George Washington Flowers 
 Memorial Collection 
 
 DUKE UNIVERSITY LIBRARY 
 
 ESTABLISHED BY THE 
 FAMILY OF 
 COLONE^ FLOWERS 
 
Digitized by the Internet Archive 
 in 2015 
 
 https://archive.org/details/shorthistoryofgiOOkenn 
 
GILLFIELD BAPTIST CHURCH, 
 PERRY STREET. 
 
) 
 
 REV. G. B. HOWARD, D. D. 
 Pastor Gillfield Baptist Church. 
 
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OF THE 
 
 OILFIELD BAPTIST CHURCH 
 
 PETERSBURG, VIRGINIA, 
 
 Richard Kenxard, Church Clerk, 
 
 WITH 
 
 6ERnON BY HER PASTOR, DR. G, B. HOWARD, 
 
 Read by dijferent members of said church during her 
 
 CENTENNIAL EXERCISES 
 
 October Mh-llth inclusive, 
 1303- 
 
 COMPILED BY WM. H. JOHNSON. 
 
 PETERSBURG, VA.: 
 Presses of Frank A. Owen, 122 Sycamore St, 
 1903. 
 
c 
 
 THE INTRODUCTION. 
 
 These lines are not intended as a general preface to this 
 book; for another, whose head and heart are eminently 
 fitted for that mission, has already prepared such a preface. 
 But the aim of these lines is to hereby set before the read- 
 ers of this book, and the friends of the Gilfield Baptist 
 Church, the Dear Brother who, for about forty long years, 
 has served the Gilfield Baptist Church as Clerk. For 
 long-, faithful and honest service rendered to this Church 
 by our Brother, Richard Kennard, he has placed us all 
 under a lasting debt of gratitude to himself, and of thank- 
 fulness to God. Nothing at this time can give me more 
 substantial pleasure than to put in permanent form the 
 high esteem held by us all for the long, conscientious, 
 Christian service of our Brother. Having acted as Clerk 
 of this Church for about forty years, and being a member 
 of it for fifty-four years, enjoyiog full acquaintance with 
 the records of the Church, and personal acquaintance 
 with the old members of sixty, seventy and eighty years 
 ago, he is prepared as no one else is, to set forth the facts 
 relating to the career of our Church, Brother Kennard 
 has been at great pains aad labor to gather the historic 
 facts contained in this volume, and we count it a blessing 
 to have him perform this service for the Church and the 
 denomination before he is called from labor to reward. 
 Major W, H. Johnson, who acts with him in preparing 
 this matter and carrying it through the press, has already, 
 though comparatively a young man, rendered his church, 
 the denomination and country, rare and valuable services. 
 May God's blessing continue to rest upon these useful 
 men. G, B, HOWARD, 
 
THE OILFIELD BAPTIST CHURCH, 
 
 Of Petersbukg Virginia, 
 
 Celebrated her one hundred years of life October 4-11, in- 
 clusive, 1903. A short history was prepared, and on the 
 morning of October 4th, 1903, the exercises began. The 
 Pastor, Dr. G. B. Howard, on the 4th, at 11 o'clock A. M., 
 preached the Centennial Sermon, than which no better 
 could have been delivered. The sermon was replete with 
 doctrine which is able to make us stable in the principles 
 of our faith; it abounded in thought which is well calcu- 
 lated to fill, and did fill our hearts with praise and thanks 
 to God for his guidance and blessings which have led 
 and prospered us for the past century; it was rich in ex- 
 pressions which inspired us to a large hope of great and 
 glorious results in the future. It was logical, convincing 
 powerful — the sermon suited to the occasion. 
 
 At 3 P. M., Dr. Graham of Richmond, preached a soul- 
 stirring sermon, from Matt. 28th, and 20th verse : "Lo I 
 am with you always, even unto the end of the world." At 
 7:30 P. M. Dr. Henry Madison of San Marino, Ya., as- 
 cended the rostrum and electrified the audience with an 
 eloquent effort from 1st John, 5th Chapter and 4th verse. 
 
 On Monday evening at 7:30 P. M. Elder Greenville Hunt 
 of Mount Vernon, N. Y., gave the Church a very, very 
 practical, interesting, and instructive discourse from 1st 
 Samuel, 8th Chapter and 5th verse: "A King like other 
 nations." 
 
 The pulpit on Tuesday evening at 7:30 was occupied by 
 Elder D. W. Davis of Manchester, Ya., who held the au- 
 dience spell bound while he delivered a message from 
 John 15:5: "Fruit bearing." 
 
 Wednesday and Thursday evenings will be remembered 
 as fraught with good things. Dr. C. T. Walker of New 
 York, N. Y., not only filled the pulpit, but filled the hearts 
 
5 
 
 of his hearers with joy, and the minds of his audience 
 with food for many months of thought. His effort was 
 masterly. His text was, on Wednesday evening. Psalm 
 126;3: "Great things hath God done for his: people." On 
 Thursday evening, Heb 6:11: The promises. 
 
 On Sabbath morning, 11th, at 11 o'clock, the Church 
 was the recipient of a rare treat in the form of a message 
 profound in its scope delivered by Dr. R, H. Bowling of 
 Norfolk, Ya., Text, 1st Chronicles, 29th Chapter, 12-13. 
 
 The exercises of Sabbath afternoon, 3 o'clock, were rich, 
 in effect, sublime in character. The Church held her 
 Centennial Communion Services. Joy, peace, and love 
 prevailed and a love feast was partaken of. 
 
 The closing exercises of the week took place at 7:30 P. 
 M., when Elder W. M. Moss of Norfolk, Ya., preached an 
 able sermon from Matt. 16th, and 19th verse. The keys 
 of the Kingdom of Heaven given to the Church. After a 
 full week of good things, the grand old Oilfield Church 
 ended her one hundredth year of solid labor and pros- 
 perity and began her second century auspiciously in the 
 fear of God. 
 
 During the exercises, the choir, under the organists Mrs. 
 Nannie B. Johnson, Miss Mable A. Harris, and U. S. 
 Grant Jones rendered superb music. 
 
 There was rendered also a solo, "Guide Thou My Bark," 
 by Clarence B. Peters; a solo, "Rock of Ages," by Mrs. 
 Margaret Boiling; a bass solo, "The Lord is My Helper," 
 by Wm. H. Johnson; a solo and chorus, "Steady, Brothers, 
 Steady," by Robert eT. Jones, soloist, James T. Mason, 
 Moses Thompson and Wm. H. Johnson. 
 
CENTENNIAL SERMON, 
 
 BY THE PASTOR, DR. GEORGE B. HOWARD. 
 October 4, 1903, 
 
 THE IDEAL CHURCH, 
 
 And Oyie Hundred Years'' Groicth Toivards that Ideal. 
 
 "Upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of 
 hell shall not prevail against it. That he might sanctify 
 and cleanse it with the washing of water by the Word. 
 That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not 
 having spot or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should 
 be holy and without blemish." Matt. 16:18; Eph, 5:26-27. 
 
 The services in this present place at this hour, and upon 
 this day, are, and must forever remain, unique. It is the 
 privilege of a lifetime, enjoyed by but comparatively few, 
 to take part in the one hundredth anniversary of the 
 church of his or her choice. We all should feel the solem- 
 nity and grandeur of this hour as we sit with uncovered 
 heads and upturned faces in the presence of Almighty 
 God. Personally, I very much prefer that the task of 
 preaching this centennial sermon might have rested upon 
 broader and more competent shoulders than my own But 
 I have yielded to the wishes of my brethren in this matter. 
 I ask for both your patience and prayers while we attempt 
 to perform this great duty. But few of us have ever been 
 in a church's centennial before; scarcely any of us will 
 ever be in another on earth. Most heartily do I congratu- 
 late the Gilfield Baptist Church upon its first hundredth 
 anniversary, and upon its splendid and untarnished record; 
 a record that but few, if any, can boast of; a hundred years 
 aggressive career without a division in ranks. 
 
 Nearly twenty hundred years ago our Lord Jesus let 
 fall from his golden lips these fundamental ideas we find 
 
here in Matt 16:18: i. e. "Upon this rock I will build my 
 church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it." 
 Now, a thought or two here before we pass on, i, e. 
 notice some sublime truths herein set forth by our Lord 
 Jesus Christ : 
 
 I^lrst, The ideal formation; rock, "this rock." The idea 
 of solidity and durabihty comes to our minds here. The 
 object of Peter's faith, Christ himself, is this Eock of ages 
 upon which this church is founded. And, Second, The 
 ideal builder; I build my church. The church that is 
 built on anything else, or by anyone else, can never hope 
 for permanency, &c., &c. 
 
 One hundred years ago, when Petersburg was a small 
 village, and not one of us was born, down upon the sandy 
 beach on the Pocahontas side, there was enacted a scene 
 destined to be far reaching in its effects. I can now see 
 that handfuU of godly men and consecrated women gathered 
 there for prayer to Almighty God. There, by the flowing 
 Appomattox and under the blue vault of the sky, under 
 the watchful eye of God, with strong faith in Jesus, with a 
 noble purpose of heart, with the New Testament plan and 
 model, but with an unknown future, these men solidly laid 
 the foundation of the famous Gilfield Baptist Church. 
 Where are those old heroes now ? Where are those men 
 and women to-day ? Gone ! gone! Some of their bones 
 lie buried here on this lot, others have their bones scattered 
 around town in unmarked graves, with angels watching 
 over their sleeping dust, while their souls from up yonder 
 on high, are looking down upon us here to-day, but the 
 spirit and faith of those men and women are here in the 
 Gilfield Church to-day, marching on to victory to the tune 
 of a hundred years. This church was built on the rock of 
 Matt. 16:18, and by the master builder of Matt. 18:18. And 
 amidst a hundred years of storms and trials, fires and 
 triumphs, the gates of hell have not as yet prevailed against 
 it, &c., &c. But, you will observe that the Church of Christ 
 is to be an ideal church, as set forth in Eph. 6:26-27. "That 
 he might sanctify and cleanse it." "That he might present 
 it to himself a glorious church," without spot, wrinkle or 
 
8 
 
 blemish. Here is the ideal. Christ will eventually bring" 
 His church to this high ideal of spiritual and moral per- 
 fection, No one would say that this or any other earthly 
 church organization has, as yet, reached that sublime 
 height. But this is Christ's ideal, and this must be our 
 ideal, and we should never be satisfied nor rest contentedly 
 - while this is unattained. Christ will bring His church up 
 to that sublime standard as sure as you are born. 
 
 For one hundred years this church has had its face to- 
 ward the rising sun, and has been marching toward this 
 New Testament ideal in Christ. In doctrine, in discipline, 
 in teaching, in practice, in missions, in the maintenance 
 of the sanctity and sacredness of God's house and property, 
 in law and order, and decency; through all these years this 
 church has taken high ground; and its influence upon the 
 community for good has been great. Now let us go back 
 a little and deal in some reminiscenses. Then — 
 
 First. Beginning. 
 
 What was it that brought together that little band of 
 worshippers in 1803 ? Those were certainly dark days for 
 the Sons of Ham. Those people found in the gospel the 
 balm for their sin-sick souls, their broken spirits and bleed- 
 ing hearts. Kindred spirits are drawn together by com- 
 mon grief, mutual hopes, and congenial fellowship. These 
 people were thus drawn together; and faith and love united 
 their hearts as one in Christ. And, behold ! what do we 
 now see ? As Isaiah puts it, "A little one has become a 
 thousand, and the small one has become a mighty host." 
 We have come into the possession of the spiritual and ec- 
 clesiastical heritage of those men and women. So we have 
 invited you here from far and near to join us in this great 
 celebration and rejoicing. 
 
 Secondly. Her Varying Fortunes. 
 
 The history of this church, as it has been gotten up and 
 presented by our honored and faithful brother, Richard 
 Kennard, reads like a romance. While the career of this 
 church has been continuous, united and successful, yet it 
 
9 
 
 has not always had fair winds to sail in, nor flowery roads 
 to travel over, Its life and history have been wrapped up 
 with the life and history of Petersburg", and the State of 
 Virginia, and the country. It began its career in the dark 
 days of slavery. The country at large, our institutions, 
 and the general public sentiment were inoculated with 
 deadly and persistent views of human slavery. Free col- 
 ored people and slave colored people made up the church's 
 membership. The slave people could join only with the 
 permission of their owners. The free people only could 
 act as trustees and officials. For years the church wor- 
 shipped in a building on Sandy Beach and in rented houses. 
 
 In 1818 this present land was bought from a Mr. M, B. 
 Pillsborough, and was deeded to this church, with Joseph 
 Shepherd, Stirling Mann, Worrell Sykes, Henry Boyd, C. 
 M. Warring, Eichard Jarrett. Jacob Howell and Luke 
 Taborne, as trustees. The last dollar was paid on the 
 ground in 1822, in March, and the deed is recorded in Deed 
 Book No. 7, page 50, in the Clerk's office of the Hustings 
 Court of this city. Four churches have been built on this 
 ground. Politically there have been four stages in the 
 church's career. 1st, From 1803 to 1831, during which 
 time the members enjoyed much privileges and freedom. 
 2nd, 1831 to 1851, when oppressive laws made by the State 
 after Nat. Turner's insurrection, greatly hindered the 
 church. Meetings could not be held without the presence 
 of a white man to make them lawful. 3rd, From 1851 to 
 1865, when members were greatly scattered and the work 
 hindered. The morning Petersburg fell. Clerk Eichard 
 Kennard had his book under his arm on his way to church, 
 but soon had to seek shelter for his head. Up to this time 
 all pastors had been white men, with one exception. Eev. 
 Sampson White pastored in 1837-1838. Eev. Mr. Creth, 
 Eev. Mr. Crowder, and Eev, Mr. Eobinson, pastored pre- 
 vious to 1865, Eev. Mr. Pittman being the first regular 
 pastor mentioned. 4th. 1865-1903 brought a great change. 
 The war closed and emancipation came. In November^ 
 1865, the Eev. Henry Williams, Jr„ of Ohio, was called to 
 the pastorate. The church numbered then 1,368 members. 
 
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 Elder Williams took hold of this work with a master's grip, 
 and as a wise master-builder, and for 34 years heroically 
 marshalled this host of Zion, and the church entered upon 
 a career of power,influence and aggressiveness unsurpassed 
 by any church in the land. From 1868 the membership 
 rose to 2,500 under his masterful leadership, besides send- 
 ing out hundreds upon hundreds to build up other 
 churches all the way from Richmond and Washington 
 to Boston. N'o church ever sent out better trained, bettei^ 
 disciplined members to other churches. Elder Williams 
 organized the young of his flock in a magnificent Sunday 
 School, and superintended it, bringing it up to a point of 
 order and efficiency unsurpassed in the land. The two brick 
 buildings on this lot went up under his administration. The 
 solidity and massiveness of this building is but an index 
 of the solidity and massiveness of his character. He may 
 appear to have been stern and queer at times, but the times 
 and occasions demanded it. And while, no doubt, he did 
 some things at times in a way that some of us would have 
 done differently, nevertheless his aim was high, his ideas 
 exalted, his work firm. And when on the 18th of February, 
 1900, he laid down his commission at the Saviour's feet 
 and said good-bye to his flock, and mounted the chariot of 
 fire like Elijah of old for the heavenly home, he left be- 
 hind him one of the best trained churches, and the most 
 solid work I have ever come across anywhere. This church 
 is his monument; that granite shaft erected by this church in 
 Blandford Cemetery helps to perpetuate his memory. This 
 tablet here in the wall looking silently down upon you 
 week after week, will be a constant reminder of his labors 
 of love, &c., &c. His wife rests with him. 
 
 Third, Great Changes in This Country 
 Since 1805. 
 
 John Page was then Governor of Virginia; Thos. Jef- 
 ferson of Virginia, President of the United States. The 
 city of Washington was only a small village. More than 
 half of the country belonged to Spain. The Mississippi 
 Biver the Western bounds. The year 1803 will ever be 
 
11 
 
 memorable for the Louisiana Purchase, which we celebrate 
 next year. Gold was not found in California, the coal 
 fields of Virginia and W. Virginia not thought of, nor 
 silver or oil. No railroads, steamships; no telegraph, no 
 street cars, no telephones; no public schools down here. 
 If those members who organized the church in 1863 could 
 come back here now, they would not know the world, &c.,&c. 
 They would be more inspired than Rip Van Winkle. 
 
 Fourth. Work Outside in the Denomination. 
 
 This church belonged to the Portsmouth Association^ 
 white, prior to 1865, and took a leading part in organizing 
 the Shiloh Association, the Hasadiah Association, the 
 Bethany Association, the Bethany S, S, Convention, the 
 State Sunday School Convention, and took the lead in or- 
 ganizing the old State Convention. Her pastor wrote its 
 Constitution, and The largest amount of money ever 
 raised by this body, was raised here in May, 1902. This 
 church has prosecuted the foreign mission work of our de- 
 nomination, and helped to lead in educational work in this 
 State and abroad. So you will see that her work has been 
 widespread during this one hundred years. 
 
 Fifth, Relation to the Heavenly Country. 
 
 Who but God can tell the real number that have gone 
 from this church militant to swell the number in the church 
 triumphant ! This church has lost by death on an average 
 of over 20 persons a year. So that in a hundred years she 
 has sent up to glory over two thousand members, whom I 
 believe to be robed in white, looking over the jasper walls 
 of heaven this morning down upon us here. As our songs 
 float heavenward, they hear us sing; as our tears fall, they 
 behold our moistened eyes, and as we fight in the conflict, 
 they watch the battle with keenest interest, knowing that 
 God will bring us out victors. Yes, a large part of the 
 Gilfield Church have gone home to their reward. 
 "Part of the host have crossed the flood 
 And part are crossing now." 
 
 The church has been a great enlisting station for souls 
 or the heavenly country, &c., &c. 
 
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 Sixth. Facing the Future. 
 
 We have been looking back a little, upon the road al- 
 ready traveled, now let us look forward, for before us lie 
 our duty and reward. "On this rock I will build my church, 
 and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it." Christ 
 is the great ideal builder; but remember what Paul tells us, 
 that we are workers together with Him. Our work is not 
 done. A hundred years are required to bring the old oak 
 to maturity. This church, like the oak, has burst forth 
 from the acorn of truth, and like the oak, for a hundred years 
 has been planting her roots deeper and deeper that she 
 might defy the storms of winter and bask in the sunshine 
 of summer, bearing precious fruitage of redeemed souls. 
 The God who has lead in the past will lead in the future. 
 He has laid down your instructions and plans here upon 
 this "trestle board," the Holy Bible. By this shall creeds 
 and conduct be tried. Let the church of Jesus Christ 
 stand by her colors, and keep under the sheltering arms 
 of faith and love. Christ is preparing to bring His church, 
 His bride, home without spot, wrinkle or blemish. The 
 blood of the Lamb cleanseth all sins. Let us take up our 
 work and go forward till the Master says, "Enough, come 
 up higher," Then as we sweep forward through the sky 
 toward the throne of God, we shall catch glimpses of dear 
 ones awaiting us on the other shore with shouts of welcome. 
 Among these shall stand the old heroes of 1803, Israel 
 Decudra, Jacob Howell, Jacob Page, Jarret and Boyd; 
 Elders Pitt, Mann, Creath, Sampson, Crowder, Robinson 
 and Williams, and all that mighty host they led to Christ. 
 Then will the Master Himself, amid this mighty throng, 
 welcome the rest of us home; for Zion shall triumph, and 
 Christ himself shall crown her victor. God help us all to 
 be found among that spotless band around the throne at 
 last. 
 
HISTORY OF THE CHURCH. 
 
 BY RICHARD KENNARD, CHURCH CLERK. 
 
 1803. 1903. 
 
 A partial history of the Gilfield Baptist Church of the 
 City of Peter shurg, Virgiriia. 
 
 There is no written record of this Church's organization 
 in her possession, or at what time it took place, and the 
 first sketch of her written history we have dates to the year 
 1815. In said history we find mention of a much earlier 
 history. The 1815 history is styled the New Book, and in 
 it is recorded, that all old matter of interest in the old is 
 to be transferred to the New Book, but we find no such 
 transfer of such old matter in the New Book. We have 
 not that old book, but we find many references in the New 
 Book of Church transactions. One is of the rent of ground 
 in 1809 and 1810 from one Mr. Colwell, the ground being 
 on Sandy Beach, Appomattox River. There, a meeting 
 house was built, but we see in the New Book where the 
 Church had been worshipping long before 1809 or 1810, in 
 rented houses in Pocahontas. The writer received this in- 
 formation from the New Book, and from verbal history, 
 more than fifty years ago. From these sources the history 
 of the Church is traced back to an organization in 1803. 
 There being a very few members in the beginning, not 
 much attention was given to written matter, but it seems 
 that the leading men knew all the Church's business trans- 
 actions by heart. At some of their meetings, the refer- 
 ences would be called for and the answer would be that the 
 strips of last meeting were lost. 
 
 The Church at its origin was known as the Christian 
 Church of Christ, of the town of Petersburg, also as the 
 Sandy Beach Baptist Church, The first pastor, so far as 
 its history shows, was Elder Wm. H. Pittman, who was 
 
14 
 
 elected in 1815, and it seems by their limited history, that 
 before his election the leading members of the Church 
 conducted the worship. 
 
 Vice Jacob Howell, Israel Decudra, Jacob Pag"e and 
 Worrell Sykes and others, the leading members of the 
 Church were styled the Day's men, but at that time it seem- 
 ed that nearly all the male members were preachers or ex- 
 horters who had gifts to be exercised, so that they had 
 very little need of any regular minister or pastor. 
 
 The history gives no account of how long Elder Pitt- 
 man served the Church, but the next regular pastor was 
 Elder Sampson, White, (colored), who was called in 1837 
 and who served till 1838. 
 
 In the year 1818, 11th of February, the Church as- 
 sembled at Brother Mansfield Jones' house in Pocahontas, 
 and decided to purchase land on which to build a meeting 
 house. A committee was appointed to look out for a lot. 
 At a meeting held February 15th, the committee reported 
 on two lots, one in Pocahontas and one in Gill's field. 
 The Church voted for a choice. Gill's field received 37 
 votes and Pocahontas 7 votes. That committee was made 
 trustees, and was instructed to purchase of gentleman 
 Pillsborough the Gillfield lot. At the next meeting they 
 reported the land bought, and paid on it $100 cash. The 
 deed was promised in the next week. We don't see re- 
 corded what the land cost, but verbal history says $500. 
 
 The Church ordered a meeting house to be built thirty 
 feet square, and larger if timber could be had. The house 
 known as the Red House was built. The record does not 
 show how long Elder Pittman served the Church, nor does 
 any record show the salary they gave him, but we see on 
 one occasion that the Church decided by vote to buy some 
 shingles for Elder Pittman to cover his house. Elder 
 Pittman's leading men and deacons were Brothers Israel 
 Decudra, a native of the West Indies, Jacob Howell, 
 Peter Valentine, Steven Eldridge, James Tazewell, Wor- 
 rell Sykes, Charles Warren, and Jacob Page, who was 
 clerk. 
 
 The Church at that early day had much trouble with a 
 
15 
 
 host of their leading" male members, for it seems that most 
 of them were all the time asking- leave to use their gifts in 
 exhortation or preaching, as they felt they had a call for 
 such, and very many of them after having been granted 
 such privilege, for reasons, had to be silenced by the 
 Church and had their privileges taken away. 
 
 In the early days of the Church, slaves were received 
 into her membership by no other title than Mr. Aiken's 
 Armistead, or Mrs. Wathall's Big Joe, Mrs. Whitlock's 
 Eobin, and could only be received and baptised on a writ- 
 ten permit from their owners, and their owners would 
 often notify the Church of some of the wrong doings of 
 their people and of their disobedience. Only the bad 
 deeds were reported. 
 
 At that time or age, a large portion of the Church's 
 business was brought up by queries: "Is it right for Bap- 
 tists to commune with Pedo Baptists? "Answer, "No." 
 Is it right for a member to carry liquor to a Church feast 
 and sell it: A committee was appointed to prepare the 
 answer and they reported, "It is better to let that matter 
 alone." 
 
 We find the following rules of decorum, in 1815. 
 
 1st, Conference shall begin and end with prayer to 
 Almighty God. 
 
 2nd. A moderator or speaker shall be chosen. 
 
 3rd, That order be observed. Let one speak at a time, 
 addressing the moderator, and none depart without leave, 
 
 4th. All queries or other business proposed shall have 
 the sense of the conference taken before being entered 
 upon. 
 
 5th. Any member may speak twice to the same proposi- 
 tion. If it be the moderator, he shall place a substitute 
 in his place, and no other without leave. 
 
 6th. No member shall be permitted to wander from the 
 subject under consideration nor personally reflect upon 
 any member that has spoken before, but shall deliver his 
 own sentiment upon the subject in debate. 
 
 7th, While a member is speaking, none shall walk out 
 or about the house, neither shall there be any whispering 
 
16 
 
 and private discourse, reading- any book or paper, but 
 every one shall give attention to the member speaking*. 
 
 8th. No member shall absent himself from his seat or 
 leave the Conference under pain of sharp reproof and 
 public rebuke at the next Conference, 
 
 The Gillfield Baptist Church was received into the 
 Portsmouth Baptist Association in the year 1815. Elder 
 Pittman and Brother Worrell Sykes were the delegates. 
 A committee was appointed to ascertain the cheapest route 
 by land or by water, and what a horse and gig would cost. 
 After this meeting and before 1820, the Gillfield Baptist 
 Church invited the Portsmouth Association to hold its ses. 
 sion with her, which invitation was accepted, and the 
 Church appointed a committee to rent stables, and to buy 
 feed for the delegates' horses. A committee was also ap- 
 pointed to furnish blacking and brushes with which to 
 clean the delegates' boots and shoes, and to see to the 
 general comfort and convenience of the delegates. At that 
 age there did not seem to be as much prejudice among 
 Christians or as much separation as since. 
 
 The Gillfield Church; in all of her history, verbal and 
 written, has exercised a very strict discipline over her mem- 
 bers in regard to their moral as well as their Christian con- 
 duct and deportment. Her members were not allowed to 
 marry except first getting the consent of the Church, and 
 that consent was in general granted by witnesses who testi- 
 fied there was no encumbrance. There was no state mar- 
 riage law for them. 
 
 Members were not allowed to have balls or dancing par- 
 ties in their houses or to attend them elsewhere, or to at- 
 tend horse racing. The Church had a law that if a bro- 
 ther or sister knew of another brother or sister who was 
 guilty of unchristian conduct, and he or she did not re- 
 port the case to the Church, they themselves would be dealt 
 with for omission of duty, and outsiders have always 
 charged that our Church was too strict, so much so that 
 young members in particular have no chance of seeing a 
 good time in worldly amusements. 
 
 Notwithstanding these strict rules that do not allow danc- 
 
17 
 
 ing, attending balls, horse racing, theater going and the 
 like, in seasons of revival the young people come in flocks 
 to the Gillfield instead of going to other Churches that 
 take no notice of such worldliness, and the stricter our 
 rules the more the Church has prospered, and the more 
 reverence appears to be given the Church. 
 
 At this time, 1820, there is no record of the Church 
 membership. We see, at the purchase of the ground, that 
 42 members voted, but the membership must have been 
 much larger, for the Church had many members in Ches- 
 terfield, Prince George and in Dinwiddie county, and there 
 were many in town that could not be present. There must 
 have been at the least, 150 members or more. 
 
 The Church at that period did many acts that the re- 
 cord does not explain. One act was that Brother Peter 
 Valentine, one of the trustees in the purchase of the land 
 was not to act with the other trustees, and no reason given 
 why. Another; a committee was appointed to go to Bro- 
 ther Israel Decudra and to tell him to send back that let- 
 ter of dismission by the committee if he could not come 
 himself, and there is no record, that he had been granted 
 a letter and why it was recalled, and no other record ap- 
 pears about the matter, yet he seems to be acting as a 
 member of the Church by the record, and a deacon, and 
 Brother Valentine also appears to hold his own as a prom- 
 inent member, notwithstanding he was not allowed to act 
 as trustee after having been appointed, but all this seems 
 to be understood, but nothing is explained, and the whole 
 history of the Church from the beginning to 1845 is like 
 these cases, so that a great deal cannot be understood. 
 
 As to the pastors of the Church, from the record there 
 were only two from the beginning to the year 1842, viz: 
 Elders Pittman and White, but from 1821 to '42 the Church 
 had supply ministers, most of them from the Market Street 
 Church, white, who baptised for us, viz: Elders Bell, Snow, 
 Tusker, Gordon, Mason, Gwathney, Southwood and many 
 others. 
 
 In 1842^the Church called Elder T. B. Creth, who served 
 about two years, and the Church seemed, from the building 
 
18 
 
 of the Ked House in 1820 to 1831 to have enjoyed peace 
 and prosperity and prog-ress, but the year 1831, she was 
 very much set back by state laws that hindered or pro- 
 hibited her meetings, and stopped colored men from preach 
 ing". Colored Churches could have no meetings unless a 
 white person was present, and no night meetings. This 
 law existed until after the Civil War, but notwithstanding 
 these set backs, between 1831 and 1844 the Church seemed 
 to prosper and to increase, for in 1842 Elder Creth baptized 
 238, and in 1843 Elder Gordon baptised 200. From that 
 time to 1900 the Church has had an unhindered and steady 
 march and progress. 
 
 In the year 1841 the White House was burnt making the 
 third house of worship. That house would seat about 
 250 or 300 persons and was occupied by the Church until 
 1858, when it was removed to give place for the fourth 
 building and the first brick house. Elder Hosea Crowder 
 succeeded Elder Creth as pastor,- in the year 1845, and 
 served as such until July 1858. Elder Crowder's adminis- 
 tration seemed to have been very successful. He baptized 
 a large number of persons, many of them now living, the 
 writer being one, baptized in 1849, but it was still the mis- 
 fortune of the Church not to keep a yearly record of the 
 additions to the Church. Elder Wm. M, Robinson suc- 
 ceeded Elder Crowder as pastor, August 1858, and with 
 his advent as pastor the Church began the building of 
 the brick house. It was not completed until two years 
 after commencement. Many of the members of that day 
 did not thiuk the Church could ever build a brick house 
 and pay for it, some of the deacons being among them. 
 One of the deacons, whose lot it was to give notice of the 
 removal of the old house, stated that on Wednesday next 
 the Gillfield Baptist Church would be sold at auction, in- 
 stead of saying the old house, and many members declared 
 they would not give up the old house until they got the new 
 brick house, notwithstanding it had to be erected on the 
 same ground. 
 
 Elder Robinson's pastorate was very successful. The 
 brick house was completed, aud during its construction a 
 
19 
 
 large number was added to the Church by baptism dur- 
 iug* the spring- and summer months of each year. Hun- 
 dreds were baptized in the Appomattox River and all was 
 prosperity. The Church had one trouble to contend 
 against in building the brick house. It was, that the trus- 
 tees who believed with those opposed to the new building 
 would not give their consent till one half the money was 
 raised, but those who were for building showed said trustees 
 that the Church was her own sovereign, and that trouble 
 ended and the building went on to completion. 
 
 Elder Robinson was with us when the Civil War broke 
 out, and continued with us till it ended. He seemed to do 
 all that was in his power for us. Our flock was very much 
 scattered as partridges in the mountains. They were 
 wanted to work on breast^ works, and our churches were 
 used in part by troops to catch our men who were generally 
 in hiding, and the members would scarcely ever be at 
 church. As far as going to church was concerned, that 
 was all ended when our edifice was pressed into use for 
 the army, and the soldiers took possession, leaving the 
 building very much the worse for its rough use. Elder 
 Robinson held on as best he could until all was over, when 
 he told us he knew that we naturally desired to have one 
 of our own people for our pastor and gave us God speed. 
 
 When we entered on new life, so to speak, as we had no 
 prohibition by law as before, we had worship three times 
 a day on Sunday, and at night during the week. 
 
 On the 20th November, 1865, we elected Elder Henry 
 Williams, Jr., as our pastor. He was young then, full of 
 the gospel ministry, and he was really a young theological 
 giant. He started the church off in an enthusiastic pro- 
 gress, and hundreds were added to her yearly. He took 
 charge of the young Sunday School also which had been 
 started, and placed it on its present high standing. He 
 thoroughly disciplined that large number of members, some 
 1360, with additions. His discipline was correct, and 
 carried to such success that the young people who were 
 disposed to be worldly minded, came to the conclusion 
 that they could not have a good time at the Gillfield 
 
20 
 
 Church, but they had to conduct themselves as Christians; 
 and those who wanted to have a g-ood time must go else- 
 where. His system of church discipline was of such 
 merit that it had a good effect among the Baptists through- 
 out the surrounding communities. It was well said by 
 Dr. Dickerson at the Association in Brunswick county, 
 that Dr. Williams was a father in Israel and a great 
 leader among the Baptists of Virginia. Elder Williams' 
 members loved him, notwithstanding his so-called iron 
 rule discipline, and reverenced him as a leader. He 
 countenanced no sin or worldliness among his church 
 members. Elder Williams was strictly consistent, and re- 
 quired every officer and member to stand in his own order. 
 
 The deacons are all appointed to have control of the dif- 
 ferent financial departments of the church. All the other 
 departments of the church work are in the hands of com- 
 mittees composed of members other than deacons, such 
 as Committees on Church Worship generally, and Com- 
 munion, whose duties are to report members delinquent in 
 their duties; individual committees to keep order in the 
 aisles, at the doors, in the galleries and in the yard. In 
 1873, it was found that the building was unsafe and really 
 not large enough for the membership, and the church de- 
 cided to have a larger and more substantial house. It was 
 also seen that our lot of land was not of sufficient area; so 
 we had to purchase a strip of land on the south side, at a 
 cost of 11,205 because the church needed it, else it would 
 not have brought more than $200. 
 
 The church went on, we rented a brick-yard in Chesterfield 
 county, and manufactured our bricks, with the labor of 
 our church members and others. On the first of September, 
 1847, we raised the body of the old house, and with the 
 material built the chapel in one mouth, and worshipped in 
 it until the present church edifice was completed in 1880, 
 at a cost with the ground lot of $26,200, which was paid 
 for in less than one year after its completion. 
 
 After the war the church licensed and ordaiued to the 
 gospel ministry of our members, Brethren Wesley Hill, 
 Ephraim Royalls, Robert Griggsby, George Winfield, Pom- 
 
^1 
 
 pey Penister, and licensed John Johnson, Wm. A. Steward, 
 Jr., and Patrick Brown, to preach. 
 
 Our church also set apart and reorganized branch 
 churches in Prince George county; the Providence Church 
 in Dinwiddle county; the Sharon Church in Chesterfield 
 county; the Bethesda Church in Greenesville county; the 
 Shiloh Church and the Eoyall Baptist Church of Bulfield, 
 Greenesville county, and assisted in setting apart and rec- 
 ognizing many others throughout the State. 
 
 Our church also took part in organizing the Shiloh Bap- 
 tist Association of Virginia, by sending delegates in 1865, 
 and after that the Association became too large for cenven- 
 ience; our church was foremost in dividing it by establish- 
 ing the Hasadiah Association, south side of the James, 
 and after the Hasadiah became unweildy, it was divided 
 by the head of our church and pastor. Dr. Henry Wil- 
 liams, and the Bethany Association was established be- 
 tween the Hasadiah and the Norfolk Associations, in which 
 our church is still holding membership. 
 
 The Gillfield Baptist Church has never had any division, 
 eruption or split. The church has always managed any 
 trouble or division of opinion among her members in the 
 spirit of Christ, so that all remain in union and unity. 
 
 In the year 1842, about the time the Third Baptist 
 Church was established, some 6 or 8 of our members, among 
 them Brethren Thos. Scott, James Ford, Henry Elebeck, 
 and others, drew their letters from us and joined the Third 
 Church, but they did not stay long before they returned to 
 the old mother church. 
 
 Our church took the foremost part, through onr pastor. 
 Elder Henry Williams, in organizing the Virginia Baptist 
 State Convention in the year 1867, and has been one of its 
 principal stays ever since in fostering, leading and pushing 
 forward said Convention in its Home, Foreign Mission and 
 Educational work, by contributions of money and counsel. 
 More money was raised at this church at the session of said 
 Convention in 1902, than at any other session during its 
 existence. Indeed, our church has always taken a leading 
 
22 
 
 part in fostering and extending the work of Christ, our 
 Lord. Before the war, when there was no State Missions, 
 our church had a Missionary Society for Foreign Missions, 
 and had to send money to the fields through the white 
 society, of which we received no credit, but of a good con- 
 science of having done our duty. During Elder Williams' 
 pastorate, he established a system of worship and a code of 
 rules that contioue to this writing: Sabbath service 11 
 A. M. aud 7:30 P. M. Tuesday nights,, prayer meeting. The 
 2nd Sabbath of each month. Communion or Lord's Supper. 
 The first and third Monday nights in each month. Busi- 
 ness Meetings of the church. Preaching each Thursday 
 night, saving the Thursday preceding 2nd Sabbath, which 
 is devoted to Covenant Meeting. 
 
 All members are required to attend all the services of 
 the church. If a member neglects two services of the 
 church at regular times of worship without good cause, he 
 is liable to censure. 
 
 A system of finance was established, as the financial 
 operations of a church is one of the most troublesome of all 
 rules. Our rule is that each and every able-bodied mem- 
 ber is required to contribute not less than ten cents at each 
 collection, and that rule is carried out by a tickets system. 
 Each member pays ten cents and receives a ticket from the 
 deacons, and in every three months, or each quarter, he is 
 required to return said tickets and receive a receipt from 
 the deacons for his or her quarterly dues to the church. 
 
 Before this system was put into practice, the church had 
 to resort to church fairs, festivals, excursions, and to the 
 public generally, for her finance. Many of those practices, 
 in a measure, are questionable for a church. 
 
 Our finance system is as follows: 
 
 First Sabbath in each month, Pastor's Salary. 
 
 Second Sabbath, A.M., in each month. Current Expenses. 
 
 Second Sabbath, afternoon, in each month, Poor Saints. 
 
 Third Sabbath, night, in each month, Grospel Purposes. 
 
 Third Sabbath, morning, in each month , Current Ex- 
 penses. 
 
23 
 
 Fourth Sabbath in each mouth, Insurauce Purposes. 
 Fifth Sabbath, Missionary Day. 
 
 At these collections a deacon is chosen for a specific fund, 
 and is required to report to the church semi-annually the 
 amount raised in his department. 
 
 One of the saddest events that has ever happened to our 
 church was the death of our devoted pastor, Rev. Henry 
 Williams, D. D., February 18th, 1900. He had led us in 
 ways that lead to Christ and heaven for nearly 35 years. 
 We then found ourselves as Israel of old, without a shepard 
 or a Moses. Our only comfort then was in our Shepherd and 
 leader, Jesus our Lord and Saviour to whom we looked, and 
 in Him we took courage. Our church buried her pastor 
 with all respect and Christian love, and raised a monument 
 of granite over him to show to generations to come of his 
 character, his Christian works and our love and highest 
 esteem for him, at a cost of $1,800. Our church mourned 
 his death and counted his examples, his way of leading, 
 and resolved from them never to depart, and with Christ 
 for our guide and knowing that the Lord always has a 
 Joshua for a departed Moses, we kept house for Christ as 
 best we could till the fall of 1900. At this time we began 
 to look out for a leader, with an unwavering faith in Christ 
 to lead, and we believe that he did lead us, and our choice 
 fell on our new pastor, Rev. G. B. Howard, whom we called, 
 and who accepted the call. He took charge the last of the 
 year 1900, since which time the church has moved forward 
 with success. In the past two years and nine months of 
 Elder Howard's pastorate, there have been added to the 
 church 293 persons by baptism, by letter, and by restora- 
 tion; and the church seems to be satisfied that she has a 
 good successor to our former pastor, notwithstanding at Ms 
 death many believed we would never get a satisfactory 
 successor to him. 
 
 The Church since his leadership has kept up her wor- 
 ship and discipline, many improvements have been made 
 to the building and all paid for. In fact the; Church has, 
 under Elder Howard's lead kept up with all her former 
 
24 
 
 travels and is at this time entirely free from debt. Every- 
 thing so far has been peaceful and pleasant and we are on 
 the forward march, with him to begin our second century. 
 It may be of interest to tell what the Church had to con- 
 tend against in early years. V^erbal history says that the 
 Church, at one time had a pastor whom they ascertained 
 had been trading in slaves. He was summarily dropped. 
 At another time she had an unpleasant matter on hand. 
 One of her members was complained of by her mistress to 
 the Church, for fighting, to be dealt with. The Church 
 upon inquiry found out that her memberjand the member's 
 mistress had been fighting, and they both members of Bap- 
 tist Churches. Our Church decided that both of them 
 were guilty according to scripture, and if one was to be 
 dealt with the other must be, and there the matter ended. 
 
 Houses of Worship in their Order. 
 
 First church building, ''Sandy Beach" on Appomattox 
 Eiver, built between 1803 and 1809. 
 
 2nd. The "Bed House," built between 1818 and 1819on 
 Perry street. 
 
 3rd. The "White House," built between 1840 and 1842, 
 on Perry street. 
 
 4th. The first brick house built between 1858 and 1860, 
 on Perry street. 
 
 5th. The present edifice, built between 1874 and 1879, 
 on Perry street. 
 
 The Pastors of the Church in Their Order. 
 
 Elder Wm, H. Pittman, (white) 1815. No date for 
 length of service. 
 
 Elder Sampson White, (colored), served 1837. 
 
 Elder Thos. B. Creth, (white) elected 1842; served 2 
 years. 
 
 Elder Hosea Crowder, (white) elected 1845, served till 
 1858. 
 
 Elder Wm. Eobinson, (white) elected August, 1857, 
 served till 1865. 
 
25 
 
 Elder Henry Williams (colored) elected Kovember 20th, 
 1865, served till death, February 18th, 1900. 
 
 Elder Geo. B. Howard, (colored), elected 1900, present 
 pastor. 
 
 The following is a list of Deacons who have served and are 
 now serving during the one hundred years of the Church's 
 existence 1, Joseph Shepherd; 2, Peter Valentine; 3, Jacob 
 Brander, 4, Eichard Jarratt, 5, Worrell Sykes, 6, Israel 
 Decudra, 7, Charles Evans, 8, Jacob Howell, 9, Sterling 
 Mann, 10, Eobert Tucker, 11, Charles Warren, 12, Charles 
 McKenzie, 13, Charles Lewis, 14, Robin Wilcox, 15, Wm. 
 Walker, 16, Coy Quivas, 17, Robert Holloway, 18, Abram 
 Robertson, 19, Wm. Jackson, 20, Thomas McKenzie, 21, 
 Stepney Lawton, 22, John Brooks, 23, David Scott, 24, 
 John Wiggins, 25, Peter Archer, 26, Richard Clark, 27, 
 Henry Watkins, 28, Ar misted Jordan, 29, Alexander Forbes 
 30, Samuel Swann, 31, Collier Tabb, 32, Edward Pryor, 
 33, Richard M. Hawks, 34, Robert Shaw, 35, Richard 
 Cosby, 36, James W. Hargraves, 37, Wm. Dabney, 38, 
 Robt. J. Jones, 39, Frank Wilkerson, 40, Wm. H. Johnson. 
 
 The list of trustees of the past and present: 1, Joseph 
 Shepherd, 2, Peter Valentine, 3, Captain John Abdike, 4, 
 Thomas Jarratt, 5, John K. Shore, 6, David Scott, 7, 
 Wm. Jackson, 8, Wm. Walker, 9, Thomas Scott, 10, C. 
 B. Stevens, 11, Thomas McKenzie, 12, George Taylor, 13, 
 Berry Bonner, 14, Thomas Games, 15, Henry Johnson. 16, 
 Albert James, 17, Isham Hardy, 18, Frank McCray, 19, 
 Douglass Wilkerson, 20, James M. Wilkerson, 21, Wm M. 
 Spratley, 22, Wm. H. Baugh. 
 
 Clerks of the Church for the 100 years: 1, Jacob Page, 
 2, James Carter, 3, Henry H. Elebeck, 4, James Forde, 
 5, Lewis W. Carter, 6, James Z. Matthews, 7, Richard 
 Kennard, now serving. 
 
 Treasurers from 1848 till now: 1, Robert Holloway, 2, 
 2, Wm. Jackson, 3, John Brooks, 4, Armistead Jordan, 5, 
 Richard Hawks, now serving. 
 
 Sextons: John Brooks, Edward Shields, John Nash, Peter 
 Smith, Alexander Forbes, now serving his 28th year. 
 
26 
 
 The following are the names of the supply ministers who 
 preached for our church and baptized for us from 1829 to 
 1845: Elders T. Bell, G. Mason, J. P. Tustin, Wm. 
 Southwood, Wm. Snow, Gordon, and others. Most of them 
 were pastors of the then Market Street Baptist Church of 
 this city. 
 
PAPER 
 
 BY MISS ANNIE WILLIAMS. 
 
 Gillfield Church on SaUbath Schools. 
 
 Though the Gilfield Baptist Church has stood for one 
 hundred years as a great Beacon Light, guiding the paths 
 of others, and though she has always manifested such an 
 interest in her own church work, and also in the com- 
 munity,let us not once think that she has been at all thought- 
 less or neglectful in regard to Sabbath School work. 
 
 She has always shown the greatest interest in this de- 
 partment of church work, believing it to be one of the grand 
 est and noblest for the training of boys and girls, yea men 
 and women, both morally and spiritually. Some have said 
 that the Sabbath School is the nursery of the church, but 
 whether this be true or not, we do know that our church 
 has ever gone hand in hand with our school work. She 
 has always been our guiding power. 
 
 Od the 21st of April, 3865, our Sabbath School was or- 
 ganized, with our late pastor. Dr. Henry Williams, as its 
 Superintendent. From then until now, she has stood as 
 impregnable as a mighty Gibraltar, and under such an able 
 leader as we still have, namely. Major W. H. Johnson, our 
 present Superintendent, and Dr, G. B. Howard, we look 
 for still greater things. Yes, I say under such leaders, 
 for men must have leaders. As the child is led by its 
 teacher, as the soldier is led by his commanding officer, so 
 are men led by their leaders. And where has the Sabbath 
 School always secured such able leaders? From the church. 
 Nothing is ever done in this Sabbath School independent 
 of the church. As all this comes to be more comprehended 
 we see that the great motive governing our church and 
 Sabbath School is mutual helpfulness. No church appre- 
 ciates more the value of the Sabbath School than does 
 
2g 
 
 this, the Gilfield Baptist Church. In fact she has always 
 gone hand in hand with this work. Her influence for good 
 has been, and is still far reaching". I am wholly unable 
 to give this grand and noble church the honor she so justly 
 deserves for the care and inspiration she has always im- 
 parted to our Sabbath School, and not only upon ours, 
 but she has a general interest in all, for have we not all 
 the same object in view, namely, the salvation of our boys 
 and girls ? And again, no school has ever gone to her for 
 help, spiritually or financially, and had her to turn a deaf 
 ear to its call. 
 
 Human life is a very practical thing, and the great need 
 of the younger portion of the world is more practical ex- 
 amples in morality and religion. Knowing this need of 
 our young, the Gilfield Baptist Church has always striven 
 to secure such teachers for her Sabbath School. She 
 doesn't feel that much good can be accomplished without 
 this kind. It has been said by one author, that "He who 
 holds the control over his mind, who rules his own spirit, 
 who has the mastery of himself, morality and religion 
 come almost as naturally as the common knowledge of men 
 and things. But to him who is easily drawn away; who 
 is turned about by every wind of doctrine or breath of in- 
 fluence; who is unstable as the wind; moral and religious 
 purposes and principles are hard of attainment and sta- 
 bility of character, a thing of which he hardly knows any- 
 thing." 
 
 In conclusion, if we would succeed, if we would be the 
 model Sunday School our church would have us be, let us 
 always strive to do God's own will in God's own way. 
 
PAPER 
 
 BY ROBERT J. JONES. 
 
 Position of Gillfield Church With Regard to Education. 
 
 When we speak of education, the general opinion is that 
 we mean such as we get in the school-room. Generally, 
 that idea is correct, but there are many kinds of education. 
 A government, community or organization can, and does 
 educate, either for good or for evil. The means of edu- 
 cation naturally fall under two heads, discipline or moral 
 training, and instruction or the act of imparting informa- 
 tion. Under the head of discipline come the forming of 
 habits, of self-control, obedience, civility, love of truth, and 
 reverence for all that is good and great. 
 
 After having enumerated a limited number of ways by 
 which governments, communities, and organizations edu- 
 cate, the question naturally arises, how does the Gilfield 
 Church stand related to the different phases of education ? 
 
 First, In respect to that received in the school-room for 
 the enlightening and expansion of the human mind, she 
 has always favored, fostered, and encouraged it in a very 
 tangible way, and that with its financial aid, for it has 
 contributed thousands of dollars for the furtherance of 
 education in this State and country. 
 
 Secondly, Discipline or moral training. Under this 
 head I need say but very little, for according to the old 
 adage, "actions speak louder than words." The actions of 
 this church along this line have been so pronounced and 
 uncompromising, that some who are not disposed to walk 
 in the straight and narrow path, or to enter in at the straight 
 gate, but rather climb up some other way, (you of course 
 know what the Scriptures say, he is who attempts such), 
 often criticise this church because of its rigid discipline 
 
30 
 
 along these lines. But truth is mighty and will prevail. 
 As an evidence of this fact, those critics of whom I have 
 spoken, may criticise the Gillfield Church, but they all re- 
 verence and respect her. And many, while unwilling to 
 give her the credit, are emulating her example. Surely no 
 one will dispute the plain proposition that education is a 
 very, very great power for good or for evil. 
 
 Then, we see how very important it is for all who are 
 educating purely from mental and intellectual standpoints, 
 to be very careful, watchful and prayerful over those en- 
 trusted to their care, knowing, as they must, that the fu- 
 ture weal or woe, success or failure of those whom they 
 are educating, depends largely upon the kind of education 
 they impart. Now, if that be true of those who are fitting 
 and preparing for this life only, how much more important 
 it must be for those who are educating not only for this 
 world, but also for the one to come. 
 
 It is known far and wide that the Gillfield Church has 
 been educating the people of this and other communities 
 for one century, now dawning into its second, to form 
 habits of order, self-control, obedience, civility, love of 
 truth and due reverence for all that is good and great. 
 
 We see evidences of the fruit of that teaching in every 
 direction, the seed sown have germinated, grown, and 
 ripened, and, like bread cast upon the waters, are seen and 
 being gathered. 
 
 When the smoke of battle had scarcely cleared away; 
 when the booming of cannon and the fierce rattling of 
 musketry of the Civil War were still very fresh in the 
 minds of the people, this church, out of its love for educa- 
 tion, notwithstanding its known and well established posi- 
 tion that, when an edifice has been once dedicated to God 
 as a house of worship, should be used only for that pur- 
 pose, threw open her doors to the people of this city, for 
 the purpose of disbursing knowledge to those who felt to 
 avail themselves of the opportunity. The church was used 
 for that purpose until other provisions were made to teach 
 the people. 
 
 And now, not pply in tbig city md State, but scattered 
 
31 
 
 throughout many of the cities and States of this eountry, 
 are those that had the foundation for an education laid 
 within the walls of this church. Many of whom upon said 
 foundations have built noble and grand structures, that 
 have defied the storms of malice, envy, prejudice, and all 
 kindred vices, and from that lofty eminence are sending 
 out their beneficent rays, piercing into the darkness of 
 ignorance and superstition, forcing the same to retire. 
 
 I think it not strange that this church favor, aid and fos- 
 ter education, for, as darkness begets darkness, so light 
 begets light. This church can congratulate herself upon 
 having always had among her membership a very large 
 percentage of the most enlightened people of this com- 
 munity. Therefore the ardent desire to assist those striv- 
 ing for knowledge. 
 
 The earliest education was domestic. The best we think 
 was that of the ancient Jews, where the father was the 
 teacher, and the law of Moses the text. Later on the 
 church succeeded the father, and for many centuries the 
 church was patron of the school, and continues to be in 
 some countries. But in time the schools became secularized, 
 and matters not essentially religious were relegated to the 
 State, so the State in nearly all countries has superceded 
 the church as the patron of the school. The noticeable 
 exception to this rule is in France, where ecclesiastics are 
 excluded from teaching by law. In other countries, while 
 the State is the patron of the schools, the church is un- 
 molested in their parochial schools. 
 
 This church is constantly contributing to the support of 
 denominational schools in both this and foreign countries. 
 
 We are here at this time celebrating the one hundredth 
 anniversary of our church, and when one hundred years 
 from this time, if our posterity shall be here celebrating 
 the two hundredeth anniversary, we hope, trust and pray, 
 that the teachings of this century, with such other good 
 and beneficent spiritual improvements as they may ac- 
 quire, may be as prorqinently set forth as they are at this 
 time. 
 
32 
 
 While none of us claim perfection for her, yet we are sure 
 she will compare favorably with the best. 
 
 We hope she has no enemies. But if she has, we are 
 satisfied it is because of her firm and uncompromising 
 stand for "the faith once delivered to the saints." That 
 being" true, if it is possible, we will love her the more for 
 the enemies she has made. 
 
 Now, may the Lord guide, keep and protect her in the 
 future, as he has done in the past, and finally receive us all 
 to himself in glory. 
 
PAPER 
 
 BY CLARENCE B. PETERS. 
 
 Christian Beneficence, 
 
 When God broug^ht order out of chaos; suspended the 
 worlds in space; created man in His own image; bade bim 
 go on from conquest to conquest with his dominion over 
 all things on the earth, over the earth and in the waters, 
 He ordained that whatever should be his status relative 
 to the denizens of the waters, the beasts of the fields, and 
 the birds of the air, to his fellow-man, his noblest ambition 
 and highest aspiration, should be the trend towards the 
 glorious fruition of that great day which should herald the 
 brotherhood of man and the fatherhood of God. But to 
 ends there must be means. To the Church, as to all insti- 
 tutions and organizations have been given intricate ques- 
 tions for their intelligent solution, that involved mayhap 
 their weal or woe, their existence or destruction. 
 
 In this, the sacred drama of this grand old branch of 
 God's terrestrial zion, there has been given to her the ques- 
 tion whether profiting by unattained desires, and blasted 
 hopes of similar organizations the world over, she w^ould 
 choose the right, the honorable and the blessed path, or 
 whether, she would, failing to profit by precept and exam- 
 ple, go down, down, down. Notwithstanding her name 
 and greatness, one blot, one stain, would have soiled her 
 spotless record. Though at times hard and difficult has 
 been her lot, she has played no insignificant part, with 
 God as her Father and Christ her elder brother, in con- 
 quering the world for Christ. But it is not with the gen- 
 eral status of the church we have in the part assigned us 
 to do, but it is the Spirit of Christian Beneficence she has 
 i}isplaye4, th^t we \yo^ld briefly treat. St£^nding in an in. 
 
34 
 
 terminable array; waiting" with fear and trembling words 
 that must mean, for souls immortal, their eternal banish- 
 ment or perpetual joy, we shall, one day hear — Hungry, 
 ye fed me, naked, ye clothed me, sick and in pri- 
 son, ye visited, me. Anxious as to its significence, we shall 
 ask, "Lord when saw we Thee ahungered and fed Thee» 
 naked and clothed Thee, sick and in prison and visited 
 Thee?" Then, ah then, we shall receive that blessed as- 
 surance," as ye did it unto the least of my little ones, ye did 
 unto me." Then with peans of praises, as a final testimony 
 of God's benediction, the departed saints who, in this 
 world received the church's charity and benefaction, shall 
 come to testify to the truth of what has been uttered. 
 
 Standing on the summit of the Peak of Success, our 
 minds necessarily wander back and recall the periods of 
 gloom through which we have successfully passed. When 
 death claimed its victim, our departed Dr. Williams, the 
 fearing ones within our ranks, and the false friends with- 
 out, saw for us only division and ruin. There were those 
 who predicted that, without the master hand of the deceas- 
 ed, all would go to wreck. But God willed it otherwise. 
 Brother Williams, with the help of God, had builded bet- 
 ter than he knew. That friendship, love and Christian 
 beneficence, which had for nearly a hundred years been a 
 predominant characteristic, rivited the men, women and 
 children, into one band, with only one aspiration. Aye, 
 his death was that touch of nature that made the whole 
 church kin. Then, ah then, that God, as he had done for 
 the children of Israel in the wilderness, to confound those 
 who would have despitefully used us, or rend us asunder, 
 placed as it were, a pillar of clouds about us in the day, 
 and a chariot of fire to guide us at night. Then, under 
 the leadership of our Senior Deacon, Alexander Forbes, 
 upheld by as conscientious and noble set of officials, God 
 bless them, as have graced any Church, after proclaiming 
 to the world for what we stood, and the qualifications to be 
 possessed by him who should be the choice of a united 
 Church — then, I repeat, did God manifest his help and 
 approbation, by sending to us our present gentlemanly, 
 
scholarly, and dignified leader to bear our colors, and take 
 them to victory, from the very point that our departed 
 friend had laid them down. 
 
 Search if you will the records of the church's remotest 
 antiquity; we find that in its iofaDcy, with no hope of re- 
 ward, no expectation of public acknowledgement, with 
 that singleness of purpose which counts all but loss for 
 Christ, she contributed, not grudgingly, but with a willing 
 hand and cheerful heart to missions and all other causes 
 that tended toward the spread of the Gospel of Christ, 
 Scanning more closely the ioterestiog pages of the church's 
 early history, we find it to have been a custom to give 
 whatever it could through some man selected from the 
 white race, from whom it exacted no public acknowledge- 
 ment, nor received public thanks. Nor did her charity 
 end there. No worthy church, nor organization, ever ap- 
 pealed to her in vain. Only the Great Searcher of hearts 
 can know the deeds of love and charity extended to the 
 deserving poor and the innumerable appeals heard and 
 answered. But in this, as in all things else, she was ever 
 methodical, while ever willing to alleviate suffering and 
 lessen misery, she did not extend aid promiscuously. The 
 Pastor, standing as an ever vigilant watchman, whenever, 
 a case of distress was brought to his attention, immediately 
 submitted the same to his officials, and, if found worthy, 
 the desired aid was immediately forthcoming. Profiting 
 by experience of the past; drawing inspiration from the 
 success that has come as an apparent reward for services 
 rendered to the needy, she is today marching gloriously 
 and steadily onward to the goal of success, mini.steriug in 
 her onward march to the necessity of Saints. To the 
 older members, some of whom through winter's cold and 
 summer's heat, for a half century and upwards have given 
 the best of all that life holds dear to them, to the success 
 and glory of this old church, I have no hesitancy in say- 
 ing, as a parting assurance, that the younger element of 
 this church, upon whom one day must devolve its weal or 
 woe, its existence or destruction, with the help of God will 
 continue in the path, and to the cadence, so worthy set by 
 
36 
 
 their ancestors, or report to God the reason why. And 
 then, when the church militant has become the church 
 triumphant; when the sun himself grows dim with age; 
 when the soul in its new existence shall begin to flourish 
 unhurt amid the wars of elements and the crush of worlds; 
 when the saints shall come from the north, and the south, 
 the east and the west to sit down; when the Son in His 
 glory shall come to be crowned; when angels of heaven 
 will sing their songs of adoration; then, ah then, shall that 
 beneficence, like charity, which is the greatest of all things, 
 seek no longer to realize an ideal, but at last shall, idealiz- 
 ing the real, have its just reward. 
 
PAPER 
 
 BY MISS SARAH A. DABNEY. 
 
 The Gilfielcl Baptist Church on Raising Church Funds. 
 
 As two great principles ran through all society, the 
 principles of self-care and self-love, so it is true in a re- 
 ligious sense, that these two principles are most potent in 
 determining the moral and financial success of the church 
 of the living God. To each church is given the success of 
 its spiritual life and its material growth. By foresight 
 and care it may guard against dangers, and if dangers do 
 come, by her own moral integrity, when she is founded on 
 truth, and guarded by wisdom.she will ward off the attack. 
 
 So we find that upon each church as upon each individ- 
 ual, rests the solemn obligation to make the most of herself 
 that is possible; to store up knowledge, to grow in wisdom, 
 not to stand still, but to advance towards the highest 
 planes of thought and living. Now, to my mind, nothing 
 determines the material success, I might say the spiritual 
 success of a church as the manner and means of its finan- 
 cial support, whether this support is sufficient for her 
 needs, if it is freely and cheerfully given; if it is raised in a 
 legimate and proper manner; not pauperizing and debauch- 
 ing the self-respect of those who contribute to her support, 
 nor detracting from her usefulness and influence from the 
 ever watchful eye of the community. 
 
 It is therefore both a pleasure and privilege to trace the 
 financial means and method of support of this old church 
 of ours, whose one hundredth anniversary we to-night 
 celebrate. 
 
 About 35 or 40 years ago, this church raised her funds 
 like most of the churches of that day, in fact like all 
 churches in this Southland; by fairs, concerts, festivals, etc. 
 
38 
 
 Now there may have been some excuse for the use of these 
 meaus. There were extenuatiDg- circumstances then. Our 
 people were indeed poor. They were poor, both in means 
 and intellect, but I believe they were rich in the spirit and 
 grace of God. 
 
 They lived up to the light they had and served their God 
 well and faithfully in their day and generation. They had 
 been but recently cut loose, soul and body from the shackles 
 that bound tliem, and in their child-like simplicity, they 
 looked not to the means, but to the end for which they 
 strove. But as time passed on, and each year the church 
 grew more in spiritual truth in the knowledge of His 
 Word; in intellectual development and financial strength, 
 upon consideration of the church and her sainted pastor. 
 Dr. Henry Williams, they unanimously concluded that 
 these modes of raising church funds for the miantenance of 
 the Master's cause were more a hindrance than a help. 
 For, according to His Word, He loves that which costs us 
 something. 
 
 So each member of the chureh, for a number of years 
 back, pledged himself, and now pledges individually, a cer- 
 tain sum for the support of the church, which for the most 
 part is promptly paid. No fairs, no concerts, no excur- 
 sions, nothing but a free contribution for the service of the 
 Lord. 
 
 Now, to my mind, many reasons may be advanced for the 
 stand that we have taken in this matter. For, as the church 
 is responsible for its own growth and prosperity, it is 
 equally responsible for both the material and spiritual hap- 
 piness and welfare of its members within, and also the 
 community on the outside. 
 
 To depend upon the help and assistance of the com- 
 munity shows a lack of self-reliance in the church, not 
 using your own God-given means, and having trust and 
 confidence in Him who helps all who attempt to help them- 
 selves. And He has promised ever to be with His church 
 to the end of the world. 
 
 Secondly. The Bible has commanded us to give as the 
 Lord has prospered us. Not to place our wives and daugh- 
 
39 
 
 ters in awkward and embarrassing positions, creating* in 
 them a lack of self-respect. Because we are not faithful to 
 our solemn vow and obligation, to cherish, care for and sup- 
 port Christ's body on earth. In this life generally, what 
 a man does for anybody or thing shows his appreciation 
 and value of that person or object. So the way of render- 
 ing our support is a good index of our love and appreciation. 
 
 Again, such questionable means of supporting the church 
 as fairs, concerts, boxes, cards, etc., tend to lessen religious 
 fervor. It makes the world and the worldly think that 
 we are not sincere in our profession; for we do not support 
 what we profess to believe and to know. 
 
 Thus, instead of spreading Christ's Kingdom among 
 men; hfting up His banner, we do not mean it, but we are 
 bringing it in disrepute. This, to my mind is a serious 
 thought, and one which needs to be carefully considered, 
 for we are enjoined not to cause our brother to ofiend, how 
 much more serious to be the means of occasioning him to 
 sin who is not a brother. 
 
 Some one has said, "Churches, as persons who are to 
 transform the world, must be themselves transformed," 
 Life must be full of inspiration. If education is valuable, 
 the age must double it; if art is sweet and high, we must 
 double its richness and might; if philanthropy is divine, we 
 must double its quality and tenderness; if religion is valu- 
 able, double its truth, and hasten with it to more firesides; 
 if man's life is great, let him count more precious all its 
 summers and winters. 
 
 The one duty of life is— to lessen every vice and to en- 
 large every virtue. 
 
 So in this old ship of Zion, which has successfully sailed 
 life's tempestuous sea, through thick and thin, for a cen- 
 tury, let us give her our support, our prayers, our all; 
 knowing that she bids and commands us to emulate and 
 look up to Jesus Christ. 
 
PAPER 
 
 BY MRS. ALICE R. NOERIS, 
 
 This grand occasioo, the one hundredth anniversary of 
 the Gillfield Baptist Church, is indeed a most eventful one. 
 
 When we think of the days gone by, and of the many 
 occurrences that are recorded, and to-day stand as statutes 
 of the dear old church, our hearts can hardly contain the 
 multiplicity of sacred thoughts as they revolve, giving to 
 us many happy recollections of the loved ones who founded 
 this Lord's house, and dedicated it unto Christ, in behalf 
 of lost souls for whom He died. 
 
 Many of us hold dear to our hearts these fond recollec- 
 tions, and, with the poet can truly say, "How dear to my 
 heart are the scenes of my childhood, when fond recollec- 
 tion presents them to view." Some of us, indeed but a 
 very, very few, are living to-day who can recall the doings 
 of the Gillfield Baptist Church, when she worshipped God 
 under the instruction of His servant, Bev. Creth, in a little 
 red house. 
 
 This remmant of the church's membership may be with 
 us to-day, and were they asked, what has been the most 
 preserving element in the statute of the Gillfield Baptist 
 Church that has helped most the Spirit of God, the love of 
 Christ, during the administrations that they remember, 
 they would doubtless answer with united voice, that Tem- 
 perance has ever been the principle that characterized the 
 most potent part of the church's constituency and mem- 
 bership. 
 
 Upon the bosom of the ocean of time, with Christ the 
 Captain, temperate leaders the crew, faithful worshippers 
 the passengers, and the Holy Spirit the pilot, this dear old 
 church has for one hundred years sailed. 
 
41 
 
 Like a ship of war, over billows rough and many, she 
 has been tossed and tested, but has never been destroyed. 
 Why ? Because with united strength of Christian love, 
 exercised in most temperate dealings, she manned her 
 way. And to-day, when we look and view in the distance 
 of by-gone days the dangers through which she came, we 
 are filled with sacred awe and love to God for always hav- 
 ing heard and answered in her behalf, the faithful cries of 
 His people for temperate leaders. 
 
 The Gillfield Baptist Church has the fame amongst 
 churches of to-day of having had always for her pastor and 
 deacons, representative Christian men, Men who loved and 
 feared God, and who adhered to the teachings of Christ 
 through the power of the Holy Spirit, and were therefore 
 "Sober and vigilant," "Temperate in all things." 
 
 Temperate leaders effect those who follow, and as a re- 
 sult, we have a Temperance Band of organized believers 
 in this centennial gathering to-day of the Gillfield Baptist 
 Church. 
 
 In this audience are many who remember well, how, after a 
 period of storm and seeming destruction, this faithful tem- 
 perance band united in prayer to God for a captain and a 
 leader. And we remember, that in answer to these prayers 
 came the late Bev. Henry Williams, Jr., a temperance man 
 indeed, and in all things sacredly temperate. 
 
 We remember how often he besought the church to be 
 sober, to be vigilant, and to abide in the ship of God's 
 commands as given in His Holy Word. And we remem- 
 ber, how, through severe storms of ridiculous criticisms, 
 he guided this church of God safely, and every time an- 
 chored her into a haven of peace, sweet peace; although 
 his right hand supporters at unguarded moments would 
 weaken; almost leave their posts of duty when raging 
 storms of intemperate workers tossed the old ship hither 
 and thither, and the bosom of evil sentiment seemed to 
 swallow her crew, he, the brave captain, the man of God, 
 the answer to prayer, temperate leader, clung to his post 
 and unswervingly labored till, after the storms of many 
 seasons, God, who gave him to us, bade him look back 
 
42 
 
 and view a well spent life of many eventful years and suc- 
 cessful vogag-es amid dangerous storms, and, like one that 
 wraps the drapery of his couch about him, after the toils 
 of life he lies at rest in the haven of eternal peace. 
 
 He, like all good and temperate men, left "footprints on 
 the sands of time" that cannot be observed through memo- 
 ry by those who knew him, without ad vocating in the pro- 
 gress of Gillfield Baptist Church, of which he was for 35 
 years pastor, the strictest adherance to the temperance 
 cause, as being the most substantial of all pure character- 
 ized elements to purify and help to keep pure the church 
 of Christ. Being a temperate man, he was ever able to 
 hold right as his guiding star, and kept victoriously on- 
 ward, advising the church as Paul did Titus, to "Speak 
 the things which become sound doctrine: That the aged 
 men be sober, grave, temperate, sound in faith, in charity, 
 in patience. 
 
 The church failed not to accept his ad vice, and having been 
 actuated by the force of his Christian life when his place 
 in this busy world and in this dear old church was vacant, 
 those sarviviog him, possessed of his disposition to call 
 upon God in time of trouble and of need, prayed for a 
 worthy man to become his successor. In answer to prayer, 
 we have occupying his place a man of God, very active in 
 the cause of Christ and glorifying in temperance work, the 
 Bev. G. B. Howard, whose every movement manifests 
 honor to his predecessor and praise to God for the privi- 
 lege of the sacred position. For nearly three years Rev. 
 Howard has been the beloved pastor of the Gillfield Bap- 
 tist Church, and in this time he has left no stone unturned 
 toward promoting the progress of the people in every 
 respect. 
 
 The real meaning of temperance is being developed 
 more and more practically under the teaching of Bev. 
 Howard, and in the near future we may realize that Tem- 
 perance Societies are not a farce, but are real means of 
 rescuing both bodies and souls of men. 
 
 Through ignogrance the word temperance is often mis- 
 understood, hence misapplied. 
 
43 
 
 For many confine the work of a temperance band to total 
 obstinence from the use of intoxicating liquors, but in the 
 sense of the Scriptures, it means a great deal more. This 
 fact is well proven by the successful work of the Gillfield 
 Baptist Church. 
 
 Many a time her total abstainers, called sober men, have 
 done more toward stranding the church by intemperate 
 dispositions, than a drunkard could, being outside of its 
 fold. It ever has been a safeguard to the flock of this dear 
 old church to exercise true temperance, and thus control 
 each storm. 
 
 We do not under any consideration advocate, nor mean 
 to encourage the use of intoxicating liquors as a beverage; 
 not at all; but we would convey to the minds of our hearers, 
 that there are many intemperate usages that lead to dis- 
 asters equally as damnable as that of drinking intoxicants. 
 
 For instance, in the church, what is a greater hindrance 
 to the cause of Christ and the progress of the church, than 
 a self-conceited and obstinate member ? One whose in- 
 temperate will cannot be controlled because he is drunken 
 in his own conceit. 
 
 Is it possible to thrive under the administration of such 
 a one, or can peace be obtained where such a one rules, 
 any more readily than it might were an inebriate adminis- 
 trating ? Certainly not. How many a church has been 
 divided because of the activity of this kind of leadership, 
 and how many souls lost because of such disasters that 
 have been discovered by the true temperance work of this 
 church, and shunned, is indeed very wonderful, and to-day 
 speaks in thunder-like tones in behalf of the true temper- 
 ance cause that is still gaining prestige in the Gillfield 
 Baptist Church, under the administration of its honorable 
 and efficient pastor. Rev. G. B. Howard, D. D., and his 
 faithful and trusty armor-bearers, all temperate men of 
 Bible teaching. 
 
 It is hoped that on this centennial occasion, everyone 
 present will unite with the Gillfield Baptist Church in the 
 principle of temperance work. Let all who indulge in the 
 use of intoxicants abstain from doing so. 
 
44 
 
 Let the obstinate brothers and gossipping* sisters who 
 "do not drink intoxicating liquors," but indulge in habits of 
 linger long at fuss making and peace breaking, refrain 
 from so doing, and thus help to advance the cause of Christ 
 and His church on earth, that together all may reunite 
 with the temperate pastors and leaders of this dear old 
 church of God, in the sweet bye and bye, where parting 
 will be no more and the hallelujah benediction be ours 
 eternally. 
 
PAPER. 
 
 BY JAMES M. WILKERSON. 
 
 To-Dight this grand old church celebrates the one hun- 
 dredth anniversary of her organization. Others have beauti- 
 fully described her contributions and views along many 
 other lines, spiritual, educational and financial, but it 
 is now my purpose to tell you of her status on missions. 
 
 This church has from her earliest conception been a 
 liberal donor to missions. There now exists within this 
 body five missionary societies, which contribute regularly 
 to home. State and foreign missions. 
 
 This church was very early impressed with the impor- 
 tance and necessity of mission work, and was among the 
 first colored churches in this section of the country to give 
 funds for that purpose, and for quite a number of years, 
 when there was no colored association or board through 
 which to transmit funds for this purpose, they were sent 
 through a white board. 
 
 We are unable to give to you an approximate amount of 
 her contributions during these many years, but sufiice it to 
 say, that the Home, State and Foreign Mission Boards 
 will attest many thousands of dollars, and they regard her 
 as being one of its most reliable tributaries. 
 
 In addition to her regular contributions to the different 
 boards with which she is connected, whenever a special 
 appeal has been made to the various churches of this 
 country for funds with which to foster the missionary cause, 
 this church most cheerfully and liberally responded. 
 
 The importance of this work, we fear, in a great many 
 churches, is underestimated and oftimes overshadowed. 
 
 This may not be altogether intentional on the part of 
 churches thus guilty, but whether the standard set be good 
 or bad, its influence extends to others. Thus we see the 
 uecessity of aoosi(^ering well our positiou along any line, 
 
46 
 
 The true and lofty mission of the church is the spread- 
 ing- of the gospel of Christ and the saving- of souls, but 
 this work is often hindered or overshadowed by many 
 churches in their attempts to build costly houses of wor- 
 ship and to furnish them in a similar manner, ornament- 
 ing them with costly and useless spires and towers point- 
 ing heavenward, the cost of which would support many 
 missionaries in various fields of labor. 
 
 Now, don't understand that I do not think we should 
 have a decent and comfortable place of worship; God for- 
 bid that I should; but are we not sometimes unnecessarily 
 extravagant in the manner of building- according to our 
 circumstances, when we load ourselves with a heavy bur- 
 den that constantly stares us in the face and serves as an 
 incubus to keep us from doing- the true work given us by 
 our Father which is in Heaven, and which has been so 
 simply and beautifully exempliedby his Son Jesus Christ? 
 
 Do we not notice that sometimes within the sig-ht and 
 very shadows of these great, unnecessary and costly struc- 
 tures, with their domes and spires pointing heavenward, 
 many a poor mortal lives who knows next to nothing of 
 Christ the Saviour; many who do not get their daily bread 
 and know not how to pray for it. Many a poor widow 
 with pale and blanched cheeks, works far into the night 
 to keep the wolf from the door; many a little wanderer, 
 who roams on cold, drizzling, dreary days in search of food, 
 (for they are oftimes waifs of the drunkard's sad home) and 
 lastly, many an orphan, homeless and penniless, who once 
 had saintly parents, but on account of lack of care and 
 Christian influences, are now drifting into haunts of sin 
 and vice which will shape their character and lives and, 
 alas, wind up with a criminal's destiny. 
 
 While some of our churches have done a great deal to 
 alleviate this condition of affairs among our people, others 
 seem to have been blind to it and others have been hin- 
 dered for reasons stated before, but we must be alive to 
 the fact that it is not only our duty to build churches for 
 our individual comfort, but to give most largely of our 
 means to spread the gospel and to save our fellow man 
 who is daily groping in sin and ignorance. 
 
47 
 
 As a race, do we realize that the sin, popular, and most 
 flaunted in our faces by our white brother in newspapers, 
 that is the awful crime of rape, can be obliterated by a 
 Christian education, given to those guilty of such and those 
 with any tendency towards such. We are pleased to note 
 that the most conservative leaders of our race and the 
 white race, and the clergy, white and black, of this country, 
 are all of the opinion that a Christian as well as an educa- 
 tional training among our people will do much towards 
 changing this condition of aff'airs. Thus, we see, that if 
 a Christian training will root out many of the black things 
 with which we are tainted, and will raise us to a higher 
 plane of civilization, we will also see that it is our duty to 
 give more largely to the missionary cause, that we may 
 spread the gospel to our more unfortunate brothers, who 
 grope in darkness and are possessed of these brutish ten- 
 dencies, that they may have their better natures awakened, 
 which can only be done by a thorough Christian and educa- 
 tional training. 
 
 It is difficult to discover the basis of morality in a stock 
 farm. We need to convince men that the story of the 
 gospel is true; that death does not close the book to us and 
 ours, and then you convince them that life has its greatest 
 values in the newer stage of development into which they 
 are going. 
 
 Then they have something definite to think abont; some 
 hope worth acting upon and some motive that will lead to 
 sacrifice. Then we will see that our gifts were not in vain 
 and that the gospel of Jesus Christ is the only means to be 
 employed to lift man to ideal manhood, that he may glorify 
 his Maker which is in Heaven. 
 
PAPER 
 
 BY WM. H. JOHNSON. 
 
 The Gillfield Baptist Church on Economics and Home Purity. 
 
 The history of the races of the earth will show that when- 
 ever and wherever any race has been prominent in the 
 world's uplift and progress, and wherever any race has at- 
 tained to prominence upon the platform of the arena of 
 success; that wherever any race has demonstrated its fitness 
 to be styled great, it has been from the effects of certain 
 underlying principles which has been predominant. 
 
 The study of nations will prove that the cause of any 
 nation's greatness; the cause of any nation's instrumentality 
 in the elevation of creation, has been the exhibition of cer- 
 tain qualities, the inevitable result of the practice of such 
 qualities being progress and general success. 
 
 What has been true of races and nations is true of coun- 
 tries, states, cities, communities, churches and families. 
 Churches, communities, etc., are simply aggregations of 
 families. As are the individual families so are the bodies 
 which are composed of them. 
 
 The two most vital factors in the list of virtues which 
 should be taught and practiced in order to establish a home 
 are Economics and Home Parity. If these two virtues are 
 known in the individual home, they will be manifest in the 
 aggregation. With this knowledge it seems to us to be the 
 paramount duty of the churches of God, the evangelizing 
 power of the world, if they would desire stability of gov- 
 ernment to seek to indoctrinate each family within the bor- 
 ders of each churches influence into the true conceptiou of 
 the proper mode oi living. 
 
49 
 
 ECONOMICS. 
 
 Economics is the science of household affairs or of do- 
 mestic and internal arrangement; the science of the utilities 
 or useful application of wealth or material resources. In 
 seeking to implant her impress firmly upon the populace of 
 this city and state; in having a desire to occupy with credit 
 the place allotted to her in the galaxy of churches and in 
 striving to be rendered worthy of the plaudit of the Master 
 and of the everlasting gratitude of man, the Gillfield Bap- 
 tist Church has, from her beginning, been known for her 
 regard for the practice of this element. She has always 
 held and taught that man should make due and diligent 
 preparation for his health by the proper observation of the 
 laws governing food supply, giving to the digestive organs 
 such food as will give him a sound body in which to encase 
 a sound mind. It is regarded as criminal to neglect the 
 laws of health and economy by filling the body with un- 
 sound food because it is of small price, or with light, trashy 
 food because it appeals temptingly to the palate. The po- 
 sition of this church in this matter has had its influence 
 for good upon those of the community that come in contact 
 with her. 
 
 DRESS. 
 
 In the matter of dress, she advocates taste in preparation, 
 economy in purchase, decency in attire and good quality of 
 material. There is no one thing in the line of economics 
 which has had more attention, and which has been more 
 decidedly impresed upon the community by this church, 
 through the efforts of the late lamented Dr. Henry Williams 
 than the matter of correct, economical attire. A glance at 
 the congregation of this church will bear testimony to this 
 truth. 
 
 EDUCATION. 
 
 The number of persons, attendants upon the worship of 
 this church, who read and write; the large number of her 
 members who have graduated from high schools, normal 
 schools and institutes; the great host who have held and 
 
50 
 
 do now hold positions as instructors in the public schools of 
 this city and of the surrounding counties; (and be it said 
 to her credit, that of the 43 regular teachers which have 
 been employed in the public schools of this city, to our 
 knowledge 31 were members of this church, and of the total 
 number of graduates, the overwhelming majority were and 
 are a part and parcel of this body,) the proportion of her 
 members who have held positions of trust, honor and emolu- 
 ment in the legislative halls of the state, in military life, 
 in civil government positions, postal service, revenue de- 
 partment, etc., evinces the fact that this old church fosters 
 education, and that her influence is felt and honored. Be 
 it remembered, however, that this does not take into account 
 the amount of money raised and donated for educational 
 purposes, which is very great. 
 
 TEADES. 
 
 In the line of education comes the trades, etc. They are 
 the manual part of man's education with the intellectual 
 combined. It is interesting to note that the trades are very 
 generally represented among the patrons of this church. 
 Trades play a very conspicuous part in the solidity of a com- 
 munity. This zion has accredited to her through her in- 
 fluence the most successful contractors in brick masonry, 
 plastering and wall decorating; with many others of less 
 prominence, but successful withal. Carpenters and mas- 
 ter builders, professional painters, artistic shoemakers, 
 coopers, etc., are prominent in the make up of Gillfield Bap- 
 tist Church and congregation generally, a lasting tribute to 
 her zeal for the elevation of man. 
 
 PROPERTY. 
 
 As to accumulation of property, of wealth, she stands 
 out uniquely as a very potent factor in commending our race 
 to the favorable consideration of all people; in the building 
 up and sustaining of the city, and in sharing her burdens. 
 She encourages the idea of getting something of one's own 
 and keeping it. It is a characteristic of her's to make her- 
 self felt, through her patrons, as an indispensable adjunct 
 
51 
 
 to her community's welfare. As illustrating the efforts of 
 herself to have our people pay heed to the property side of 
 life, it may be noted with pleasure that, basing our calcu- 
 lation upon the conservative estimate of a membership of 
 2200, and allowing an average of five to a family, there 
 would be 440 families as members of the church, and of this 
 number 275 families own homes and in a great number of 
 cases the}^ have considerable real estate which is rented or 
 attended as farms. Of course it is in reason to say that 
 numerous families outside of the pale of the church have 
 homes as a result of the iniiuence brought to bear upon 
 them by this church. It may be also noted that the lead- 
 ing man of color in the department of the city's business 
 make-up is an undertaker, one of Gillfield's sons; that the 
 three most successful merchants, with many others of prom, 
 ising worth, belong to her; that the majority of the rolling 
 stock with teams that is owned by our people in this city is 
 the property of members of this church. Of her, in her 
 congregation and outside, on account of her influence, are 
 men in all lines of business, of material prosperity, and 
 this applies as well to women in their sphere of activity 
 and business life, Need we say more to convince you that 
 this church of one hundred years has encouraged and en- 
 deavored to keep alive that which tends to make a com- 
 munity, a state stable ? that she has taken a position for 
 the useful application of wealth and material resources 
 which is to be commended and in which she is to be con- 
 gratulated . 
 
 FRIENDLY INTERCOURSE . 
 
 The declared purpose of this body has been and is to 
 seek to have our people cultivate friendly relations rather 
 than antagonistic with other races. Her idea is to ''show 
 thyself a man." Our people are counselled to exhibit the 
 characteristices of true men and women, respectfully de- 
 manding the rights of such. They are urged to give hon- 
 est labor for its equivalent in money, and to demand pay- 
 ment commensurate with class of work done. They are 
 taught to heal rather than widen breaches of kindly rela- 
 
52 
 
 tionship. In fact this church insists in our endeavoring to 
 make ourselves known by the exhibition of those qualities 
 which build up, solidify and unify a people, a state or what 
 not. 
 
 HOME PURITY. 
 
 The betterment of the nation must be by the betterment 
 of the home. Home purity is the foundation stone, the 
 basic principle of all national greatness and glory. We 
 mean by home purity, that characteristic or those charac- 
 teristics practiced and enforced around the fireside, which 
 make home, the family, pure and noble and which exerts a 
 restraining influence upon those with whom the individual 
 family comes in contact. It has been and is ever a delight- 
 ful duty and privilege of this church of a century's growth 
 to inculcate and encourage this vital principle within her- 
 self and within the community. She is of opinion that to 
 build firmly, the foundation must be strong. To this end 
 she insists that the head should be sound; that the vow 
 taken at the sacred altar by the masculine party to the 
 contract should be kept inviolable. Without this a disor- 
 dered household effects the community and there is aputried 
 speck in the bulk of households which, unless eliminated, 
 will cause confusion. 
 
 The Christian religion, morality, honesty, sobriety and 
 frugality are to her the foundation of one's edifice if his 
 structure is to stand. None the less does she advocate in 
 the female all those Christian graces which go to make up 
 a well rounded woman to the honor and glory of God. 
 
 Without them her life will not be of such character as 
 to make the home fit for the indwelling of the Master, 
 whose presence, though unseen, is necessary at all times to 
 peace, joy and comfort. Children should be trained in 
 the way that they should go, so that when they get old, 
 they may with entire confidence look to God for that sup- 
 port promised to those who serve Him. 
 
 The Gillfield Baptist Church realizes that the Creator 
 holds her responsible for her opportunities. She believes 
 that as God spoke to the seven individual churches of Asia 
 
53 
 
 through their pastors in days past, and held each indivi- 
 dual church responsible to Him alone for her actions, that 
 to-day he reckons with each church in her individuality. 
 As to those churches which had not exercised diligence in 
 giving to men the proper conception of his gospel, came 
 condemnation and trouble, and as to those which had en- 
 deavored to the best of their ability to keep their lamps 
 trimmed and burning, commendation of the Master and 
 success was their's, so will it be now and hereafter. May 
 it not be rightly supposed then, that in view of the fact 
 that from her organization, one-hundred years ago, this 
 wonderful church has been free from broils, factions, and 
 dismemberment, that God has been at the helm; that he 
 has led her on from victory to victory as a reward for her 
 diligence in promulgating and instilling the idea of purity 
 of life, consecration of heart to his service, and in pro- 
 pagating energetic business principles in men to the uplift 
 of man, his noblest handiwork ! 
 
 It was remarked on one occasion, "the reason that Gill- 
 field Church gets along so well with her pastors and has 
 no internal dissension is that she is deceitful. To say this 
 is to impeach God's honor; is to charge Him guilty of false- 
 hood. God is not the author or the promoter of deceit. 
 
 Where deceit reigns He is absent. Where iniquity 
 abounds. He has no dwelling place. Where the home life 
 is pure, where good morals abound, where manners are cor- 
 rect; where truth in its beauty, honor in its glory; virtue 
 in its radiance; sobriety in its winsomeness; temperance in 
 its manliness and Christianity in its purity are found, there 
 Jehovah himself is, and to bless. For this reason this 
 church strives and has always striven to throw broadcast 
 those underlying foundation stones, that men may gather 
 them, and build upon them structures which shall endure 
 and resist the storms and tempests on life's sea. 
 
 In her efforts to disseminate doctrines of puriety; in her 
 struggles to maintain the highest standard of morality and 
 Christianity; in her determination to teach and to be gov- 
 erned by the word of God, to keep his statutes inviolate, 
 
54 
 
 she has been censured, maligned, criticised with acriticisra 
 born of jealousy and envy, but through it all she has kept 
 on in the even tenor of her way, trusting to Jehovah for 
 vindication of her position, and the success with which 
 she has been favored attests the fact that the Lord has been 
 with her, and that he recognizes, encourages andjamply re- 
 wards a courageous heart, an invincible spirit for truth and 
 right, and a determination to handle his truths unflinch 
 ingly regardless of what man may say or the devil may do. 
 ^'If God be for us who can be against us." Purity is an 
 attribute of God himself, and when we teach men and women 
 to be pure, to be noble, to be holy, we lift up Christ before 
 them, and Christ says, "If I be lifted up, I will draw all 
 men unto me." We believe that to so teach is in keeping 
 with the command, to "teach all nations whatsoever I have 
 commanded you." If this done, says He, "Lo, lam with 
 you always, even unto the end of the world." What an 
 assurance ! What a consolation ! Let us not trust in chari- 
 ots or in horses; let us not confide in or depend upon man's 
 arm or knowledge, but let our faith in the Lord lead us, 
 this noble old centennarian church of God to begin this 
 second century with a renewed determination, in the 
 strength of the Almighty, to wage an aggressive, offensive 
 warfare against wantonness, carelessness, indifference, 
 laziness, wastefulness and impurity, and do battle for an 
 elevating, constructive and unimpeachable life among men 
 and women everywhere. While the world is seemingly in 
 creasing her pace in sin, let us, let this church, this, the 
 Gillfield Baptist Church of Petersburg, Va., of a century's 
 usefulness, "Take time to be holy," knowing that in due 
 time we shall reap if we faint not. 
 
The closing exercises of the centennial took place on 
 Sabbath evening October 11th 7:30. The exercises were 
 characterised by good order and decency through the en- 
 tire week, and success crowned the efforts of the grand 
 old church. Deacon Alexander Forbes moved, and the 
 motion was carried, that Brothers Thomas M. Griffin and 
 Frank Wilkerson be the delegates to represent the church 
 at her next centennial and that their sons Frank Wilker- 
 son, Jr., and Henry Williams Griffin be the alternates. 
 
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