Mount Calvary In Bahama
Begins Second Century
By Ray Trent
In April 1892. a Sunday Schcwl
was organized in a log cabin on the
Norfolk and Western Railroad, one
mile south of Bahama. Edward J.
Harris presided. The school closed
in the late Fall, but reopened in the
Spring of 1893. Later in 1893, the
Sunday School led to the
development of Mount Calvary
Church. The church wss organized
on November 11, 1893 with Rev.
C.H. Mayse presiding.
A log cabin schoolhouse near the
present site was the place of
worship. The first pastor was Rev.
J.M. Taylor, who was followed by
Rev. S.W. Ray, who encouraged
building a house of worship. A site
for the church was purchased from
John Parker, patriarch of many of
present day Mount Calvary
members.
Records are on file at the church,
beginning with the minutes of a
church conference dated January
13, 1912. Written records prior to
1912 were not preserved. Edward J.
Harris, one of the brganizers of the
church, contributed material from
memory in an early history. He
reportedly was given the name —
Mount Calvary — in a vision. This
favorably impressed the small
membership and Mount Calvary
became the name.
The growth and development of
Mount Calvary can be attributed to
its ministers, all outstanding. To
mention a few;
Rev. C.J. Lyons; Rev. W.D.
Smith, under whose leadership the
church was completed; Rev. J.W.
Street; Rev. W.T. Grady; Rev. J.H.
Caldwell; Rev. J.E. Thorpe, 1926;
kev. E.B. Thompson; Rev. H.D.
Eaton, 1931; Rev. Thomas Carr
Graham who introduced the Lord’s
Acre Plan of giving. Using this
plan, a member or family group of
members would plant an acre plot
of any size "Unto the Lord." It
would be prayerfully cultivated and
kept separate at harvest time and
the proceeds would be used to
supplement regular contributions.
Under Rev. Graham in 1938,
plans for a new edifice were
presented. It was decided by vote
that the new buildirtg stand in
practically the same place as the
old. On Janu^ 9, 1939, the first
worship service was held in the
new building.
The first Lord’s Acre Day was
observed December 10, 1939. The
total collected was far more than
had ever been given. The mortgage
was burned in December, 1941.
In 1949, an education building
was erected and named in honor of
the late Deacon John B. Jones.
Durham Rev. Graham’s tenure of
25 years, the Senior Choir, Senior
and Junior Usher boards and a Boy
Scout troop were organized.
In 1962, Rev. Dr. J. Neal
Hughley, campus minister at North
Carolina College (now NCCU)
became pastor. Under his
leadership, building improvements
were made including addition of a
basement with a kitchen and dining
area. Aluminum siding was
installed, stained glass windows
were donated, an organ was
installed, the cetnetery was
enlarged and more land was
purchased. On his death in 1974,
Rev. Hughley’s body was interred
in Ml Calvary Cemetery.
Rev. Dr. Herbert O. Edwards
served from 1975 to 1977, followed
by Rev. O.L. Sherrill. Rev. Vernon
Rose, a native of Capetown, South
Africa, served in 1988.
Rev. Rufus Johnson, another
NCCU graduate, was accepted as
pastor in 1988. Under his
leadership the Sunday School
program was rebuilt, a young adult
group and gospel choir were
established, along with a Children’s
Hour during regular worship
services. An indoor baptismal, a
new roof and plans for handicap
access ramp were also undertaken.
Rev. Johnson departed in 1990.
The present pastor. Rev. James. W.
Smith of Louisburg, came to Mt.
Calvary as pastor on March 3,
1991. Rev. Smith is a graduate of
NCCU and also received a juris
doctor degree from the NCCU
School of Law.
His pastoral efforts including
leading Bible study every
Wednesday evening, physical
improvements - carpeting and
painting of the sanctuary,
installation of a new roof on the
education building and the
installation of new tables in the
dinin'g area.
Rev. Smith follows in the
footsteps of his predecessors by
providing enlightened and
progressive leadership for Mt.
Calvary.
From grandchildren of first
converts serving on various board
to the descendants of family that
made possible the sanctuary site by
selling their family land to the
pioneers of Mt. Calvary, family
runs Pue and family continues to be
her cornerstone as Mt. Calvary
embarks upon her next hundred
years.
The start of the second hundred
years and the end of the first
hundred v^as celebrated with an
anni‘versa,ry banquet held
November 27 qt the North Carolina
Mutual Banquet Hall. Hundreds
gathered in spite of the rain. This
was not an ending to the first
hundred years, but a transition from
that first log cabin Sunday School
into the 21st Century.
Those who served were
recognized and many certificates
were given to those over eighty
years of age. Former pastor. Rev.
Herbert 0. Edwards congratulated
the congregation and charged them
in their journey int9,the second
hundred years.
The program was truly inspired
with the singing of Ms. Mackerlean
Morris.
Many individuals were honored,
but the greatest honor was given
when Rev. Smith asked everyone
present to stand, because everyone
has a part in making Mt. Calvary a
success.
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Three Saturdays:
All day:
December 4
December 11
December 18
10 a.m, to 10 p.m.
This holiday season, let DATA take you shopping! Our special shuttle
service goes direct to your favorite shopping areas (in addition to regular
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• Downtown Terminal • Northgate Mall • Ninth Street • Brightleaf Sq.
• Downtown Durham (transfer to/from other routes)
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Buses leave Northgate every hour on the half hour, and leave South Square every
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Service begins Downtown at 9:45 a.m., with the last trip out at 9:45 p.m.
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12:00 noon
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Schedules available on Shuttle buses.
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Mappy Mondays fronti
...Moving Durham Ahead!
PASTOR J.W. SMITH AND ASSISTANT PASTOR W,S. EVANS launched Mount Calvary’s second
hundred years.
Minority Farmers Provide
Fresh Produce For Needs
Doing iheir part to feed the
hungry this Thanksgiving, a group
of African American and other
small farmers delivered freshly
grown produce to soup kitchens,
homeless shelters and churches that
prepared meals for the hungry.
There were fresh collards, mustard
and turnip greens, turnip roots and
'sweet potatoes — a part of the
Harvest For The Hungry Project.
This project was sjxinsored by the
Durham-based N.C, Coalition of
Farm and Rural Families.
Executive director James P. Green,
Jr., said, "despite having suffered
through a severe drought this
summer, these farmers are
expressing their thanks by helping
to feed the needy."
Recipients of the food met with
the participating farmers
Wednesday, November 24, at the
Durham Urban Ministries office on
Queen St. to receive over 200
crates of produce to help feed the
hungry at several locations in
Durham, Raleigh and the Triangle
area.
Because the need for food
extends past the holidays. Green
said "It doesn’t make sense that
millions of people in this country
go hungry, while farmers are losing
their land because they are unable
to sell their crops. ... Under this
program, farmers are at least
partially paid for their crops. This
is made possible by a grant from
the Presbyterian Hunger Fund and
the support of area churches."
Green said a donation to the project
will feed the needy and support
area farmers at the same time.
U.S. Census data indicate that
over 66% of all black farmers and
over 50% of all farmers in North
Carolina gross less than $10,000 in
farm income. As a result, small
farms are disappearing at. an
alarming rate. From 1978 to 1987,
the number of black owned farms
in North Carolina fell from 4413;to
2640. Nationwide, minority
farmers are losing their land at the
rate of more titan 1000 acres per
day. It is widely predicted that
there will be virtually no black
farms left in the United States by
the year 2000.
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Open to the Public
Commemorating Thirty Years of
African-American Students at Duke University
The Race and Education House Course presents:
"Race, Education, and the New Civil Rights"
with
PROFESSOR LANI GUINIER
Professor of Law, University of Pennsylvania Law School
Thursday, December 9, 1993, 7:30 p.m.
Reynolds Theater-Bryan Center
Duke University, West Campus
Co-sponsoied by the 30th Anniversary Committee and the Duke University School . '