Officers of previous year were re-elected. Brother
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COLORED BAPTISTS OF ALABAMA.
THE STATE CONVENTIONS.
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McAlpine's school resolution was endorsed and ordered on the minutes. On motion of Brother McAlpine the following per- sons were appointed a committee to manage the school project : Revs. A. Butler, W. H. McAlpine, H. J. Europe, H. Thompson and the . writer. Brother McAlpine was authorized and re- quested to spend six months as missionary and agent of the Convention. Much praying. .
EIGHTH SESSION.
Held in Mobile, November, 1875. The officers elected Tere as follows : Rev. J. A. Foster, president ; Rev. M. Tyler, vice-president; Rev. J. W. Stevens, corresponding secretary ; Rev. Thomas Smith, treasurer, and Rev. C. O. Boothe, clerk. Ten Associations were enrolled this year. Brother McAlpine reported $90 in favor of the Convention as the result of six montlis' work. The body was never so much aroused as during this session. Some trouble arose over contentions among the churches in Mobile. Rev. W. H. MeAlpine was appointed missionary and agent of the Convention for the ensuing con- ventional year. Rev. C. O. Boothe was appointed, with Brother MeAlpine, to aid in searching for a suitable location for the proposed school, and was authorized to call the attention of our Northern brethren to our needs and operations regarding educational facilities in Alabama. Never did any set of men appear to be more earnest and enthusiastic. Every eye was on MeAlpine as the leader.
NINTH SESSION.
Ileld with the Mount Canaan Church, Talladega, Novem- Ver 15-20, 1876. Officers : Rev. M. Tyler, president; Rev. B. J. Burke, vice president; Rev. I. Smith, treasurer; Rev. G. C. Casby, Montgomery, corresponding secretary, and Rev.
C. O. Boothe, at this time pastor in Talladega, was continued as clerk.
This session of the body may be denominated "The Eventful Session." Here the sainted Woodsmall was met for the first time, and bore the Convention the following :
"INDIANAPOLIS, IND., November 11, 1876.
" Dear Brethren of the Convention : On behalf of the Indiana Baptist State Convention, I greet you with this epistle, bearing their congratulations and sympathy. We are engaged in a common cause with you-the cause of our blessed Lord and Master. * So we strike glad hands with you
1 for a renewal and continuance of the gospel warfare till Jesus comes."
WE This bore the signature of Dr. Wyeth, editor of the Journal and Messenger, and the Secretary of the Indiana Con- vention. This was good tidings, and the information that Brother Woodsmall had come to hold Ministers' Institutes among us was still better tidings. Thenceforward we were to drink from a very high type of manhood.
$\\Revs. W. J. White, F. Quarles, and Bryan, of Georgia, came with propositions from the Georgia Convention that Alabama should give up her school project and join Georgia in building a sebool at Atlanta.
A letter received from Dr. S. S. Cutting, corresponding secretary of the Home Mission Society, to the clerk, informed the Convention that his board had no help for our school en- terprise in Alabama, and favored our union with Georgia.
A communication from the white Baptist Convention con- taining the following, was read before the body :
Ett Resolved, That we deem this a suitable occasion to ex- press to our colored brethren an abiding interest in their wel- fare, both temporal and spiritual.
" JOHN HARALSON, President."
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COLORED BAPTISTS OF ALABAMA.
Brother McAlpine turned over $1,000, which he had raised for the proposed seliool, and again took the field.
The clerk, as committee on location of the proposed school, reported that if the school should be located at Marion, Ala., our students could obtain scientific and literary training in the State school at that point, in which case, the Conven- tion would only be obliged to furnish theological instruction. The Convention did not decide as to the course it would be best to pursue. Brothers Pettiford and Barton joined the work in this session, and the former took a prominent position at once.
TENTH SESSION.
Held in Eufaula, November, 1877. The officers of the last convention were re-elected. The school project was turned into the hands of the Board of Trustees elected at the session of 1875. The report of the Board of Trustees recom- mended that the school be located at Montgomery. When a motion by Hon. A. H. Curtis to substitute Marion had been lost, Rev. E. K. Love, of Georgia, moved to substitute Selma, which was carried by a majority of three. The Board was authorized and instructed to begin operations. Revs. W. II. MeAlpine and W. J. Stevens were put out as missionaries. Before leaving Eufaula, the Board appointed a committee to act on their behalf with regard to the management of the school. At a meeting of the Board held in Selina, December 20, the committee reported : " Your committee has been un- able to find a suitable house for rent in which to commence school for less than $27 per month. There are one or more buildings here that may be purchased at quite a reasonable figure. W. II. MeAlpine, J. Blevins, H. Stevens, committee."
At this meeting there were present the following trustees, besides those above mentioned : M. Tyler, C. Blunt, J. W.
THE STATE CONVENTIONS.
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Stevens, J. Dosier and A. H. Curtis. Revs. W. H. McAlpine and J. Blevins, with Bro. A. H. Curtis, were empowered to act as Executive Committee of the Board. After some discussion Fas to whether to rent or purchase, it was voted to rent, and i not to pay over $15 per month. The Committee was so in- structed, and was further instructed not to assume over $50 per month for teaching force. The Committee elected Mr. H. Woodsmall, of Indiana, and he at once opened the school in the St. Phillip Street Baptist Church.
On May 30, 1878, the Board held another meeting in Selma. Present: Revs. M. Tyler, J. Blevins, G. C. Casby, Thomas Smith, J. Dosier, H. Stevens, W. H. McAlpine and C. O. Boothe. At this meeting the Committee were author- ized to purchase the " Old Fair Grounds" for $3,000. The Baptist Pioneer was started, with W. H. MeAlpine, editor ; J. Dosier and C. O. Boothe as assistants. The Committee, to the great satisfaction of the Board, reported that the St. Phillips Street Church had donated to the school the use of their audience room, the oil for lights, and fnel, and also that the services of Bro. W. R. Pettiford had been secured at a cost of $20 per month, allowing him time to take lessons in theology.
The following financial report was submitted :
RECEIPTS.
Uniontown Association
$150 00
Alabama District Association
40 00
Deacon A. Scott, Montevallo.
Rev. Thomas Smith, Treasurer Convention 15 65
Mr. H. Woodsmall, for tuition 100 00
Rev. W. H. McAlpine 82 10
Donations from the North were also reported. 20 00
Rev. A. Cunningham, Conecuh county 30 00
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COLORED BAPTISTS OF ALABAMA.
ELEVENTHI SESSION.
Held in Marion, November, 1878. The officers of the previous year were re-elected, with the exception of Rev. C. O. Boothe, who had been appointed Sunday school missionary for the State, under the American Baptist Publishing Society. Bro. N. R. Nickerson was elected clerk.
The Trustees reported that the Old Fair Grounds had been secured, and that the school was in operation. One thousand dollars had been paid on the grounds; $545 had come from the North. Three teachers were supported with- out charge to the State-Misses Emma Jordan and Emma Heustis, and Mr. M. W. Alston.
Thus the school began. About $2,000 reported.
TWELFTH SESSION.
Held in Opelika, November 12-15, 1579. In this session Rev. A. F. Owens joined, and Revs. A. Butler and B. Burke forsook the Convention. Rev. D. M. Phillips, of Tuskegee, had left the cross for the crown.
The second $1,000 had been paid on our campus, and $700 worth of improvements had been added to the buildings. A missionary society organized by President Woodsmall and operating in the St. Philip Street Church, is reported as giving · partial support to Profs. Alston and Pettiford, and to students D. T. Gulley and J. C. Curry.
THIRTEENTH SESSION.
Held in Marion, November 17-20, 1880. The officers elected were: M. Tyler, president; J. A. Foster, vice-presi- dent; N. R. Nickerson, clerk; G. C. Casby, corresponding
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Shiloh Baptist Church, Birmingham, Ala., Rev. T. W. Walker, Pastor.
THE STATE CONVENTIONS.
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secretary, and C. White, treasurer. Except a small balance due Brother Woodsmall the school was now free from debt, besides owning thirty-six acres of land and temporary buildings. Rev. S. Adams had gone to the other world.
Aided by the Selma Missionary Society, Bros. M. W. Alston, L. Ellington, D. T. Gulley, D. L. Prentice, C. Travis, C. R. Rodgers, L. J. Green and J. C. Curry had done effective missionary work.
Brother Woodsmall reported that the Baptist Pioneer is free of debt and has $321.03 in cash. He had received $2,399- $899 had come from Alabama in tuition and donations, and $1,500 from the North.
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