Newspapers / Africo-American Presbyterian (Wilmington, N.C.) / Nov. 4, 1926, edition 1 / Page 1
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=======?' VOL. XLVm. CHARLOTTE, N. C., THURSDAY, ______ TEN YEARS AT IDE B1DBLEY1LLE PRES BYTERIAN CHURCH J* 4* A Review by the Pastor, Rev. L. B. West, D. D. ■f carhe to the Biddleville Pres byterian ehuroh ten years ago. I arrived in Charlotte on Friday afternoon; October ISth, 1916, from Denver, Colorado, and preachedmyfirst sermon Sun day,- October. > 16. After the Corning service the session met and placed vmy salary at the pHndely' sf \ of 6176 per year j§- church could do the »4tS:i_ - *•.! For several years the church had been trying to erect a new edifice for title worship of God. And ao, in .accordance with this, ■funds were being; raised. A ral ly. was planned for my first day «t the church. .The amount col lected was a. little over 6600.00. The members were pleased with effort. This amount was added to a sum that was already in'the bank,' bringing the total ;to something like one thousand dollars. The Buldleville church was no stranger to me. I had, attended services here while in school, and , iiad made up my mind that I would never be induced to be its j'psgfor. I wad acquainted with several of its members, but many of them were strangers to bad. I had come to the church tfththe understanding that the prospects for building up a bet ter church were very bright. I therefore addressed myself to ' .ihht task. I found a fatherly aet bf officers who assured me iiTihey were willing to move rward to greater things. They upon me, however, first step in the direc us thejc&urch _ __^,, _____ church building. It was not long before tue idea of a new church building gripped the entire con gregation. The buildng com mittee was called into action and-new: members were added. The style and price of the build ing came in for a great deal of -discussion. At that time it was '-agreed that a $3,000 structure would meet- the needs of the church and be serviceable to the community. The commit ».tee was kept busy inspecting •catalogues and plans of church ■^es. it was .finally decided to give a local architect the contract for the drawing of the plan. The ' late X/. L. .Hunter drew the plans which were altered to give us the edifice which we now have and love so well. •* In the; midst of our work '> something happened which shat tered our plans for a while. The United States entered the World Wafc While we were checked somewhat, the fire that was kin dled had not gone out. And so f at-the dose of the war the fire that had died down began to : burn with intensity toward the ;j election of a new church. The t old frame church had become di r lapidated, and some of the mem bers had become ashamed of it. A high wind while services were on would shake the building so ...until the worshippers became , ^idarmed. The war had sent foingH sky high, and that made it impossible to construct a . $3,000 structure. In fact it was ^thought that the same kind of strudure Would cost twice that amount of money . • ■*w A congregational meeting was called for a night in the week, ft was poorly attended but it ' not poor in spirit. Those 1 that can never be forgotten. It ’ %a* decided to raise $1,000 in a rally. This decision was ’rea£bed after much discussion. One of iue members who had much farm and whose heart was aglow witn enthusiasm said she believed we could raise that amount and made a motion to that effect which was carried. The roll of the church showed that we had about 80 members. A gooa many of these were chil dren and several were in the Class that is to be found in all evinced an eagerness churches, viz,, the uncertain quantity class. Clubs were formed and leaders appointed and sent forth in prayer. Those were nours never to be forgotten or thought light of- when the leaders assembled with the pas tor and laid the mattef in ear nest prayer before God. As has been stated, I took charge of the work in October, 1916. In September, 1917, ap evangelistic campaign was launched, I ventured to do the preaching alone. The choir was augmented by. members from the other choirs , in the village. Each night a spirited song .ser vice was conducted, as a resun. of this effort ten.persons united with the church.. The member ship has steadily increased. The roll shows today 145 members* One hundred and thirty-six members have joined the church during the ten years just closed. While several of the members are still here which I found, we personnel of the con gregation has greatly changed. Country churches have been sending to the city churches large numbers of members in recent years. It has been the good fortune of the Biddleville church to receive into its mem bership some of the finest Pres byterians to be found anywhere from some of these churches. A good many have come and gone in tnese years. Some have moved to other places and some have passed into the great be yond to await the summons of the general resurrection. It is much in these years. We have only had an average of one or two deaths a year. To come back to the building of the cnurch, the campaign to raise $1,000 was successful. The captains reported about $1,400. I think this church has the rec ord for raising money in the city. It was a Sunday night of great rejoicing after the report was made. The people stood and sang “Praise God from whom all blessings flow.” Oth er campaigns were launched un til the church was completed at a cost oi $12,00Q, As I remember, work began on the new church in October, 1919. Many difficulties had to be overcome. The minister and his building committee had to keep in touch with each other. More than once the minister, in cases of emergency, had. to walk around ana notify the members of the committee to meet that night or the next night. The church was recommended to the Board of Church Erection for aid. It was found , that no aid was forthcoming until the church had paid off an old standing debt due to the Board. The committee promptly paid the Board. The church was- not built by contract. The commit tee had on it men experienced in business, and so it was decid ed that the committee would accept bids for the brick work, etc. We ordered our brick through a local company and agreed to have a brick-layer to lay the bride at so. much- per thousand. * At one point in the erection of the building when things looked rather gloomy , the mem bers assembled themselves and after dear cut discussions in which faith was the dominant rule, fervent prayer was offered and different groups made them selves responsible for the needs, which were supplied. One of the significant happenings of the building period, was the fact that several women were added to the building committee, These women added much enthusiasm. The names of the committee, as wdl as I remember,, with the women, iollow: Mr. Geo. W. Phifer, chairman, Mr. W. H. Stinson, Treasurer, Dr. C. H. Shute, Secretary, Dr. H. L. McCrorey, Dr. G. E. Davis, Mr. T. C. C. Foster, Mr. T. E. Bradshaw, Mr. W. R. Young, Mr. DeWitt Hairston, Mr. Henry Etheridge, Mrs. J. B. Stinson, , Mrs. J.. M. Pride, Miss Doilie Young, Mrs. H. L. McCrorey, Mrs. Ance Jewell, < Mrs. Lizzie Feimster, Mrs. Annie Shute. Tne zourth Sunday in June, 1922, was a grand and glorious day in the history of Biddleville Presbyterian church. On that day the saints gathered in the old church and marched over to the present church, singing, “We are marching to Zion.” The church was formally dedicated. Dr. cnas. H. Shute preached the sermon. Drs. A. F. Graham and H. L: McCrorey assisted in the service. Each of these ministers had at some tirae'rendered ser vice to the church. The church is free of debt with the excep tion of the money borrowed from the Board of Church Erec tion. This amount is to be paid in annual installments of $200 over a period of tep years. The BiddlevlUe church is not large, but its members have shown a splendid spirit of loyal ty. The minister has been en couraged more than once by the thoughtfulness manifested to him while he wag single and since he has been married. Gifts have come to him from the church, and also from individu als. The minister cannot relate all the acts of love. But here is a typical incident. One night af ter a prayer meeting the minis ter was presented with a small package. On going home he op ened it and there nicely wcappediujasmaU env6tope«*» a $2% gold coin. He was so taken back that he thought it was given for the church benev olence. He, therefore, enquired only to be told that it was for personal use. Again and again money has been given from a dime to $5.00 with the under standing that it was for person al use. Individual members have given from a fountain pen to a suit of clothes. The matter of salary reads like a romance. I began work at $175 per year. Each year the church has made an increase un til this year it is $900 and the end is not yet, for the officers have sen-support as their goal. When I came here the church was raising $10 a year as its be nevolence quota, and since that time it has raised ten times that amount for one year. On coming here I organized the Ministers' Aid Society. That Society has kept intact all these years and has done,much valu able work in the church. Its last act was the installation of the present beautiful pulpit suite which adorns the rostrum. This society has shown kindness to the pastor. The Missionary Society on more than one occasion has gladdened the heart of the min ister by deeds of love for the churcn and for the ministers The beautiful carpet on the ros trum ami the nicely appointed pastor’s study are their latest acts of lovei The Sunday school has also played an. important part in the work, oi, these ten years. It is from there that the church has been recruited. The most pre cious moments in the life of the minister have come from the ob servance of Decision Day when an invitation was given to the young ones to give their lives to Christ. Much encouragement has come from members who have been free to praise me when my pulpit efforts have helped them, and honest enough not to . say anything when I have *. failed. And God knows 1 have at times failed. I believe I have been the object of prayer on the part of many members, but how heartening it has been to meet on Wednesday nights mid hear the faithful ar« for fheir shepherd. Our pave never been whatever the size W. Phifer can be to be one among the Many a night he and met and talked over 'the of the church and out our. hearts to rer and exposed for better days, years have gone and we back with thanks for ias wrought, . But the future? The community has been Changed. New peo homes! New surround opportunities! These us. What shall our an has wonderfully- blessed f e are not blessed with but we are blessed r blessings. What a heritage you have. -You an aggregation of talent church ought to be have. You can-take by the Side of any tion in education and You are not a rich neitner are you poverty :en. God has causd you to in pleasant placesJ He has into pastures green and stiii waters. Great pos ies and potentialities are up in the Biddleville tion. God will require at your hands than He will i those of less favored con tions. I call upon you to consecrate yourselves for the task, which awaits you. Re member this is the Lord’s work. It itiis for the best you have to off#. May the - Biddleville not suffer, may it not ra backward step, may it want for people to worship at Its services* may it not ‘ evangelistic spirit, may not lack for financial support, may it not lack love, may it not lack prayer nor any of the Christian graces because of the disloyalty of its members. May the Lord be kind to you and may you be true to Him. Let this be your slogan: A Greater, Better, Bigger Biddleville. COLORED WOMEN AD VANCE UNDER BALLOT. Washington, October 30.— With more than four million col ored women and girls, ten years of age and over, gainfully em ployed in the diversified occupa tions of American production some significant facts are appar ent in the shift of employment among this wing of our working group during the past twelve years. Due to the tremendously active abandonment of farm em ployment, largely in the South, for the industrial pursuits of ur ban centers in the North, agri cultural workers (including for estry and animal husbandry em ployees) among our female group, declined from approxi mately 52.2 per cent to 39.0- per cent. This decrease was great er than the decline among the male group in the agricultural occupations, which fell from 58 per cent to 48.2 per cent. 1 In the manufacturing and me chanical industries, which are very sparsely located in the Southern States, our female group increased from 3:4 pei cent to 6:7 per cent; in the transportation occupations thei) increase was from one-tenth oi one per cent to two-tenths oj one per cent to two-thirds of one per cent; in the trade pursuits they rose from three-tenths oi one per cent; in tne puouc ser vice they gained their first sig nificant inclusion of one-tenth o1 one per cent from their preyiouf mark of jl.o per cent? in domes tic and public service they in creased very appreciably.; an* in clerical occupations .the] made the approximate twelve year gain of three-tenths of on< per cent. All employment has its com pensation of wages, recreation and civic and political opportu nity, all of which are as goo< or as poor as conditions of la bor and the dominating influ oyihent ences of actual mit them to be. the national enfranchisement of women, which was accomf by the Republican party,' under which colored outside of the solid South, ha; been given the unrestricted of the ballot, whereby they influence the conditions of ploraent surrounding them, weu aS the opportunity to ti t>art in the moulding of thfc government of which they ar£ subjects, 'is of far greater ito> portance to them' than it is td any group of a* lesser producing' potentiality. When there is add ed to this truth the fact that under ' the protective tariff American industry will thrive* thus holding off competing im ports from foreign countries! and. providing iunple employ ment at a fair wage, for our own’ workers, the pewter of the ballot: in the handd'of an intelligent working ahd votinr group is al most doubled. ~ It is not strange: that’ a young colored woman,; who is* gainfully employed = in the Middle West, characteristi cally stated, with much empha sis: “Sure ! I vote at every elec tion, and right now I’m working to aid 'in-the- defeat of a Demo cratic Congressional candidate whb has said that Negro labor is worthless. He doesn't know what our women are doing in our country; but he’ll find .Out when the electron is over.” >. DR. CARTER WOODSON’S NEW BOOK. Washington, Oototber 30.— Dr. Carter G. Woodson, Harvard .scholar and the race’s most em inent historian and social re search, expert, has aimounced the publication of , his, latest book, “The Mind- of the Negro as Reflected in Letters During the Crisis, 1800-1860.” This co pious collection of letters writ ten by Negroes through over half a century of slavery makes an interesting contribution to the record of the sociologic and psychologic features of that pe riod. More than two hundred individuals are represented, sev eral of them by . more than one letter. , s Dr. Woodson has classified them in four groups: namely, letters written to the American Colonization Society* which or ganized and administered the movement to send free Negroes to: Liberia, there to form a self governing colony; those to anti slavery workers and agencies; a large number chiefly personal and private; a small group deal ing witn miscellaneous matters. In addition, the editor quotes in Ids introduction letters from several Negroes of some achievement, yrho were well known prior to the period which limits the selections in the body of the volume. Among the Ne groes whose letters are quoted with reference, to the coloniza stion scheme is John B. Russ worm, wno was,the first black man to receive a college degree in the United States. He was graduated from Bowdoin Col lege and some time lalter in the early eighteen-thirties, joined the colony in Liberia, where he played an important part. COLORED WOMEN TO STUDY INDUSTRY. New York, October 30.—With ..the increasing trend of female ' employment m this city, Colum bia University has announced* for.the coming academic year, a new extension course op the sub-' i ject of women in industry. . A numoer of leading industri ■ al experts of the race, it is said, l are. planning to take the course, ■ in view of the gradual increase • of coloreu female workers in 5 New York and vicinity. Recently^ a Manhattan laun ■ dry gave employment to a num , ber of colored girls, a bodkkeep ■ er and a solicitor; and otherwise l colored women are slowly but > surely ...advancing ip industry ■ throughout the State, ' -*:——; i-V - ; *?<• By Rev. T.- J. B. Harris, D. D„ executive swcreiiiyi- -y • The Thirty-Second Annual meeting of Hie Afro-American Presbyterian Goundl was held in the St. Jehu Presbyterian church, Detroit, Mich., Rev. Mil ton Thompson, pastor, October 14-17 inclusive. Thirty-two ministers and- delegates were present. The organization of Council was effected on Thurs day, 14th, at S:30 P. M; Rev. McClain G. Spann, of West Chester, Pa., was chosen - as President; Elder J. W. Niohols, of <jrace church, Baltimore, Md., Vice-President; Mfrs. P. E. Jerome, Jersey City, Tempor ary Clerk; Rev. John T* Colbert, D. T>., Grace church* Baltimore, Md., Statistician; Rev. Wto. Lloyd Imes, St. James church, New York City, and Rev.-JA,; E. Bennett, Witherspoon- Street church, Princeton, *N. 4., 'mem bers of the Executive Commit tee. - ' ’ • " '•* .•> • A very harmonious* Council was the verdict of all who-- At tended the' sessions. The 're ports of the chairmen of the va rious committees, were, interest ing and inspiring/The address es were effective £nd pointed. The* sermons were*' forcef jtf and convincing arid helpful "to both Council and church. The open ing sermon was preached by the Rev. Wm. R. Rutledge, re tiring President, Wilmington, Deleware. The, report?,; on Stewardsip by Rev. A. E. Ben nett, Princeton, N. J.; Evange tuW PriT ehKKeSsion, by1 Rev. S. W. Brister,, Atlantic City, N. J. u Statistics, by Rev. J. T. Colbert, I}.D., Baltimore, Md.; Men’s Work, by Rev. Wm. Lloyd lines, A. M:, fcj. I1., "€feo. L. Winstead, M. f>., Pittsburgh, Pa., Elder W. & Hundley, N. Y. City, and the Missionary Work of the Council, Revf John^ W. Lee, D. D., PhUa., Pa., showed a wide grasp of the subjects in hand , and an intense study; of the fields and.their needs. The faithfulness of - some .of. the members of the committees was shown in that they could nqt be present: but sent > their reports to be read. Rev, James GV Car 4Ue, of Troy, N.Y., Mrs, Mary 0. Griggs, Atlantic^ City* New Jersey, andj: Elder J. jGoralon Baugh,. Jr., Germantown,^ Pa., all sent tneir reports to he read. The Department, of Women’s Work was directed by tyrp. Geo. W. Evans, Philadelphia, Pa., and Mrs. Florence E. Jerome of Jer sey City. Mrs. JFannie P. San ders, of St. James church, New York City, and Mrs. Josephine Norcuin, Executive Secretary Y. W. C. A.; Detroit, Michigan, were special’ speakers; '1 v Visitprs at the Council in cluded Mr. ‘ Paul Denriie, Chair man' of the Constitutional League ; Qssian H, Sweet, M.' D., around whom the fires 'of’race hatred have been flaming re cently; Rev. Dr. Miller. Cainp Nelson, 4-y.; Rev. E.! A; Wilbur Johnson, 4*ev. C. H. Hill ^ De troit, John ’C. Dancy, J*r., cd the Urban League, El A. Carte*, M. D., Aaron Toodle, Ph. G.y Rev. Lewis N. Brooks, D. D., Moder ator Of tne -Presbytery 6f De troit, Rev. Ralph CrMtetnan,' D. D., ‘ Moderator of the Synod of Michigan. '3: 1W congenial nospnanry oi ; the good people' of* St.; John cftttitl. will reihain^a pleasant membrytfof the njeihbers ’of' the CouncMthfough1many years. The ciMjtiig, Bermdne df,i? the Councu were1 preached by Rev. M. C. spaim; West Chester;'Pa., and the Rev.? A. E.' Bennett, Princeton The session’was conclu^eu by the administering of the ijord's Stiptfer. 1 : Council adjourned to meet at Grace Presbjrterian -churehi Bal timore, Hd., the second' Thurs day in October, _
Africo-American Presbyterian (Wilmington, N.C.)
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Nov. 4, 1926, edition 1
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