Robert W. Woodruff Library EMORY UNIVERSITY Special Collections & Archives THE MONITOR OF Richland Creek Baptist Association WITH BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES OF THE Founders and Leaders ol that Organization. BY REV. JOHN SMITH GILMORE, OF COLUMBIA, TENN. NASHVILLE, TENN.: National Baptist Publishing Board. 1907. REV. JOHN SMITH GILMORE, Columbia, Tennessee. P.O. Box 211. Phone No. 125, Bell Long Distance. Com¬ piler of Minutes of Richland Creek Association, excepting 2 years, from 1872—1906, or Thirty-two Years. (3) CONTENTS. PAG" Preface 7 introduction • 9 The Organization "I° Departmental Work 23 Historical Opening Hymns 27 Historical Sketch—The Two Historical Old Churches.. 31 Biographical Sketches. Elder Abraham Coleman 43 Elder David Anderson 46 Elder David Crockett Coleman 49 Elder Burnett Houston 53 Elder David Meals 55 Rev. John Smith Gilmore 57 Elder Albert Honney 62 Elder Charles Miles 65 Elder Nelson Binford 68 Rev. Elijah Lincoln 70 Rev. James McDuff Skillern 72 Elder Henry Harrison Braden 76 Rev. James Monroe Moore 79 Rev. Frank J. Givens 81 Elder Richard Sanderson, D. D 83 Elder Lott Edmondson 89 Elder Transom Sidney Johnson 90 Elder James Monroe Wells 93 Elder Andrew Jackson Gilbert 96 Elder Jacob Crockett Coleman 98 Elder Armsted R. Johnson 100 (5) 6 CONTENTS. Elder Allen B. Baity 101 Elder T. T. Stone 103 Elder David Howard 105 Elder John Robert Milton 107 Elder John Wesley Henderson 109 Deacon Wilson S. Moore Ill Deacon J. M. Gentry 113 Deacon J. R. Brown 116 Deacon Isaac E. Edmonson 118 Deacon Henry N. Mitchell 121 James Brown 123 Deacon John Washington Gilbert 125 Lucius H. Gilmore 127 Theodore Braxton, M. D 130 Mrs. John S. Gilmore 133 Miss Lura B. Edmondson 135 Miss Viola Justice 137 Mrs. Mattie E. Harris 139 Ministerial Roster of the Association 141 Official Roll of the General Association 145 The Moderator's Annual Message to the Association in 1893 151 Presidents of the Sunday School Convention from 1881—1905 155 Officials of the Sunday School Convention under New Organization 159 An Obituary Report 161 Obituaries 165 Different Departments of the Association. Officers of Department and their terms 169 History of the Sunday School Convention 175 Woman's Missionary Aid Association 179 Supplementary 183 Chestnuts for Preachers 189 Blanks to be Copied when Needed 193 Widows and Orphans Fund 197 PREFACE. After much persuasion on the part of ministers and friends of Richland Creek Baptist Associa¬ tion, I write a history of the Association and pub¬ lish it in book form for distribution. I yielded to their seemingly earnest request, but not with¬ out a feeling of solicitude, for I fully realized the task before me. If my humble but serious effort in trying to give a faithful portrayal of the passing events which have had any connection with the history of the Association, meets with the approval of those whose lives have been made better by influences which have emanated from this great body of act¬ ive, energetic Christian workers, I will feel abundantly rewarded for having attempted and accomplished as best I could the task imposed upon me by the sovereign will of the Association in session assembled. Having been Moderator of the Association for thirty-one years and compiler of its minutes for thirty-two, it was but natural that I would feel a bit reluctant about having to tell the story of my own administration, covering such a long period of time. Some might think that would make (7) 8 monitor. me color the narrative to suit my own interest; tout let me say that I shall sink my individuality and write as faithfully as though I were writing the story of a mighty organization presided over by another. I hope that my finished task will justify in a measure your confidence that I would do the best I could in portraying the story of the Association. J. S. Gilmore. INTRODUCTION. We ask the reader to be considerate and not too technical as he or she peruses this historical sketch of the Richland Creek Association, remem¬ bering that at the time it was organized, and for a long time thereafter, no accurate, systematic method was observed for preserving facts and data to be used in writing a subsequent history of the organization. When the Richland Creek Association was or¬ ganized, our people were not far removed from the cruel slavery days. They had emerged from those awful times with no learning and with but little experience in religious organizations; they did what they could and in the best way and manner they knew. Forty yea^s ago there were no written histories of the colored Baptists, and the keeping of archives in which to store away all records of important events relative to the churches and the denomi¬ nation was an innovation, a precedent, owing to the fact that it was the beginning of a new order of things under the wholesome conditions of freedom. No orderly churches formed into an association for the transaction of business that would be mutually beneficial to all had ever (9) 10 MONITOR. formed a part of the religious life of our people- prior to their emancipation. For the two hundred and fifty years of our fa¬ thers' wanderings in the wilderness of slavery, there was no pillar of cloud by day nor pillar of fire by night, save in a spiritual sense, to guide their footsteps up to God. But in their passage across those dark and stormy years—years filled with sad and awful experiences, they were led by the never-failing star of hope—hope of the com¬ ing of a brighter day. They had, during their long period of servitude, manifested in their childlike simplicity a clinging faith in the ex¬ istence of a God and his goodness, and the ulti¬ mate salvation of their people through that good¬ ness. We have tried to make it clear that in prepar¬ ing this story many obstacles have been en¬ countered. Each church is an independent, sov¬ ereign body of baptized Christian believers; each association is made up of sovereign churches and each State Convention is made up of associations, and the great National Baptist Convention, the creature of the sovereign churches, with its clear¬ ly defined and delegated powers, is the legislative body of the denomination in a national sense. But before we reached our present efficiency in church affairs, far back in the dim years when we were thrown on our own resources, there were many things to try us and impede us and absorb our mind and prevent us collecting data for writ¬ ing history. MONITOR. 11 Forty years ago the noble, God-inspired men, without scarcely any learning, but with the ele¬ ments of leadership in them, resolved to do what they could for the uplift of their benighted peo¬ ple, and now, after that long lapse of time, we have attempted to tell from the material in hand the story as faithfully as we can, how well, the work begun by them has succeeded. The idea that the story of the Richland Creek Association should be written after it has been a shaping force among our people for forty years, and after so many of the old pioneers, who were active in making it a success, have passed to their reward, occurred to Elder James Monroe W. Moore, of Decatur, Ala., who must have been moved by the Spirit of God to offer a resolution to have it done. The resolution was introduced and adopted by the Association just a few days before the passing of the first moderator. This was fortunate, as it enabled the writer, who has compiled the minutes of the Association for thirty- two years and presided over its deliberations for thirty years, to know the task before him and begin at once to cull leaves from the memory of the thinking few of the old veterans that still remained. THE ORGANIZATION. > Elder Abraham Coleman, now of Athens, Ala., was in the latter years of slavery a member of Concord Baptist Church (white), of Lowndes County, Miss., where he had learned something by attending, as a servant, associations held by white people before the Civil War. Being eager, he absorbed what he saw, which stood him in good stead in after years. When emancipation came he procured his letter of dismission from the above-named church and came back to former old homes—Athens, Ala., and Bethel, Tenn.— where his parents, brothers and sisters still lived. At these places he organized churches, taking in all who had letters of dismission from white Bap¬ tist churches. Other churches organized in Tennessee were Antioch, of Prospect; First Baptist, of Bethel; Union Hill, of Elkton; and those in Alabama were McGee Springs or New Zion, of Belle Mina; Pis- gah; Little Ezekiel or Poplar Creek. These latter three, after their organization, had ordained eld¬ ers as pastors. A union meeting was called for the first Sun¬ day in July, 1867, to be held at Antioch Baptist Church, Prospect, Tenn., for the purpose of the (13) 14 monitor. pastors and deacons effecting an association to the best of their ability. They organized, not know¬ ing what great and grand good would come from their weak and feeble beginning. They built bet¬ ter than they knew. The names of the charter members of the Asso¬ ciation were as follows: Elder Abraham Coleman and his brother, Elder David Coleman, of Bethel. Tenn.; the late Elder Calvin Sloss and the late Rev. Albert Honney, of Prospect, Tenn.; Elder Burnett Houston, Reuben Malone, the late Benjamin Pryor, of Athens, Ala.; Rev. Thomas Jefferson Lee, now of Good Spring, Tenn.; the late Samuel Coleman, father of Abraham Coleman; Dublin Coleman, Jeremiah Felps, of Elkton, Tenn.; Deacons: the late Peter Coleman, the late Leroy Coleman, the late Edward Coleman, Jacob C. Coleman, the late Rodney Lane, Daniel Coleman, and Green Roberts. First Officers Elected. Elder Abraham Coleman, of Athens, Ala., Mod¬ erator; Elder Reuben Malone, Vice Moderator; Brother David Meals, Secretary; the late Deacon Edward Coleman, Treasurer. The sessions lasted Saturday and Sunday; it was a great meeting. For two days there were preaching and eating; for in those days it was customary to feast as well as transact business. Names of Associations. Though notwithstanding the fact that the meet¬ ing at which the Association was organized was monitor. 15 held but a few hundred feet north of where Elk River runs out of Giles County, Tenn., another association in Lincoln County took its name after that river, and Richland Creek Association, of which the writer is Moderator, took its name from Richland Creek, a stream which runs across the county of Giles, from north to south, and empties into Elk River about a quarter of a mile south of the church where the first great meeting con¬ vened. The same body was known as the United Asso¬ ciation of North Alabama and South Tennessee from 1885 to 1891. Reasons fob Naming Associations After Streams. The writer has been asked on more than one occasion, why Baptists always choose, as a rule, to call their associations by the name of some stream, viz.: Richland Creek, Duck River, Elk River, Cumberland River, Tennessee River, East Fork River, Red River, or Stone River Associa¬ tion. Baptists seldom name their associations after cities and never after men. There are three reasons for this: First, all cities, as well as men, are subject to failures, short duration, and dis¬ grace; second, Baptists adopt the fixed names of natural objects, such as creeks and rivers, rather than of objects liable to changes or removal; third, water is suggestive of baptism, the first important initiatory duty, ordinance for entrance into all true Baptist churches. In fact, the near¬ ness of a majority of Baptist churches to some 1G IvIoMTOR. well-known stream makes their location all the more easily to be found by those who wish to attend at such churches. The following geographical names are permis¬ sible: East, West, or South Tennessee Associa¬ tion; North Alabama Association; South Ken¬ tucky Association. Like the first ministers, the leaders of Rich¬ land Association all lived near Richland Creek, which rises a few miles east of Old Round Hill Church and flows into Elk River, about half of a mile to the southeast of Old Antioch Church of Prospect, Tenn., the church where the first organ¬ ization of the Association occurred. Objects and Purposes of the Organization. When we come to review the objects and pur¬ poses which underlie our organization, many things come up and demand a place in the narra¬ tion of our story. All those who were concerned about the welfare of the Baptist cause were de¬ sirous of seeing an association formed, though they had just been freed from the worst and most brutal slavery that had ever cursed the world; they had objects and purposes in wishing to see a united Baptist family of churches, how¬ ever incapable they were of expressing them¬ selves intelligently. The men who had the form¬ ing of an association in hand were untrained, uneducated men—men who, having no advantages- from Baptist usages, polity, or history, were bold enough to do what they could, leaving the results- MONITOR. 17 to God. Of the results as left with Him who guides the course of His children, every one knows. From that small beginning these many years ago the good which has come to our people has been immeasurably great. It was the acorn plant¬ ed by men who had no light by which their feet were guided; but many lived, however, to see it become the giant oak of theirs and others achieve¬ ments. With no white Baptist association near that would allow them to attend and watch their proceedings, all the more wonderful had been the results obtained. Big meetings were held once or twice every year, at which there were preach¬ ing, shouting, and "holy dancing;" this last was a peculiar movement of the feet and swaying, swinging motion of the body to the accompani¬ ment of the rhythmic intoning of the folk songs of our people, which had been the chief vehicles for the expression of their religious feelings and which they had brought down with them from antebellum days. These meetings of the early years of freedom often lasted for several days and were also characterized by feastings as well as praise and rejoicings. Money was collected, which was given freely, to pay the ministers who dispensed the spiritual Bread of Life to hungry souls. ' The first five years from the gates of slavery were given up to thanksgiving and praise to God for the blessings of liberty and manhood's rights. Our people were free and they celebrated their 18 MONITOR. new condition of life with a fervor of deep reli¬ gious zeal, which is conspicuous for its absence in these later and more fenlightened times. But the doings of our people in those initial years must not be despised; they must not be condemned; they should not be compared in a derogatory sense with the later achievements of our people; for they were the beginning, the step¬ ping stones to the nobler, grander things of now. These first few Christians who assembled at old Antioch were the nucleus around which were marshaled the Baptists of South Tennessee and North Alabama. From that little body of Bap¬ tists has come much. Our forty-two years of freedom have been filled with high endeavor and strenuous efforts; and what has been done speaks more eloquently than words. Common schools, high schools and academies, seminaries, colleges and universities are doing for us what they have done for other peoples; these agencies have been uplifting levers in our racial life; they have sharpened the mind of thousands of our young men and women who, in turn, have gone out among their people and whetted the minds of many other thousands, so the good work has gone on, until all the people have felt, in some measure, the benign influences which have gone out through the medium of these institu¬ tions. In great institutions of learning, such as Roger Williams University, the Baptists are well represented 'in higher fields of culture and science. In a remarkable degree we have kept pace with MONITOR. 19 the times; we have learned to think intelligently, plan intelligently, and work intelligently; we have among our people comfortable homes, elegant homes, and costly homes; we have an intelligent working ministry with an intelligent Christian constituency; we have able teachers, able leaders in every worthy walk of life; and last, but not least, we have an abiding faith in God. The writer feels that his enumeration of the great forces that have been at work among his people would be incomplete were he not to make a passing mention of the National Baptist Pub¬ lishing House at Nashville, Tenn. That great plant is a reality; it had its birth in the dying years of the past century and crossed the thresh¬ old of the twentieth century one of the greatest of moral agencies—a young giant, more wonder¬ ful than fabled Jupiter, and unlike him hurling thunderbolts of destruction, this young Titan is scattering religious truths to every part of the country, to Africa, and to the Isles of the Sea. The Publishing House is not a dream; it is an idea wrought out; yea, it is an inspired concep¬ tion—the grandest conception of the nineteenth century—and its realization is grander, if that be possible, than the conception, and is the admira¬ tion of all those who see it. The building of this lighthouse on the hill is the work of Rev. R. H. Boyd, D.D., who, seeing, so to speak, ever and anon, some vessel freighted with his brethren be¬ calmed on the sea of doubt or striking upon some hidden reef or rock contrary to Baptist doctrines 20 monitor. and practices, now keeps the lower lights burn¬ ing, as well as the upper, so that some poor faint¬ ing, struggling seaman may be rescued, may be saved. But underneath, as the basic foundation of all these blessings we have attempted to re¬ count, lie the religious training and Christian teaching of the early years of our emancipation. The refining influences of those early times reached us in our lowly estate. I want to ask the reader to refreshen his mind on the promises made to Abraham of old by reading Gen. 15: 1-18, and then he will understand how God used our Abraham Coleman, of Athens, Ala., during the summers of 1867 and '68. We must not forget this old father, but pray for the success of his labors. The Association Remodeled under Con¬ stitution. Owing to the inexperience of men who first directed the affairs of our churches and associa¬ tion, there were some essential things left out and some hurtful ones incorporated in their adminis¬ tration. Younger men were rising up whose ad¬ vantages fitted them intellectually better to as¬ sume control of affairs. The writer, though born in the home of a Methodist preacher, reared and given some educational advantages by a Methodist master, who was the leading steward of his conference, preferred to be a Baptist. And desiring to fit himself that he might do his life's work creditably and efficiently, he entered the MONITOR. 21 Baptist College at Nashville, Tenn., now known as Roger Williams University, where he diligently applied himself to acquisition of knowledge and the study of the needs and usages, doctrines and principles of Baptists. What has been accom¬ plished in his humble, but earnest way in his chosen field of labor justifies the wisdom of his course in those earlier years. He came from school to attend the annual session of the Asso¬ ciation, which convened at Old Round Hill Church in 1872, bringing with him a printed copy of laws and constitutional plans. It would be profit¬ able at this point for the reader to read Deut. 1: 5-8; 5: 5-12, which will describe the true leader and his qualifications. By a careful perusal of the above Scripture the reader will see that Moses was raised up to lead the children of Israel, God's chosen people, and whom He covenanted with Abraham should come from his seed as numerous as the sands of the sea and stars of heaven, to lead them out of the land of Egypt to the Prom¬ ised Land; so God gave the children of Elder Abraham Coleman a leader, and he who recounts this story was chosen as that leader at the Asso¬ ciation held at Pulaski, Tenn., in 1873. Since then, or for thirty-three years, there has been a steady, upward progress in the affairs of the Association,. DEPARTMENTAL WORK. Organized efforts are very successful in most cases, provided the right kind of force is behind them. The necessity for men, strong men—men with a capacity for work and an ambition to succeed—is ever essential for the success of any good and laudable cause. The writer, who is the present Moderator of the Association, has been, in his humble way, an untiring worker, trying to carry out the ob¬ jects and plans of the work; he has given both time and money for the furtherance of the wel¬ fare of the Association. It is known that he wrote the first Constitution and gave the Asso¬ ciation its first printed minutes, paying for the same out of his own pocket. Being a public school teacher at the time and getting a good salary, with a desire to see the Association a creditable factor among his people, made him both able and willing to do this. The first department organized by the Asso¬ ciation was the "Life Time Membership," which was sold to members in good standing with their home church at $1.25 each, with an annual assess¬ ment of twenty-five cents. This department was created at the session of (23) 24 MONITOR. 1875 and worked well for fourteen years. The ministers and members of the local churches bought "life memberships" rapidly and paid their twenty-five cents annual tax regularly; this built up a nice amount in the treasury, which was called the "Widows and Orphans' Fund." Under this department, after the death of a minister, his widow was allowed twenty-five dollars to de¬ fray the expenses of her and her family to the Association, where the funeral of her husband would be preached by the Moderator and some other brother. At the annual session at Columbia, Tenn., in 1889, there arose a dissension as to the legality of the franchise of this class of voters; the point being raised that without delegated powers from the local churches they had no legal standing in the Association as voters. The contention as to the illegality of such voters was sustained and the "life membership" feature of the Association was suspended. The Moderator recommended a Ministers' Re¬ lief Board, better known now as the Ministers' Pension Association, to take charge of the "wid¬ ows and orphans' fund." At the session of 1890 at Indian Creek, Bryer- son, Tenn., the Moderator organized the Home and Foreign Mission Board and the Sunday School and Training Board; at Old Round Hill, in the session of 1900, he organized the Sunday School Convention, the Women's Grand Association and Rally Day. MONITOR. 25 Just thirty-four years ago the author joined the Association at the session held at Old Round Hill in July, 1872. Having then just left the Baptist College (now Roger Williams Univer¬ sity), Nashville, Tenn., he was elected Secretary of the Association on account of his qualifications. He set to work at once and prepared the minutes and constitution for the press, and, as has been said, had them printed at his own expense, as the Association had not money nor did it have any plans for raising and bringing money to those annual meetings in those good old shouting days. A provision in the Constitution provided for levy¬ ing a tax on the local churches for the printing of minutes. Printed minutes in those times were a big thing with our people. Through the minutes they soon began to learn the needs of the Asso¬ ciation and appreciate the fact that it could not successfully carry on its legitimate work without money. All that was needed was to teach the people their duty to the Association, and they filed into line. The author has given thirty-four years of serv¬ ice to building up the interests of the Richland Creek Baptist Association. Between the two opening hymns sung by old Elder David Ander¬ son, of Nashville, Tenn., at Old Round Hill Church, in 1872, and the one sung by the author, the present Moderator, in the same old church at the opening of the session in September, 1905, has been just thirty-three years. HISTORICAL OPENING HYMNS. The first hymn the author heard the Moderator sing for the opening of the annual session of 1872. Sung to S. M. i. Soldiers of Christ arise And gird your armor on; Strong in the strength which God supplies, Through his Eternal Son. II. Strong in the Lord of Hosts And in his mighty power, The man who in the Saviour trusts, Is more than conqueror. III. Stand, then, in his great might; Wth all his strength endued, And take to arm you for the fight Tbe panoply of God. IV. That having all things done, And all your conflicts passed; You may overcome through Christ alone, And stand complete at last. V. From strength to strength go on, Wrestle, fight, and pray; (27) 28 MONITOR. Tread all the powers of darkness down, And win the well-fought day. VI. Still let the Spirit cry, In all his soldiers, Come, Till Christ the Lord descends from high Aj>d takes the conquerors home. And at Kound Hill at the session of 1905 the author, thirty years Moderator, after having marched to the bugle call heard in the former hymn for thirty-three years, sang for the open¬ ing: HOLY MANNA. I. Brethren, we have met to worship And adore the Lord our God. Will you pray with all your power, While we try to preach the Word? Chorus. All is vain unless the Spirit Of the Holy One comes down; Brethren, pray, and holy manna Will be showered all around. II. Brethren, see poor sinners round you Slubbering on the brink of woe; Death is coming, hell is moving, Oh, can you bear to let them go? Chorus. III. Sisters, will you join and help us, While we struggle hard with sin? MONITOR. 29 Will you tell to trembling mourners, Jesus waits to welcome them? Chorus. IV. Let us love our God supremely; Let us love each other too; Let us love and pray for sinners, Till our God makes all things new. Chorus. "Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law." In the course of time it was found nec¬ essary to divide the work of missions into several different departments, as boards and associations, known as Local Missionary Societies and Willing Workers of Church and Sunday School, Home and Foreign Mission Boards, Educational Boards, Ministers' Relief Board, Women's Associations and the Sunday School Convention. These insti¬ tutions of the Association have their specific mis¬ sions, and quarterly sessions are to be held for the transaction of business, the reporting of moneys collected on the field and from local churches and the general work accomplished. An itemized report from these auxiliaries must be made-annually to the General Association. The success of the Association is largely dependent upon the success of these several departments, both financially and otherwise. Through the medium of these agencies and proportionate to the activity taken by the ministers to make them helpful, they have been trained and educated in 30 MONITOR. a practical way in the affairs of Baptist church¬ es; even women and children have rejoiced be¬ cause they have been called upon to help carry on the good work of mission. This fine system of work has suspended and made useless the Executive Board, which always found something to meet for, but seldom ever finished anything; it did but little that was commendable. It is a pleasure to state that everybody is at work; that there are not enough of us at play to raise a first-class fuss in the Association, as we used to do every time we met. From 1875 to 1886 there was a Life-Time Membership Department, of which we shall speak later on. HISTORICAL SKETCH, The Two Historical Old Churches* The Antioch Baptist Church, of Prospect, Term., by reason of the gathering of the brethren there in the summer of 1867, to organize the Richland Creek Missionary Baptist Association, which has made a very good history since then; this has made the name of Antioch very sacred, and in speaking of the progress of the Associa¬ tion causes all who knew of the birthplace to look back to Antioch as the Mother Church of the Association. The church was organized by Elder Abraham Coleman sometime before the summer of 1867. Since that time it has made rapid progress and has never held membership in any other associa¬ tion. It is now worshiping in the fourth struc¬ ture since organization, and the third struc¬ ture that has been built on its present location, This church has furnished some of the best work¬ ers of the Association, both men and women. Old Round Hill was organized about 1866 or 1867, east of Lynnville, Tenn., by Elder David Anderson, of Nashville, Tenn, He was elected Moderator for his last time in the year 1872, (31J 32 MONITOR. He was pastor of the church from its organiza¬ tion until February, 1873, and preached his last sermon there during the closing of the annual session of the Association in 1900. This was the second visit Father Anderson had made to the annual session since August, 1873, which con¬ vened at Pulaski, Tenn. It was at Old Round Hill the writer joined the Association, with Olvan Baptist Church of Buford, Tenn. In August, 1-872, the writer, then a teacher, was elected Sec¬ retary. In February, 1873, Elder Jno. S. Gilmore was called to the pastorate at Round Hill, and in June, the same year, baptized his first converts, thirty- one in number, and also married his first couple there. It is on Round Hill and Antioch we have to depend for a place to call the sessions of the General Association, when it has to be removed. The writer was chosen pastor at old Round Hill and served three different times—twelve years in all. At this place he reorganized the Sunday School Convention and the Women's Grand Asso¬ ciation under their present progressive plans. At the same time the four great mission boards were made the four grand rolling wheels of the Gen¬ eral Association, with headquarters at Columbia and Pulaski, Tenn., and Decatur, Ala., in the year 1901. At Round Hill in 1905, thirty-two years from the date of the first printed minutes, the writer monitor, 33 was elected to write the history of the Associa¬ tion. The old Round Hill Church is now worshiping in their third structure, and the second struc¬ ture, at its present location, having been bought and built by the writer. Round Hill, like Anti- och, has been true to her colors since the organ!-' zation, and has furnished her quota or pro rata of the best workers of the General Associations- and a greater number of ordained ministers thans any other church-^viz.: Elders Henry Harrison,. Braden, James, Monroe Wells and Th0ffi&s Marsh, deceased. The writer was ordained his home church, Pearl Street Baptist, of Nash¬ ville, Tenn., in October, 1872. The Round Hill Church has history as sacred as life. God has wonderfully blessed both Round Hill and Antioch. Roll Call of Faithful Deacons, Who Worked in Building up the Association. The late Giles Crenshaw, John Wilson, Thomas David, and Thomas Houston, of Athens, Ala. The late Richard Daugherty and Richmond^ Dickerson, of Lynnville, Tenn. The late Levi Coleman, Peter Coleman, Kary Nelson, and Daniel Coleman, of Bethel, Tenn. The late James Suttles and Nelson Beasley, of- Buford, Tenn. The late John Carden, Jefferson Woodruff, Jacob Coleman, Sr., and Calvin Vance, of Pulaski, Tenn, 84 monitor. Jackson Dunn and Elmore Coleman, of Pros¬ pect, Tenn. William, Spencer, and the late Peter Howard, of Bodenham, Tenn. The late Aaron Ellerson, Robert Gresham, Sam¬ uel Lipscomb, A. G. Shaw and Elbert Collins, of Columbia, Tenn. J. J. Woodruff, Alonzo Foulson, of Lesters. Tenn. Charles Brown, C. P. Crawford, James Row¬ land, J. M. Gentry, Matt Rivers, Aaron Hender¬ son, Thomas Lancaster, Henry Spraggins, John W. Gilbert, the late William Anderson, Lanton Buford and Harris Buford, of Pulaski, Tenn. The late Alonzo Pullam and Philip Rhodes, of Wales, Tenn. James Brown and Peter Meals, of Veto, Tenn. Isaac E. Edmondson, Albert Foster, W. S. Moore and M. W. Jones, of Glendale, Tenn. Good Workers and Active Deacons Now. Daniel Coleman, Washington Young, Good Springs, Tenn. Simon Thompson, Moses Hagar, Decatur, Ala. Austin Buford, John Cartham, L. B. White, of Buford, Tenn. Richard and Spencer Howard and William Howard, of Bodenham, Tenn. J. J. Woodruff, of Lesters, Tenn. MONITOR. 35 David K. Appleton, Ephraim Coffman, of Bethel, Tenn. Wilson Moore, Walter M. Jones, B. F. Annis, of Glendale, Tenn. H. N. Mitchell, John Braden, G. Freenie and Peter Jones, of Lynville, Tenn. Deacons Black, Carden, Jenkins, and Dunn, of Prospect, Tenn. James Salone, Charles Lewis, George Webb and Nick Thath, of Athens, Ala. Henry Allen, of Pisgah Church, Athens, Ala., is a deacon after the old type. Elijah Phillips, George Smith, of Wales, Tenn. John Dailey, J. M. Gentry, Jackson Patten, George W. Wade, Matt Rivers, James Pryor, John W. Gilbert, Matt Skillern, Horris Buford, of Pulaski, Tenn. Moses Shortt, James Walace, of Fountain Creek, Tenn. Samuel Mayberry, John Harris, and John Rob- erson, of Culleoka, Tenn. Persia Shortt, Duncan Cooper and W. M. Ed¬ monson, of Columbia, Tenn. James R. Brown, of Veto, Ala. Thomas J. Hester, W. A. Peppers, of Aspin Hill, Tenn. Gabriel Townsend, Gill Brothers, of Elkmont, Ala. Lee Williams, of Mt. Pleasant, Tenn. Kitt Binford, of West Athens, Ala. There are several other good deacons, pastors. 36 monitor. and friends, but the pastors have failed to send in their names. A Few Names of Our Oldest Licensed Preachers. James Everly, Calvin White, of Buford, Tenn. Thomas J. Mitchell, Charles Brown, of Pulaski, Tenn. Joseph Reynolds, Scott Reece, of Good Springs. Tenn. Gabriel G. Townsend, William Gill, John Holt, of Elkmont, Ala. Albert Morris, John Bell, of Pulaski, Tenn. M. T. Sherrill, James Brown, Thomas Carden, of Prospect, Tenn. Webster Drane, Allen Daugherty, of Lynnville, Tenn. Our New Licensed Preachers. Lucian Rogers, W. H. Moore, of Roland, Ala. L. P. Quinn, Athens, Ala. Spott Elerson, of Pettesville, Ala. Henry Hosendove, of Mt. Pleasant, Tenn. Jerome M. Gentry, of Pulaski, Tenn. The General Church Roll Call. Antioch Church, Prospect, Tenn., 1867. Bethel Church, Bethel, Tenn., 1867. Mt. Pisgah Church, West Athens, Ala., 1867. The above named are three of the chartered churches. Antoinette Hill Church, West Pulaski, Tenn. MONITOR. 37 First Baptist or Old Round Hill Church, east of Lynnville, Tenn. Mt. Joy or Mt. Calvary Baptist Church, Pulaski, Tenn. Chest Grove Baptist Church, Bodenham, Tenn. The above four churches are among the first to join in with the Richland Creek Association, and neither of the above seven churches has ever held membership in any other association. First Baptist Church, Athens, Ala., brought in by Gilmore. First Baptist Church, Buford, Tenn., brought in by Gilmore. First Baptist Church, Glendale, Tenn., brought in by Gilmore and Miller. Third Baptist Church, Columbia, Tenn., brought in by Gilmore. First Baptist Church, Fountain Creek, Tenn., brought in by H. H. Braden. First Baptist Church, Culleoka, Tenn., brought in by M. C. Skillern. First Baptist Church, Mt. Pleasant, Tenn., brought in by J. R. Milton. First Baptist Church, Pulaski, Tenn., brought in by the late D. C. Coleman. First Baptist Church, Elkmont, Ala., brought in by W. K. Knox. Second Baptist Church, Pulaski, Tenn., brought in by M. C. Skillern. Beach Grove Baptist Church, State Line, Tenn.. brought in by Charles Miles (the old general). 38 MONITOR. Ebenezer Baptist Church, Good Springs, Tenn., brought in by . Lewis Chapel Baptist Church, Tarpley, Tenn., brought in by D. C. Coleman. New Providence Baptist Church, North Pulaski, Tenn., brought in by M. C. Skillern. New Salem Baptist Church, State Line, Ala., brought in by Charles Miles. Oak Grove Baptist Church, Good Springs, Tenn., brought in by T. J. Lee. St. Luke Baptist Church, Lesters, Tenn., brought in by A. Coleman. St. John Baptist Church, Rowland, Ala., brought in by B. Houston. St. Paul Baptist Church, Wales, Tenn., brought in by M. C. Skillern. Shiloh or Second Baptist Church, Decatur, Ala., brought in by E. J. Lincoln. The above named twenty churches have held membership in the Association since the organiza¬ tion in 1867. The following named churches have held mem¬ bership in the Richland Creek Association at some date, but are not members now: Mt. Lebanon Baptist Church, of Columbia, Tenn., brought in by Gilmore. Mt. Stigall Baptist Church, of Lewisburg, Tenn., brought in by D. C. Coleman. Mt. Rosal Baptist Church, Mt. Rosal, Ala., brought in by Dubb Coleman. Poplar Creek Baptist Church, West Athens, Ala., brought in by Dubb Coleman. MONITOR. 39 Little Zion Baptist Church, Pulaski, Tenn., brought in by Dubb Coleman. Union Hill Baptist Church, Elkton, Tenn., brought in by A. Coleman. New Zion Baptist Church, Belmina, Ala., brought in by A. Coleman. ' Mud Creek Baptist Church, Harris Station, Ala., brought in by A. Coleman. St. Matthew's Baptist Church, West Athens, Ala., brought in by A. Coleman. St. Mark Baptist Church, Harris Station, Ala., brought in by A. Coleman. Little Ezekiel Baptist Church, O'Neal, Ala., brought in by R. Malone. Mt. Nebo Baptist Church, Gilbertsboro, Ala., brought in by R. Malone. New Berea Baptist Church, O'Neal, Ala., brought in by R. Malone. Red Banks Baptist Church, Gouardsville, Ala., brought in by R. Malone. Center Point Baptist Church, Elkton, Tenn., brought in by J. Felps. Reuben Chapel Baptist Church, of Coldwater, Tenn., or Blanche, brought in by J. Felps. New Zion Baptist Church, Blanche, Tenn., brought in by J. Felps. Indian Creek Baptist Church, Bryson, Tenn., brought in by J. Felps. New Zion or Third Baptist Church, Pulaski, Tenn., brought in by Ff J, Qivens, 40 monitor. Macksburg Baptist Church, Bryson, Tenn., brought in by Wm. Jones. First Baptist Church, Elm Springs, Tenn., brought in by Wm. Jones. West Cedar Street Baptist Church, Nashville, Tenn., brought in by S. W. Duncan. A List of the Few Little Churches That Died. First Baptist Church of Tynnons Mill, Tenn., was organized by Theo. Wheeler, 1868. First Baptist Church, Pulaski, Tenn., was or¬ ganized by David Anderson, 1867. These were very small crowds with no church houses. First Baptist Church of Robersonfork, Buford, Tenn., was organized by William Roberts in 1868. This was a small country church with no house. Mt. Lillie Baptist Church of Pulaski, Tenn., was organized by Jackson Ballatine in 1888. This was a small crowd without a pastor. Mt. Hermon Baptist Church of Conisville, Tenn., was organized by Coleman and Braden in 1890. This was a small crowd that held services in the Methodist Church. Blue Creek Baptist Church of Brick Church, Tenn., was organized by James Wells in 1888. This was a small crowd with no place of worship. MONITOR. 41 Jackson Rise Baptist Church of Odd Fellows Hall, Term., was organized by D. C. Coleman. This was a very small crowd with no place of worship and very seldom a pastor to provide them with the spiritual food of life. BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. ELDER ABRAHAM COLEMAN. The above cut is a facsimile of old Elder Abra¬ ham Coleman, living a little west of Athens, Ala. He was born a slave, March 13, 1821, and was baptized at Concord Missionary Baptist Church (white) in Lowndes Co., Miss., near Co- (43) 44 MONITOR. lumbus, in 1834. He was ordained a minister of the gospel October, 1866, by an ordaining council composed of Elders N. G. Merry and Alexander Buchanan, of Nashville, Tenn.; and Bonaparte Frierson, of Shelbyville, Tenn. Elder Abraham Coleman is a self-made man. Through his own perseverance he acquired some education, and in his day became a great preach¬ er; and even now, though advanced in years, pos¬ sesses a remarkable degree of intelligence. He is respected and honored still as the venerable fa¬ ther of Richland Creek Association, for he it was who worked up the meeting at which it was or¬ ganized. He furnished most of the delegates that met at Antioch Baptist Church, Prospect, Tenn., in the summer of 1867. The following elders assisted him in effect¬ ing the organization: Reuben Malone, Burnett Houston, J. P. Felps, and the late Calvin Sloss, of Elkton, Tenn.; the deceased lived in Tennessee, but Elders Houston and Malone still live in Ala¬ bama. Elder Coleman has always been very popular with the ministers of the Association, owing to the fact that he was its founder and its first Moderator. Before being transferred to the Ala¬ bama Association, he held office and was of great assistance to the writer for years. He was the first Moderator in 1867; was vice under Elder Anderson from 1869-1873; vice under the writer 1875, 1878, and under Elder Honnie in 188$, MONITOR. 45 He was the Business Manager of the Ministers' Association in 1889; he also organized the follow¬ ing named Baptist Churches: Bethel of Bethel, Tenn.; Antioch of Prospect, Tenn.; Magaha Springs Church of Belle Mina, Ala.; Little Ezekiel of Athens, Ala.; Union Hill of Elkton, Tenn.; Pop¬ lar Creek and Pisgah of Alabama, west of Athens. The last two were represented in the organization. Since then Centre Point, Elkton, Tenn.; New Salem, State Line, Sugar and Mud Creeks, Nebearea and St, Luke, Athens, Ala.; St. Luke, Lester, Tenn. Elder Coleman has pastored the following churches: McGaha, Bethel, St. Luke, Athens; St. Luke, Lester, Sugar Creek, Mt. Olvan, Buford, Tenn.; Chestnut Grove and Union Hill. Elders ordained by Elder Coleman are as fol¬ lows: David C. Coleman, J. P. Felps, Reuben Malone, Calvin Sloss, Rhodney Lane, Alfred Nich¬ ols, T. J. Lee, and Albert Honnie. These are all dead, save three. God has blessed the work of Elder Abraham Coleman and blessed him in a material way, for he is living on his own farm with his best girl, the one with whom he solemnized his marriage 58 years ago and who has seen this old world make its 78th annual circuit of the sun. Now may the choicest blessings of heaven rest upon these two old soldiers of the Cross on earth and at last may they be reunited in Beulah on the sweet field of Eden, 46 MONITOR. ELDER DAVID ANDERSON. The late David Anderson, of Nashville, Tenn., was born long before the Civil War, in Cincin¬ nati, Ohio. He was a member of a white Bap¬ tist church, which licensed, and afterwards or¬ dained him to preach the Gospel. Elder Anderson moved to Nashville just before the war and worshiped at the old Pearl Street Colored Baptist Church and remained a member of that church until his death. Having a common school education, he was prepared to do good work among his people and as soon as freedom came he did it. He procured a commission to locate sites for church and school purposes in every dis¬ trict in Giles County, Tennessee, which were paid for by the County Court. This gave him a chance for missionary work and he availed himself of it, organizing Baptist churches which met every other Sunday in the schoolhouses; the alternate Sundays belonged to the Methodist. Elder Anderson's efforts were fruitful, result¬ ing in the organization of Old Round Hill Bap¬ tist Church of Lynnville, Tenn., Mt. Joy or Mt. Calvary of Pulaski, Tenn., Chestnut Grove of Bodenham, Tenn., and another little church or¬ ganized at Pulaski without any house of worship. The above named churches, under the leader¬ ship of Elder Anderson, elected a large number of delegates to meet with a similar delegation that had been chosen under the direction of Elder A. Coleman, who was working down in the Elk River MONITOR. 4? district. These two leading elders held a confer¬ ence and agreed to have but one association in the county. Uniting their forces they organized the Richland Creek Missionary Baptist Associa^ tion. Of course, Elder Anderson, being the best edu¬ cated minister of the body, was chosen Modera¬ tor, which position he held until the writer became his sucessor in August, 1873. Elder Anderson was a good preacher with a fine command of language, which he wove into logical discourses that were convincing and forceful. He pastored Old Round Hill, Antony Hill, First Bap¬ tist of Pulaski; Chestnut Grove, Mt. Joy and and Tinnon's Mill. The Pulaski and Tinnon's charges have long since gone out of existence. When Elder Anderson retired from active serv¬ ice, a few years after tfie writer succeeded him and went to Nashville, Tenn., to live. He was a very aged man. He worshiped at the Pearl and Spruce Streets Baptist churches until his death, which oc¬ curred in the fall of 1900, when the soul of him who had labored to save the souls of his fellow- men passed to the Great Association on high. MONITOR. LATE ELDER DAVID COLEMAN. MONITOR. 49 ELDER DAVID CROCKETT COLEMAN. The late David Crockett Coleman's birthday is not known. He was baptized when very young in the white Baptist church of Athens, Ala., from which he transferred his membership after the war to the Bethel Baptist Church in 1865, where he was licensed and ordained to preach the Gospel in 1866. He was one of the founders of the Rich¬ land Creek Association and was pastoring the church at Prospect, Giles. County, Tenn., where the organization of the association took place. He was elected an officer of it. When the General State Association, now the State Convention, met at Nashville, Tenn., in 1876, he was ordained. Although having had but little of the advan¬ tages of books until he moved to the town of Pu¬ laski, here he became the constant companion of the writer, using his books and gathering other information which would be useful in the prose¬ cution of his work. He had an aptitude for ab¬ sorbing facts and acquiring knowledge that marked him as an earnest man with a future; and he did become one of the best-known revi¬ valists of the state. Elder Coleman has held the following offices of the Association: Vice Moderator from its or¬ ganization to 1870; again from 1874-1877; same again for the year 1887; Treasurer in 1889. He was one of the greatest pastors in the Asso- 50 MONITOR, ciation, having seen to the spritual and material welfare of more churches at the same time and kept them in better shape than any other pastor of that body. He was known as the "true companion brother" of the writer from 1872-1881, when a dissension arose over Elder Coleman divorcing his first and marrying a second wife. The Association with¬ drew the hand of fellowship from him on account of this trouble for four years. Elder Coleman and five other brethren who followed him out attempt¬ ed to organize another association, but failing finally came back to former fellowship with their brethren. Of course, Elder Coleman found his work harder than before, but he was resolute and worked all the more determinedly, which in a few years caused his health to break down. Up to that time, though, he had baptized many a candidate, and also pastored the follow¬ ing named Baptist churches of the Association: Antioch, Prospect; Bethel, Bethel; Antonett Hill, Pulaski; Mt. Zion, Pulaski; St. Paul, Wales; Little Zion, Pulaski; Old Round Hill, Lynnville and Mt. Joy, Pulaski, Tennessee. This man of God was a great pastor; organized a number of churches; ordained a number of ministers and deacons; built a number of churches, building Mt. Zion twice, St. Paul, Anti¬ och and others. He was a hard worker all his life. The Baptist cause sustained a great loss by the death of Elder Coleman, who was called from MONITOR. 51 labor to reward in October, 1893. He died in the full triumph of living faith at Pulaski, Tenn., and was buried by the late Elder S. W. Duncan, of Nashville, and the writer. MONITOR. ELDER BURNETT*HOUSTON. MONITOR. 53 ELDER BURNETT HOUSTON. Elder Burnett Houston, of South Athens, Ala., was born of slave parents in the year 1825; became a Christian and was baptized at McGee or New Zion, Belle Mina, joined the Richland Creek Association at its organization in July, 1867, at Antioch, Prospect, Tenn., and has ever since faithfully sustained the most wholesome re¬ lations to it. He has no education, but can read some and is another old-time Gospel preacher. He was ordained to the ministry at Belle Mina Bap¬ tist Church by Elder Abraham Coleman, of Bethel, Tenn., in the spring of 1867. He has pastored New Zion, Belle Mina, and St. John Baptist, both of Alabama. Elder Houston has done very well under the sur¬ rounding circumstances, having bought land, built the churches named above, the St. John, Rowland, Ala., being dedicated by the writer in the year 1883. Elder Houston stands very high among the brethren of old Richland Creek Association. MONITOR, ELDER D-AVID MEALS. MONITOR. 57 BIOGRAPHY OF REV. J. S. GILMORE. The above cut is an excellent likeness of the author, Rev. John Smith Gilmore, known also as John Reynolds. He was born near Pulaski, Tenn., July 5, 1848; was a soldier in the United States Army from 1864 to 1866 being a member of Company H. 111th Regiment United States Vol¬ unteer Colored Infantry. It was learned that Mr. Gilmore was not old enough to become a soldier, so his captain enlisted him with his age advanced by two years on Jan¬ uary 10th and he was honorable discharged April 30, 1866, at Nashville, Tenn. The writer received a little learning while a slave from his old master along with the white children; in 1867 and 1868 he received some instructions from Prof. Reu¬ ben C. Clark and wife at Pulaski, Tenn.; in 1870, '71 and '72 he attended the Baptist College at Nashville, Tenn., now known as the Roger Wil¬ liams University, where he was converted to the Christian religion March 5, 1871, and baptized on the 16th of the same month by the late Rev. N. G. Merry, pastor then of the old Pearl Street Church, now known as the First or Spruce Street Baptist Church. Exactly two months after becom¬ ing a soldier of the Cross the young man was elect¬ ed a Bible teacher and licensed to preach the Gos¬ pel and was accordingly sent to Springhill, about fifty miles from Nashville, and South Kentucky to preach and teach in the public school that would open its first session May 29, 1871. 58 MONITOR. Ordinations.—In 1872 the writer was per¬ suaded by some white friends, among whom was his former owner, to return to Giles County where they desired him to teach the public school for the large farms there. The school was opened in the spring of 1872 and in the summer a great revival was carried on, the fruit of which formed the great Mount Olvan Baptist Church of Buford, Tennessee. In July 1872, Rev. Gilmore was elect¬ ed delegate to the Richland Creek Missionary Baptist Association session at Old Round Hill Baptist Church of Lynnville, Tenn. He joined the Association, was elected cleric and proceeded at once to organize the work and lay plans for re¬ cording the minutes and succeeded in presenting to the Association the first printed copy of its minutes. He was accordingly elected with the late Rev. David Anderson, of Nashville, Tenn, who was Moderator of the Association, to repre¬ sent it in the State Association, which would meet that year with Mount Lebanon Baptist Church in South Columbia, Tenn. After preaching one ser¬ mon in August, 1872, at Columbia he was called home by his church in Nashville and ordained a minister of the gospel October 10,1872, by the late Rev. Nelson G. Merry, Pastor and Moderator, the late Revs. Alexander Buchanan, Jordan Brans- ford, Randall B. Vandeville and David Anderson, all living in Nashville, Tenn., the late Elder Daniel Jones of Clarksville, Tenn., and the late Elder Allen Cartwright of St. Louis, Mo. He was called to the pastorate of the Round MONITOR. 59 Hill Baptist Church, which he served for about twelve years. While there teaching and preach¬ ing he built up a large membership, bought land and built a large house of worship. The next annual session of the Association was held in Pu¬ laski, in 1873; it was held at Belleview in the Benevolent Hall, where Rev. Gilmore was chosen its Moderator as a compromise between two con¬ tending parties—Revs. Coleman and David An¬ derson. The Association, it must be remembered, like others in the state, was in its infancy. They had held five June meetings, as they called them, be¬ fore this session, and had decided on the present name. They had only a few churches with small memberships and no Sunday Schools. The min¬ isters and officers were without education, had no experience and were untrained in parliamentary usages; having just come from the dark days of slavery they were ignorant, depressed and very superstitious. This was the state of affairs that met the young Moderator. There was no old association, not even a white association, from which to copy, but, like Solomon, the young king of Israel when he felt the great burden of responsibility upon him to lead the Army of God, he was forced to ask the Lord for wisdom to guide him on the road to success where the rising Baptist generation could easily follow. It is now a comfort to all to know that the Lord has heard and answered the prayers of faithful servants which were offered for the 60 MONITOR. progress of this Association by the writer and others. Rev. Gilmore served as Moderator of this Asso¬ ciation for eleven successive years and resigned in the year of 1885. He was afterwards elected Treasurer and served in this capacity for three years, resigning this position in 1888. He was again elected Moderator, having been persuaded to serve by his brethren, and has the honor of presiding over a Baptist body longer than any man of the denomination in the State, col¬ ored or white, and perhaps in the United States. He has served thirty years and is still being elected annually without opposi¬ tion. He lives daily in the highest confidence of all the churches and has held the following offices in the body: President of the Sunday School Convention for three years, when he resigned in favor of others; Business Manager of the Home Mission and Building Board since its organization in Columbia in 1889, or sixteen years; Com¬ piler of the minutes of the Association for thirty- one years, and at the last annual session of the Association was elected Historian to compile this little book of footprints, etc. The writer has bought land and built the follow¬ ing houses of worship for the Association: Mount Olvan, of Buford, Tenn.; Old Round Hill, of Rob- erson Fork, Tenn.; Mount Lebanon, of Columbia, Tenn., which is of very costly brick; First Bap¬ tist, of Culleoka, Tenn., for the Home Mission Board; St. John, of Columbia, another of very MONITOR. 61 costly brick. He has paid off a $1,000.00 debt on St. Luke Baptist Church, of Athens, Alabama; fin¬ ished the inside work of Glendale Church: was pastor of Mt. Olvan Church for twelve years, Old Round Hill, twelve years; St. Luke of Athens, Ala., twelve years; Mt. Lebanon of Columbia, twelve years; St. John, twelve years; Glendale, five years. He organized Mt. Olvan, of Buford and St. John, of Columbia for himself; Mt. Zion, of Pulaski, for the late Rev. D. C. Coleman; Beu- lah, of Pulaski and Culleoka for Rev. James Mc- Duff Skillern. The author is also an architect and mechanic, being a workman in wood, stone and brick. He has built several stylish houses among which is his own house of barrel shape containing eight rooms. The two brick churches, standing within ninety feet of each other, in Columbia are monu¬ ments that will speak in thunder tones for him to the Baptists forever. He can preach a little and may be classed as a middle grade old-time preach¬ er, yet he keeps up with the times and is, strictly speaking, an eloquent speaker, a fine ruling officer. We have only a few who equal him and though his full history may never be written, we have enough contained in this volume to convince all who chance to read it, or those who may know him as he is, that he believes the day is not far distant when he will hear the welcome plaudit, "Enough is done; come up higher," etc., or "Come ye blessed of my Father's kingdom." 62 MONITOR. BIOGRAPHY OF ELDER ALBERT HONNEY. Elder Albert Honney, of Pulaski, Tenn., was born in 1848. He was baptized when young and joined the Association. In 1872 he was ordained by the following council: Elders Abraham Cole¬ man, J. P. Phelps, D. C. Coleman and T. J. Lee. Elder Honney was a member of the 14th Regi¬ ment, Colored Infantry, United States Army and served through the Civil War from 1861-1865. Of course, it goes without saying that he had no advantages of school; but, like others of that period who were eager to do something, he picked up nuggets of information here and there which were of material help to him during his life's work. His popularity is shown by the following official honors conferred upon him by the Asso¬ ciation: First Vice Moderator, 1882, 1885; Mod¬ erator, 1886, 1887; First Vice Moderator, 1888, 1890-1893; Business Manager of Ministers' Re¬ lief Board, 1890-1895, which were the first six years of its existence. He worked earnestly in those dark days, encouraging our people to build lip a pension fund to aid and assist superan¬ nuated Baptist ministers who had given the best years of their lives to the service of the people. Elder Honney signalized his efforts in this par¬ ticular department by results; he did a grand work. The following named churches were pastored by Elder Honney: Mt. Joy, now Mt. Calvary, MONITOR. 63 Pulaski, Tenn.; Chestnut Grove, Bodenham, Tenn.; St. Paul, Wales, Tenn.; Mt. Olvan, Buford, Tenn.; Beulah, Pulaski, Tenn., and Ebenezer, Good Springs. Elder Honney was another one of the great re¬ vivalists of his time; he had great gifts—goodness of heart, a good voice, and a splendid talent for singing, which he used with great power, touch ing the souls of men by his sweet and spiritual interpretation of those good old-time religious songs as nothing else could. Were one in trouble, he could dispel more of it than most men. He was of great help to the writer, both as a preacher and a singer. He was a good spiritual preacher, aside from his gift of song. The writer assisted him to the position of Vice Moderator, in which official capacity he did good work, and through him the writer was enabled from time to time to accomplish much. Elder Honney and Elder D. C. Coleman were stalwarts. And it is hard to decide which of the two baptized the greater number of people during their ministerial career. Both were untiring and zealous workers for the cause of Christ. Now it is a comfort, a soothing comfort, to herald to those who once knew Elder Honney or were brought into the fold or were in any way helped or bettered by his influence, the glorious news that he made his peace, calling and election sure and has now joined the heavenly hosts in the great Association above. The Baptists felt a 64 MONITOR. loss in the death of this sweet singer-preacher, (which occurred on the 30th day of October, 1893), but bowed in submission to the wisdom of God. MONITOR. 65 BIOGRAPHY OF ELDER CHARLES MILES. Elder Charles Miles, of Aspin Hill, Term., son of slave parents, was born in Lauderdale County, Alabama, on the 20th day of January, 1846. He was a soldier of Company I, 15th Regiment U. S. Colored Infantry from 186— to 1866, receiving an honorable discharge at Nashville, Tenn., on the 7th of April, 1866. He was converted to the Christian religion, becoming a full member after baptism at the Beach Grove Baptist Church of Veto (State Line), Ala., October, 1872. After he had joined the army of the Lord and became a soldier of the Cross, he was licensed to preach July, 1873; he was ordained an elder in 1877 by a council of the Association as follows: Elders A. Coleman and R. Malone, of Athens, Ala.; J. P. Phelps, of Elkton, Tenn.; Thomas J. Lee, of Good Springs, Tenn., and J. S. Gilmore, of Co¬ lumbia, Tenn. Elder Miles joined the Association in 1873, without having had any educational advantages nor experience in the affairs of men; but what he has accomplished since shows that he was determined to make of himself a force.among his fellows. He began in earnest to study from the day of being licensed. Elder Miles labored under many disadvantages, such as living in the country away from towns or cities, the more favored centers of intellectual light and refinement. He struggled on despite 66 MONITOR. of adverse conditions, achieving a place in the ministerial field that was flattering, owing to his opportunities. He was a strong champion of the doctrines of his church and a valiant defender of the faith once delivered to the saints. Thirty- two years he has toiled in the vineyards. The first years were mostly spent in helping other pastors in their labors, but the last fifteen he has been a successful pastor. Elder Miles was instrumental in building a good house of worship at Antonett Hill, south¬ west of Pulaski, Tenn., where he pastored for a goodly number of years. He was elected Second Vice President of the Sunday School Convention for 1886; Business Manager of Ministers' Pen¬ sion Department for a term of eight years, from 1898-1906. He labored earnestly for funds for that department. Out of that treasure not only ample means can be given to aid sick and disabled ministers, but helpful donations have been made to the Home and Building Board, that it might prosecute its church building projects. The Bap¬ tists will miss Elder Miles when he ceases building on earth and goes to occupy his man¬ sion in the skies. The subject of this sketch has assisted in the ordination of seven elders; organized or assisted in organizing three churches and built two. He has pastored Mt. Nebo, Trinity Hall, New Salem, Beach Grove, Antonett Hill, Mt. Pisgah, and Chestnut Grove. MONITOR. 67 Strong influences have been brought to bear upon Elder Miles to draw him from his allegiance, but nothing has moved him from his firm footing, 68 MONITOR. ELDER NELSON BINFORD. Elder Nelson Binford, living now west of Athens, Ala., was born in 1830. He made a pro¬ fession of religion in his youth; felt the call of the Holy Spirit to preach the gospel in the days of slavery; has been preaching ever since; but he was not baptized for many years after his con¬ version. In 1867 the pastor of the white Baptist Church of Athens, Ala., baptized him. He and a goodly number of others left the white Baptists and or- MONITOR. 69 ganized themselves into the St. Luke or First Baptist Church of Athens, Ala., in 1872. He was then ordained an elder by Elder N. D. Skur- lock, pastor of St. Luke Baptist Church. Elder Binford, like most of the early pioneers in the gospel, was only what he made himself. Having been one of the colored heroes who had bared their breasts, as it were, as targets for the mis¬ siles of death hurled by the enemies of freedom and a united country, he returned from that fierce and sanguinary struggle with the blessed satisfac¬ tion of knowing, though ignorant, he was free— free to march up the years toward a nobler man¬ hood. He was one of those good old-time, soul- stirring preachers that it is always a pleasure to hear. He joined the Richland Creek Associa¬ tion in 1875, while the writer was pastor of the St. Luke Baptist Church, Athens, Ala. Elder Binford has always been very popular in the Association. He has, as pastor, ministered to the spiritual needs of the following churches: Mt. Pisgah, his home church, Glendale and Chestnut Grove at Bodenham, Tenn. During his active, ministerial life he was a resolute and courageous soldier of the Cross; but he is a very aged and feeble man now. For the last twelve years he has been drawing from the Ministers' Pension Board a small allowance to help him. He has been true and noble and his life has been a blessing to his fellow-men. 70 MONITOR. BIOGRAPHY OF REV. ELIJAH LINCOLN. Elder Elijah Lincoln, of Decatur, Ala., whose age and cut I was not able to secure, joined the Association in 1876 at Pulaski, Tenn. He was oidained two years later, 1878, by the ministers of the Association in a session which was also held in Pulaski. He was one of the regular pas¬ tors of the Association for about fifteen years, and has been pastor of Beach Grove, New Salem, Bethel, First Baptist, of Elk Mount; the Second Baptist, of Decatur, Alia.; was elected Second Vice Moderator of the Association at the annual session held in Mt. Lebanon Baptist Church of Columbia, Tenn. Rev. Elijah Lincoln had but little educational advantages, and notwithstanding this fact was a very good preacher; he seems to be a born re¬ vivalist. He has worked jointly with other min¬ isters for a number of years, always in harmony with all. The denomination may well feel proud of him, for he was the organizer of the Second Baptist Church of Decatur, Ala., where he now resides and is rending untold good to one of our strongest young ministers, Rev. M. W. Moore, who has increased the Baptist number about one hundred per cent. There is a peculiarity about this church—i. e., every time they secure the services of a new pastor the name of the church is changed. Rev. E. J. Lincoln, the founder of it, named it the Second Baptist Church, which was right, as there MONITOR. 71 was a First Baptist Church in existence and do¬ ing well. Rev. James W. Gardener, who was the next pastor in 1894, named it the Evangelist Church, which was wrong. Rev. Albert Honney, who was the next pastor in 1895, named it, first, Tennessee Baptist Church and afterwards Sec¬ ond Baptist Church, which was perfectly right. Rev. Monroe W. Moore followed in 1898, and called it Shiloh Baptist Church, and afterwards he also called it the Second Baptist Church, which is the proper name for it, as it was organized by Rev. E. J. Lincoln under that name and should be called the Second Baptist Church of Decatur, Ala., for some one may organize a third one and call it the Second Church; so let the Second Bap¬ tist Church of Decatur beware and hold its second place in the town. 72 MONITOR. REV. JAMES McDUFF SKILLERN. The above cut is an exact likeness of Rev. James McDuff Skiliern, of Pulaski, Tenn. He was born of slave parents at Huntsville, Ala., on May 6, 1846. His parents moved to Giles County, near Pulaski, when he was only one year old, making it 1847. Rev. Skiliern is a self-made man and had but very poor chances to acquire an education, but through hard struggles he man¬ aged to obtain a common English education. The subject of this sketch married Miss Mary Antony, and to this union were born four chil- MONITOR. 73 dren—two boys and two girls. The girls are liv¬ ing and are both married. He professed a hope in Christ and was bap¬ tized in 1872 by Rev. Lewis Coleman, now de¬ ceased, who was then pastor of Antony Hill Bap¬ tist Church, near Pulaski; was ordained to preach on March 12, 1882,-by a council of elders, con¬ sisting of Rev. Abraham Coleman, Rev. Charles Miles, and Rev. Elijah Lincoln, at the Association. Rev. Skillern has had unprecedented success as one of our self-made men. A test of his popu¬ larity and worth may be conceived when the num¬ ber of responsible positions assigned him are known. He has been pastor of the following churches in the Association: Antioch, of Pros¬ pect, Tenn.; Antony Hill, of Pulaski, Tenn.; Old Round Hill, of Lynnville, Tenn.; St. Luke, of Athens, .Ala.; Beulah, of Pulaski, Tenn.; First "Baptist, of Glendale, #Tenn.; First Baptist, of Elk- mont, Tenn.; First Baptist, of Culleoka, Tenn.; The Providence, near Pulaski, and David's Tem¬ ple, of Alabama. He organized the St. Paul and Providence Baptist Churches near Pulaski, Tenn., and David's Temple near Athens, Ala. He worked up the Beulah Baptist Church, of Pulaski, Tenn., and the First Baptist Church, of Culleoka, so that the writer could organize them. Rev. Skillern has done a great work for the denomination, having ftuilt houses of worship for Glendale, Culleoka, Antioch, and Beulah; he also repaired Old Round Bill Church. 74 MONITOR. Rev. Skillern has a comfortable home, which he owns, and is extremely hospitable to his breth¬ ren. His wife is called the preachers' friend. The reverend is an excellent preacher, possessing a marked degree of intelligence. Rev. Skillern is one of the most popular men in the Association, being one of its truest leaders. He has served it in the following offices: Manager of the Sunday School Training Board, now called the Educational Board, from 1890 to 1896; Sec¬ ond Vice Moderator of the General Association from 1892 to 1895; First Vice Moderator of the General Association in 1896; President of the Sunday School Convention from 1900 to 1905. The Sunday School Convention was worked up under his administration to be a very fine insti¬ tution, raising on an average annually $100> which was donated to the General Convention for mission work. This Convention has done more for the last five years to demonstrate the union of the churches and Sunday schools than it has ever done since its organization. Mrs. Skillern and her oldest daughter are well trained and have been great church workers.. His wife, Mary, was the first president of the Women's District Mission; his daughter, Cora, has been vice president of the new organization, of the Women's Association. ELDER H. H. BRADEN. 76 MONITOR. BIOGRAPHY OF REV. HENRY HARRISON BRADEN. Rev. Henry Harrison Braden, of Lynnville,. Tenn., was born near Lynnville, Tenn., on Decem¬ ber 11, 1856. He attended school but a short while, having studied quite a while at home, where he made splendid progress. He is a very remarkable preacher and an excellent revivalist. Rev. Braden was converted to the Christian reli¬ gion in the Old Round Hill Church, of Lynnville,. in June, 1882, and was baptized by Rev. John S- Gilmore, of Columbia, Tenn. He was licensed to preach the Gospel in July, 1884, and was ordained in May, 1887, by Rev. M. C. Skiller, Rev. Charles Miles, and the late Rev. D. C. Coleman. He joined the Association at the annual session held at Mt. Olvan Baptist Church, of Buford, Tenn., in 1884, and has been an untiring worker, who has done much toward building up the reputation of the Association. Rev. Braden has had under his care the follow¬ ing churches of this Association: Mt. Stigall Baptist Church, Lewisburg, Tenn.; Mt. Hermon, Connersville, Tenn.; Old Round Hill Baptist Church, Lynnville, Tenn. The church at Conners¬ ville has gone down; the one at Lewisburg has. joined the Elk River Association; the Old Round Hill Church has been remodeled and is now quite an imposing structure. He has been also pastor of several churches in the Elk River Association,. MONITOR. 77 and is an excellent preacher and revivalist. He assisted in the organization of the Connersville and Fountain Creek Baptist Churches. He was Second Vice Moderator in the years 1887, 1897, 1898, 1899, and 1900; Treasurer from 1901 to 1905, which is the date of this writing; was Vice President of the Sunday School Convention in 1889. These positions tell the sterling worth of the reverend. Rev. Braden has a nice home with farmlands around, from which his family is bountifully sup¬ plied. REV. JAMES MONROE MOORE. MONITOR. 79 BIOGRAPHY OF REV. JAMES MONROE MOORE. The cut on page 78 is a perfect likeness of Rev. James Monroe Moore, of Decatur, Ala., who was born in Elkton, Giles County, Tenn., May 2, 1861. He has a very fair education, having attended the public school at Elkton taught by Prof. H. H. Thompson, of Pulaski, and Rev. John S. Gilmore, of Columbia. He professed a hope in Christ in the summer of 1878, and joined the Indian Creek Baptist Church and was baptized at the age of seventeen years. In 1884 he was licensed to preach and was ordained in 1892 by a council composed of Rev. J. P. Felps, of Elkton; M. W. Jones, of Bryson; M. C. White, of Elkton. The young man was a great revivalist and Sunday school worker, and has been of untold service to his pastor, Rev. Felps, who is quite an old man. He was presented to the Association by Rev. Felps at the session held at Prospect in 1892, where his usefulness and talent were soon dis¬ covered. He has been of untold service to the Moderator and other officers of the Association and to the Baptist cause in general. After being a member of the Association for one year, he was elected Business Manager of the Foreign Mission Board, with headquarters at Conway, Tenn., and served faithfully from 1893 to 1896; he was elect¬ ed Third Moderator at the Pulaski session in 1899 and Second Moderator at Athens, Ala., in 1901, in which capacity he served until 1905. 80 MONITOR. Rev. Moore is a most promising man, a splendid preacher, and would make an excellent evangelist. Among the churches of the Association of which he has been pastor are: St. Luke, Athens, Ala.; Shiloh or Second Baptist, Decatur, Ala., of which he is yet pastor; Antioch, Prospect, Tenn., serv¬ ing several years at each of these churches. Rev. Moore has bought and built a valuable house of worship at Decatur, his home, where he has also elevated the Baptist cause. His -exper¬ ience has taught him that study and prayer are two things upon which a minister's success de¬ pends, and I might truthfully say that no truly called minister can fail if he will pray and study the Word of God. (Read Col. or 2 Tim. 2: 15.) Elder Moore is now in the prime of life, being only 44 years old, and if he continues as he has started, he will be a man of great benefit to the Baptists. His church should feel proud and con¬ gratulate themselves for such a man. It was through his resolution at the Association that this history was ordered regardless of price. MONITOR. 81 REV. FRANK J. GIVENS. Rev. Frank J. Givens, of Pulaski, Tenn., was born at Reynolds Station, near Pulaski, Tenn., on , 186—, and is another one of our self-made men. He has a common school educa¬ tion, having done most of his studying after he grew up. He attended school only a short time. He was converted and baptized in St. Luke Church, of Athens, Ala., in 1882, by his brother, Rev. John S. Gilmore, of Columbia, Tenn.; was or¬ dained to the ministry at the session of the Rich¬ land Creek Association at Athens, Ala., in 1896, by Elder Bunney Houston, of Athens, Ala.; Elders Charles Miles and Thomas J. Stone, of Pulaski, Tenn.; Elders W. H. Jackson and F. M. Stamps, of Nashville, Tenn. The gentleman has been a member of the Association since his ordination and has been pastor of the following churches: Lewis Chapel, Topley, Tenn.; St. Luke, Aspin Hill, Tenn.; New Mt. Zion, Pulaski, Tenn. He is now working on the Mt. Pleasant Mission trying to organize a Baptist church there. Rev. Givens is a very fine preacher, handles his subjects well, quotes Scripture fluently; in fact, is a splendid all around preacher. His members are unusually fond of him and his family. ^ The reverend is another one of the Association's business men who has done quite a deal to build up the business standing of the body. He has held the following offices from time to time in the 82 MONITOR. Association: Member of the Ministerial Relief Board in 1895; member of the Foreign Mission Board in 1897; Treasurer of Foreign Missions in 1898 and 1899; Recorder of General Association for 1900 and 1901; Business Manager of the Educational Board during the two greatest years in its history—1903 and 1904. He only needs to get into one of the hard places in order to be drawn out and fully developed. MONITOR. 83- ELDER R. SANDERSON, D. D. The above cut is a fair representation of the late Elder Richard Sanderson, D.D., of Columbia, Tenn. He was born near Columbia, Maury Coun¬ ty, Tenn., June 30, 1821. In the dark days of slavery he was converted to the Christian reli¬ gion, and in 1838 was baptized and became at¬ tached to the white Baptist church, as there were no colored churches in those days. He and sevei'. others were organized by the deacons of the white Baptist church into the Mt. Lebanon Bap¬ tist Church, Columbia, Tenn,, on October 20. 84 MONITOR. 1843. This was the first colored Baptist church in the State of Tennessee. No oracle is needed to tell you that Elder San¬ derson had no educational advantages far back in those early days. After feeling that he had been called to preach the gospel, he asked God to give him wisdom that he might rightly divide truth from error. His subsequent career proves that his choice or request for wisdom was as wise as that of Solomon; and He who refuseth naught that is good abundantly blessed him with wisdom. He applied himself to the careful and ardent study of the Bible and his hymn book After being licensed to preach he made rapid im provement; he was ordained some years later. Elder Sanderson was a splendid type of healthy, physical manhood; this enabled him to do h1"'- manual labor and prosecute his studies without injury to himself. He did a great work in Maury and Marshall counties, and was known as the father of Baptists in the former county. The field of his spiritual labors was large and he tried to serve all that came within the sphere of his influence; God, the Bible, and his sense of duty were his source of strength and inspiration and helped him to accomplish much and he was broadened both in knowledge and experience. He had a gift for reading and interpreting the Scriptures; this made him noted far and wide aj a biblical preacher of force and clear concep¬ tions. MONITOR. 85 Elder Sanderson, after the Civil War, organ¬ ized the Duck River Association, and was Mod¬ erator of it for many years. Many of the church¬ es represented in that Association were organized by him and many of the pastors and deacons were ordained by him. When Mt. Lebanon Church called the writer as pastor, he being the Moderator of Richland Creek Association, it then became a member of that body; and Elder Sanderson, who had been its pastor for many years, went with his former church into that Association. Mt. Lebanon ap¬ preciated the fact that the Richland Association had a better system of work and also was better able to help her build the costly house of worship which was then in the course of construction. The church and its former spiritual guide joined the Richland in 1885. At the annual session of the Association at Columbia, Tenn., in 1886, Elder Sanderson was elected Second Vice Moderator; he was also elected Treasurer of the Home Mission Board— that financial agency that has done so much in helping the churches of the Association to build and the weak ones to repair their houses of wor¬ ship. He served on this board, under the writer, for the years 1893-1895, paying out a deal of money. DEGREE OF D.D. CONFERRED UPON ELDER SANDERSON, The writer, after thinking about the stupen¬ dous amount of work which had been done by 86 MONITOR. Elder Sanderson and for which he had gotten far less credit than many who had done little or nothing in comparison, concluded to confer upon him an honor long since past due. Much he had done in a religious way for his people long before the war, even though a slave. The thought of giv¬ ing honor to whom honor is dtie weighed so heavily upon the writer's mind that he dreamed a dream n> which his duty was made clear to him by a' vision which marshaled him the way he should go. This vision or dream was of heavenly origin, for it presented distinct and particular passages of Scripture upon which the writer was examining Elder Sanderson. So vivid were the passages of Scripture that on awakening the writer arose from his bed (it was 2 o'clock A. M.) and made a note of them. They were as follows: Matt. 13: 54-56; Luke 2: 46; 4: 17-20; 11: 52; Acts 5: 34; 1 Cor. 12: 28. With the memorandum of these Scriptures before him, the writer with the aid of the Bible and his Concordance found the words and questions of the examination held in his dream, which afterwards became a reality. He was impressed that the dream was a visita¬ tion of the Lord, directing that His faith¬ ful old servant and ambassador be honored as befitting his past and earnest service. One has said: "It is fools that tread where angels dread;" and lest the writer might be at error concerning the signification of the dream, he pondered over it for about two months. MONITOR, 87 When the annual session of Richland Creek Association met at Pulaski, Tenn., August 12, 1887, the writer held a secret council with some of the older ministers, namely: Elders A. Cole¬ man, D. C. Coleman, of Pulaski, Tenn.; C. O. Booth, of Hollywood, Ala., and Thomas Hoffman, of Nashville, Tenn., and to these he related his dream or vision. They advised him to follow out the mission shown him in the vision and be thankful that God chose him as the humble and worthy instrument to do merited honor to one of His faithful servants. So the writer, John S. Gilmore, under the guidance of the heavenly vision and by authority and sanction of Richland Creek Association, conferred the degree of Doc¬ tor of Divinity on Elder Jtdchard Sanderson— teacher of teachers, theologically. An account of this second ordination may be found in the min¬ utes of 1887. Elder Sanderson, D. D., with the Mt. Lebanon Baptist Church of Columbia, Tenn., went back into the Duck River Association in 1895, the next year after the writer resigned the pastorate of that church, which was in June, 1894. Elder Sanderson, D. D., remained with the Duck River Association until his death, which occurred November 22, 1905. Naught was spared in giving the remains of the dead divine gracious and fitting burial; his friends vied with each other in doing honor to his ashes, while he having left his earthly tenement, his house of clay, smiled upon them from above. 88 MONITOR. Faithful in life, he was trustful in death. Meeting the Grim Reaper, leaning on the Sav¬ iour's promise, Elder Sanderson was prepared in the fullness of that assurance to exclaim: "0 Grave! where is thy victory? 0 Death! where is thy sting?" MONITOR. 89 ELDER LOTT EDMONSON. Elder Lott Edmonson, of Columbia, Tenn., was born near Cornersville, Marshall County, Tenn., on the 22d of May, 1850. He joined Round Hill Baptist Church by baptism June 20,- 1872; was licensed by the church to preach in 1872; joined the Association at Pulaski, Tenn., in 1873; or¬ dained an elder at Mt. Olvan in 1886. Elder Edmonson was elected Treasurer of the Home Mission Board for the years 1896, 1899- 1905. He pastored the Beach Grove Church, Veto, Ala., but has not done much pastoring nor a great deal of preaching. He is a fine old gen¬ tleman and has rendered considerable service to his pastor and home church. Elder Edmonson helped the writer to build two brick churches at Columbia, Tenn., and he has followed with friendly int.?rest and concern the fortunes of the writer for thirty-two years. Elder Edmonson was one of that historic Com¬ mittee on the Election of Officers, that at the ses¬ sion of 1873, at Pulaski, Tenn., elected the writer as Moderator, who has served ever since with the exception of three years. By way of eulogy, it should be said that the unselfish, disinterested labors of such men as Elder Edmonson have made it possible for other and younger men to rise. Too much praise can¬ not be given to such men—men who have given up every ambition for place and power for the cause of Christ in winning the souls of men. 90 MONITOR. ELDER TRANSOM SIDNEY JOHNSON. The above cut is a good likeness of Elder Tran¬ som Sidney Johnson, of Pulaski, Tenn. The sub¬ ject of this sketch was born of slave parents, near Pulaski, Giles County, Tenn., April 24, 1863. Elder Johnson, having had but little educational advantages, must be classed with the self- made men. He professed a hope in Christ;.was baptized at St. Paul Baptist Church, Wales, Tenn., May 16, 1887; was licensed and ordained to preach the Gospel on the 8th day of June, MONITOR. 91 1889, by the following- elders: the late Albert Honney, Franklin Joseph Givens and Thomas Jefferson Stone. Elder Johnson is very popular among the min¬ isters and with the people as well. He is a splen¬ did revivalist, having a gift of voice that suits and pleases the masses, and with which he some¬ times holds them spellbound and enraptured. He has been a success as a pastor, having pas- tored the following churches: Providence, St. Paul, Mt. Calvary, and Mt. Olvan. He will be a good builder as he grows in experience in that line of work. He has bought land and is now erecting a house of worship for St. Paul. He built a church at Mt. Calvary. Elder Johnson has held the following offices, which show his popularity: Second Vice Moder¬ ator from 1902-1905; Second Vice President of the Sunday School Convention from 1901-1904; Business Manager of the Educational and Train¬ ing Board for 1902. Elder Johnson has made considerable progress in his studies. He reads and writes fairly well; he has become a great Sunday school worker. He is known as an honest minister and a re¬ vivalist of note. In short, he is a good, logical preacher, who knows how to present his subject. His good qualities are the result of that true, old-time religion which teaches meekness of heart and humbleness of spirit. He is a first-rate churchman, who may in the coming years be de¬ pended upon to give a good account of himself. 92 MONITOR. Elder Johnson has said that he knows that God lives and that he is striving to see and know Him as he is. Not know Him in part; not see Him through a glass darkly, but know and see Him as his redeemed child. MONITOR. 93 ELDER JAMES MONROE WELLS. Elder James Monroe Wells, of Columbia, Tenn., son of slave parents, was born February 6, 1860, near Lynnville, Tenn. In 1873 the subject of this sketch professed a hope in the Christian religion, and, being one of thirty-three candidates for baptism, his wife also being one of the number, was baptized at Old Round Hill Baptist Church, near Lynnville, Giles County, Tenn., by the writer. These were the writer's first candidates and his initiatory performance of the ordinance of immersion. First Ordination.—Elder Wells was chosen a leading shepherd and ordained a deacon by the writer in 1873. He prized this position very highly and filled it faithfully for seventeen years, and was truly beloved by his church. Second Ordination.—At a quarterly session of the Richland Creek Baptist Association, held at Antioch Baptist Church, Prospect, Tenn., Elder Wells, who had been ordained a deacon in 1882, just eleven years before, was examined and or¬ dained an elder and bishop in May, 1890, by Elders Richard Sanderson, D.D., E. J. Lincoln, James McDuff Skillern, the late Albert Honney, and Jeremiah Phelps. Elder Wells is a young minister who has ac¬ quired some education by dint of his own per¬ severance. A few years ago he attended the Pastors' Class at Roger Williams University, 94 MONITOR. Nashville, 'i'enn. He was a good revivalist and loved that work better than any other, and in it he usually had success. In a material sense, Elder Wells has done well. He owns a nice little farm, where he and wife lived until they moved in December, 1905, to Columbia, Tenn., where he Lad purchased a home. Elder Wells was elected Second Vice Moder¬ ator for 1900 and 1901; he has pastored St. Luke, Lesters, Tenn.; Lewis Chapel, Aspin Hill, Tenn.; Jackson Rise, Woods Chapel, Odd Fellows' Hall, Mt. Pleasant, and Glendale, of Maury Coun¬ ty, Tenn. Elder Wells has always rendered excellent serv¬ ice to his home church, Old Round Hill. He has been helpful to its pastors and stood high in his church, only leaving it to take up his work with renewed vigor in the St. John Baptist Church of Columbia, Tenn., February, 1906. Elder Wells has all cause to be humbly grateful to God, who has blessed him in more ways than one; but the chief est of them all, He gave him a priceless jewel, a Christian wife, who bent all of her energies toward helping him achieve success. She was content to oversee the work of the farm and see after his other temporal affairs, while he was left untrammeled to prosecute the Master's work, which he did to the saving of many souls. Elder Wells' good wife shares joyfully in all her husband's successes; she shares them not selfishly, but because her sympathetic soul goes monitor. 95 out to the poor to whom her husband ministers. Her's is a life that blesses his, shedding her wife¬ ly devotion and love to light his pathway to duty. The motto of these two Christian workers seems to be: "Upward, Onward, Christian Soldier, Fal¬ ter not till Heaven is Won." [Note.—Elder James Monroe Wells has sick¬ ened and died since the above was written, hav¬ ing been at this post of duty only about three months. See Obituaries.] 96 MONITOR. ELDER ANDREW JACKSON GILBERT. Rev. Andrew Jackson Gilbert, of Good Spring, Giles County, Tenn., was born June 16, 1857, at Gilbertsboro, Ala., of slave parents. Rev. Gilbert has a good education, having attended the schools of Pulaski, Tenn., Huntsville, Ala., and the high school at Danville, New York, where he received the degree of A.M. in 1890. He taught school in Tennessee in the year 1885, and in the same year married. Elder Gilbert professed a faith in Christ and was baptized by Elder Reuben Malone in Mt. Nebo Baptist Church, of Gilbertsboro, Ala., in 1877; was licensed to preach the gospel in 1879; was ordained in November. 1893, by a council at the Glendale Association. He became a mem¬ ber of the Association at the session held in Pulaski in 1884, and has been pastor of the fol¬ lowing churches: The Bethel Church, Chestnut Grove Church, Ebenezer Church, and Oak Grove Church. He built the house of worshiD at Bethel, Tenn., and has begun work on a new church at Good Spring for Oak Grove Church. Elder Gil¬ bert is a good preacher, yet he lives some dis¬ tance in the country and doesn't see the city min¬ isters very often. Notwithstanding this fact, he is extremely popular with his brethren and has held the following offices in the Association: Second Moderator for the terms of 1897 and 1898; Business Manager of the great Educational MONITOR. 97 Board for 1901; Secretary of the Ministers' Pen¬ sion Association from 1892 until the close of the year 1899; Business Manager of the Foreign Mis¬ sion Board for the years 1905 and 1906. He has been a most successful teacher and also in a financial way, having purchased a farm contain¬ ing fifty acres of fine land, on which his family makes a good living. It is hoped that Elder Gil¬ bert will live long and continue to help build up the denomination and race in general, 98 MONITOR. ELDER JACOB CROCKETT COLEMAN. The above is an excellent likeness of Elder Jacob Crockett Coleman, of Prospect, Tenn. He was born of slave parents on the 28th of May, 1860, at Pulaski, Tenn. He has a common school edu¬ cation; professed the Christian religion when but a lad; was baptized by Rev. Thomas P. Smith in 1875, at old Antioch Baptist Church, Pros¬ pect, Tenn., where he had moved with his old blind father, who was the senior deacon of the church. He was ordained to the gospel ministry MONITOR. 99 March 28, 1894, just nineteen years after his bap¬ tism. Elder Coleman has lost much by not putting in regular attendance upon the sessions of the Asso¬ ciation, both in experience and popularity, as he is a good preacher. He has pastored Mt. Calvary and Beach Grove; elected Secretary of Sunday School Convention in 1884 and '85, and Secretary of Foreign Mission Board in 1895, '98, and '99. Elder Coleman is a young man, the last, but worthy representative of that noted family of preachers—the Colemans, headed by the untiring, indomitable Abraham. The subject of this sketch has been blessed with some of this world's goods. Being thrifty and energetic, he has provided for the comforts of his family, while discharging his spiritual duties to his fellowmen. He has a splendid little farm and home—his own sacred retreat, where he may rest in the bosom of his family with none to molest and the disturbing things of the outer world de¬ barred. It remains to be seen whether he will sus¬ tain and carry forward the prestige of his family as a great worker in the vineyard of the Lord. 100 MONITOR. ELDER A. R. JOHNSON. Elder Armstead Robert Johnson, of Pulaski, was born to slave parents in 1856, at Saunders- ville, Summer County, Tenn. He joined the Mt. Zion Baptist Church, and was baptized in 1880; granted license to preach by the above church in 1893; ordained an elder in 1895, and joined the Association in 1898. Elder Johnson is the product of his own efforts; having had no school advantages, he cannot be ex¬ pected to take first rank with those who have. He is a man of native ability which has been sharp¬ ened by contact with his cultured brethren. He has a gift of language out of which he erects some strong, logical discourses. Churches pastored: First Baptist, Elkmont, Ala.; New Salem, Veto, Ala.; Glendale Baptist Church, and St. Luke, Lesters, Tenn. MONITOR. 101 ELDER AULEN B. BAITY. Elder Allen B. Baity, of Bethel, Giles County, Tenn., was born August 15, 1869, in Maury Coun¬ ty, Tenn.; was reared in Giles County, Tenn., and North Alabama. He was married in North Ala¬ bama February 22, 1887; moved back to Tennes¬ see in 1892; he was converted and baptized at Mt. Calvary Baptist Church by the late Elder Albert Honney, and was called by the Spirit to preach the Gospel in 1893. After five years' experience as a licentiate he was ordained in 1898 as a full- fledged minister. 102 MONITOR. Elder Baity has administered as pastor to the spiritual needs of the following churches: Sweet Home Baptist Church, Leflora County, Miss.; Cai¬ ro Chapel, Limestone County, Ala.; Loving Hope Baptist Church, Morgan County, Ala.; Willow Grove Baptist, Bethel, Tenn.; Mt. Pisgah, Tenn.; the Baptist churches of Elkrnont and Athens, Ala. He has organized one church and built one. Elder Baity, owing to his limited opportunities for acquiring a good education, has sustained him¬ self fairly well in his charges. He possesses those traits as a pulpit speaker, which suit and strongly attract the older people. Elder Baity joined the Association as a minis¬ ter at Decatur, Ala., in 1903, and was appointed Business Manager of the Foreign Mission Board; to this same position he was again appointed at the great Columbia session in 1906. The older the brother grows the more keenly he notes the inconveniences caused by a lack of a fair education; this has spurred him up to more ardent application to his books—to which if he sticks with a fixed determination for a few years he will be capably informed and can do his life's work intelligently. We hope to see Elder Baity in the years to come filling his place in the plan of his Master, the Lord, creditably. MONITOR. 103 ELDER T. T. STONE. Elder T. 1. Stone, of Decatur, Ala., was born in Lafayette County, Tenn., in the year 1851. His parents were slaves. He professed faith in the Christian religion July 15, 1878, joined the Phil¬ adelphia Baptist Church, and was baptized in Au¬ gust of the same year; was called to preach the Gospel in 1883. He moved to Giles County and was ordained to preach the Gospel March 1, 1891. Elder Stone has not done very much pastoral work for himself, but has been of untold service to other pastors by assisting them in protracted meetings and working in the Sunday schools, He 104 MONITOR. is an untiring Christian and faithful to the letter. He is not going around as extensively now as he used to do. He joined the Association at the ses¬ sion held in Beulah Baptist Church, of Pulaski, Tenn., in 1890, and has done some very excellent work, beside being much liked by all the pastors and the body in general. MONITOR. 105 ELDER DAVID HOWARD. Elder David Howard, of Pulaski, Tenn., was born at Aspen Hill, Giles County, Tenn., in 1872, was baptized and elected superintendent of th^ Sunday school and elected church clerk and dea¬ con in 1899. In August, 1902, he was ordained an elder by a council of elders appointed at the an¬ nual session of the General Association held in Decatur, Ala., for Mt. Zion Baptist Church, of Pulaski, Tenn. Elder Howard was raised near Pulaski and was called to the pastorate of the First Baptist Church there. He has had some educational advantages, 106 Monitor. and is our youngest minister, being the last one ordained by the body. He is one of the most pro¬ gressive of our men, and has an immense amount of gift and energy which with ten years more of experience will make him a most valuable man. Elder Howard has filled the following positions in the Association: Corresponding Clerk, one year, 1899; Treasurer of the Educational and Training Board from 1898 through 1901, which office he filled with much credit; was elected at the last annual session Business Manager of the Educational Board for the terms of 1905 and 1906, and has the superintend¬ ing of this book. He has been pastor of the following churches: Providence Baptist Church, three miles northeast of Pulaski and the First Baptist Church of Pulaski, where the peo¬ ple love and respect Elder Howard and family. The reverend does not depend on his church for his entire support, as many pastors, but works daily in his barber shop, where he has a first-class trade among the whites of Pulaski. Elder Howard is very popular at his home, being a very strong minister and pastor of the oldest church at his home. He is a temperate man and has a creditable showing with the banks and merchants. We hope that he may be spared to us many years and stand as a guidepost to that haven of rest where the weary will be at rest. MONITOR. 107 ELDER JOHN ROBERT MILTON. Elder John Robert Milton, of Mt. Pleasant, Tenn., was born in Canton, Ranklin County, Miss., on February 22, 1862. He joined the Tabernacle Baptist Church by baptism on June 10, 1896. He was transferred by letter from the church at Bir¬ mingham to the church at Woodlawn, Ala., in November, 1898, and was licensed to preach by Elder D. M. Turner, pastor, on August 6, 1898. He is now living in Mt. Pleasant, and has visited his home church at Woodlawn once. At his re- 108 MONITOR. quest the church called the following named eld¬ ers as a council, who examined and ordained him on July 19, 1900: B. M. Mallory, pastor and Mod¬ erator, B. F. Singleton, E. D. Little, D. M. Turner, H. Hendly, and E. D. Turner, all of Alabama. Elder Milton has a common school education, and bids fair to become a great preacher. He stud¬ ies very hard, and each year visits the sessions of the Association, of which he has been a mem¬ ber since 1903. He is pastor of the First Baptist Church of Mt. Pleasant, this being his first charge. MONITOR. 109 ELDER JOHN WESLEY HENDERSON. Elder John Wesley Henderson, of Conway, Giles County, Tenn., was born March 7, 1864; joined the church August 9, 1885; was licensed to preach in 1888 and ordained an elder and minis¬ ter of the Gospel June 4, 1893. He joined the Richland Creek Baptist Association at the ses¬ sion in September, 1905, at the Old Round Hill Church. His membership is still at Centerpoint Baptist Church near Elkton, Tenn. His ordain¬ ing council was composed of Elders J. P. Felps, pastor, Wm. Jones and Chas. Miles. Elder Hen¬ derson is a half brother of Elder Monroe W. Moore, of Dgcatur, Ala. He has been very much hindered by not being able to secure the advan¬ tages of many ministers and books, nor the influ¬ ence of the Richland Creek Association as his brother had. Elder Henderson has been fortunate enough to be called to the pastorate of the New Zion or Third Baptist Church, of Pulaski, Tenn., which is one of our good associational churches. We have every reason to believe that this church will be the means of developing the latent forces of this young man into a most worthy pastor. The wri¬ ter is very much impressed with the young broth¬ er and feels encouraged to know that he is com¬ ing in touch with such brothers as Elders Miles, T. S. Johnson, Skillern, A. R Johnson, Meals and Howard, all of whom are ordained preach- 110 MONITOR. ers, Deacons Wade, Mitchell, Gentry, Patten and Rivers. Elder Henderson has been pastor of Reubens Chapel, of Coldwater, Lincoln County; New Zion, of Blanche, Lincoln County, and is now pastor of one of the leading Baptist churches of Pulaski. The writer also asks that all the pas¬ tors and brethren of Pulaski stand by, support, and encourage Elder Henderson and all other brothers as they may come to them from time to time. This is a great work, and needs the united effort of all to build up this church. They need your help. MONITOR. Ill DEACON WILSON S. MOORE. Deacon Wilson S. Moore, of Glendale, Tenn., was born near Columbia, Tenn., on the 11th day of November, 1841. He has never attended school and has only such information as he could gather by the way amidst other duties. Re professed a saving grace in Christ, joined the Glendale Bap¬ tist Church, and was baptized on the first Sunday in May, 1876, by the late Rev. Andrew Cheatham, of Columbia, Tenn.; he was ordained deacon for the same church by Rev. Henry Tappan, of Nash¬ ville, Tenn., later on in the same year. 112 MONITOR. Deacon Moore was married to Miss Jennie Love, his present wife, November 11, 1870, and they have been blessed with fifteen children, thirteen of whom are living, and twelve of these are mem¬ bers of the home church at Glendale. Deacon Moore has been very successful in pro¬ viding for the rainy day; he has a nice farm, which is well cultivated, and upon which grow the principal things* for the sustenance of himself and family. And in our last word touching upon Deacon Moore, we wish to emphasize it in the sense of eu¬ logy, that he has been devotedly wedded to the in¬ terest of both his family and his church. MONITOR. 113 Deacon J. M. Gentry, of Pulaski, Tenn., was born in Williamson County, near Nashville, Tenn., October 8, 1854. He moved with his parents to Marshall County, and afterwards to Maury Coun¬ ty, residing there until 1873, when they moved to Giles County. Deacon Gentry was converted in April, 1877, joined Antonett Hill Baptist Church, Pulaski, Tenn., and was baptized by the late Elder David Coleman on October 18, 1877. The same year he DEACON J. M. GENTRY. 114 MONITOR. was elected superintendent of the Sunday school of the above church and served until 1880. In February, 1893, Deacon Gentry transferred his membership to Beulah Baptist Church, Pu¬ laski, Tenn., where he was elected clerk and dea¬ con, in which offices he still serves. For the last twelve years, or since he joined Beulah, he has officiated as deacon of the church and superin¬ tendent of the Sunday school. He joined the Asso¬ ciation in 1879, having little education at that time, but he has studied hard since then to make himself worthy of leadership, and how well he gained the confidence of his people may be seen from the following official honors which were con¬ ferred upon him: Corresponding Secretary of the Association in 1884, 1887-8, 1902-1905; Treasur¬ er from 1890 to 1900; Secretary of Educational Board, one of the great auxiliaries of the Associa¬ tion, for the years 1889-1894, 1896, 1898-'99; he was also Treasurer of this same Board in 1895 and 1897. Brother Gentry, as Corresponding Secretary of the Association, has had his hands full in seeing after the different departments—six in all—as pro¬ vided by the constitution. It requires a diligent and faithful Secretary to attend to the clerical du¬ ties of the Association, and such is Brother Gen¬ try. Brother Gentry has the praises of all the min¬ isters who have pastored him that he is a zealous worker for both church and Sunday school. He was instrumental in the purchasing of the lot and MONITOR. 115 building of Beulah Church, of Pulaski, Tenn., which is a nice one. Brother Gentry was called by the Spirit to preach, but for ten years he contended against that manifestation; but finally it grew too strong¬ ly upon him for resistance, and he yielded on the 10th of November, 1903, applying for licenses which were granted in June, 1904. Brother Gentry is a first-class mechanic, having kept the leading shoemaker's establishment in Pu¬ laski, Tenn., for more than twenty years. He, at one time, owned considerable property, but, like most business men, he has had some reverses. But he is forging ahead again. We are proud of Deacon Gentry, whom we ex¬ pect to see leading on the hosts of light against the hosts of darkness. On him we hope to see the choicest of spiritual blessings fall. 116 MONITOR. DEACON J. R. BROWN. The writer was not able to secure the age or place -of birth of Deacon J. R. Brown. He has a fairly good education, having attended Fisk Uni¬ versity during the terms of 1881 and 1882. He was converted to the Christian religion and join¬ ed the New Salem Baptist Church by baptism on August Zl, 1885. He was ordained a deacon in February, 1886, was elected superintendent of the Sunday school there, and has served in that office the greater part of the time until 1905, the tim^ MONITOR. 117 of the writing of this book. Brother Brown is one of the high class of deacons found in our As- sociaton, being a splendid church worker and a most useful man to the Association. He has ac¬ cumulated a nice lot of real estate, owning a little farm on which he has a comfortable home. Deacon Brown has held the following offices with much credit in the Association: Recording Secretary from 1887 to 1890 and again from 1902 to 1905; Corresponding Secretary in 1893; a mem¬ ber of the Foreign Mission Board in the years of 1896-1898; and is now Treasurer of the Educa¬ tional Board. He buys and distributes the lesson helps and Bibles among the churches of the Asso¬ ciation and in this capacity proves a most effi¬ cient Treasurer for the Board. He is extremely prompt in bringing up his reports to the General Association. Brother Brown has been a great builder of the Baptist cause in his neighborhood, and has also been of invaluable help to the writer in compiling the minutes of the Association, he being a clerk that kept a correct account of all hap¬ penings. His manuscripts were always plainly written, and, of course, easy to read. He has a bright future before him. 118 MONITOR. ISAAC E. EDMONSON. Deacon Isaac E. Edmonson, of Earlington, Ky., was born near Columbia, Tenn., on the 4th of July, in 1868, at which place he became a Christian and was baptized by the late T. W. Miller at the Glendale Baptist Church in June, 1882; he was elected superintendent of the Sun¬ day school in 1883, and was ordained Deacon in the same year. Brother Edmonson joined the Association as a business deacon in 1890, being elected as such ow- MONITOR. ii9 ing to his finanical and business tact and capac¬ ity. He held both of these offices until his resigna¬ tion was accepted prior to his moving to Earling- ton, Ky., in December, 1898. Deacon Edmonson enjoys unusual popularity among the brethren. He has filled creditably some important official positions connected with the As¬ sociation, viz.: Corresponding Secretary for 1895- 1898; Secretary of Home and Building Board for the years 1895-1898. Deacon Edmonson may be classed as a self- made man; for undoubtedly he has won his stand¬ ing among his brethren by dint of hard study out¬ side the confines of any good school. Testimony from Kentucky.—We learn from re¬ liable sources that Brother Edmonson was soon recognized in his new home, Earlington, Ky., as an earnest Cnristian man and a recognition of that fact resulted in his being elected as deacon of the church. He is recognized as a worthy and high church and lodge man, respectively. Brother Edmonson has a nice family, and to give his children the advantages of good schools is the reason he left his nice little home and moved to Earlington, Ky. He wants to give to them the advantages denied to himself. It is a pleasure for us to note a few things said of Brother Edmonson by such men as Rev. J. R. Robinson, on behalf of the church, and Brother Wm. Killebrew for the Sunday school. These 120 MONITOR. brethren bear fitting testimony of the worthiness of our brother both as to his active Christian la¬ bors and his worth and public-spiritedness as a citizen of the community. Brother Robert A. Garnett, K. of R. and S. of Lodge No. 26, Knights of Pythias, says Brother Edmonson has been C. C. of his lodge for three successive years, and Brother J. B. Hawkins, Sec¬ retary of King Solomon Lodge, No. 40, U. B. F., says Brother Edmonson has been master of his lodge for four years, and is very popular. He is indeed held in high esteem by his lodge brethren. Brother Edmonson's career, though he is prac¬ tically a young man, is worthy of emulation by those who are just entering life's arena as active participants. MONITOR. 121 DEACON HENRY N. MITCHELL. Henry N. Mitchell, of East Lynnville, Tenn., was born April 27, 1868. He was baptized at Old Round Hill Baptist Church in October, 1889; was ordained a deacon in the above named church in 1891, and afterwards was instructed in the du¬ ties of that office by the late Brother Richard Daugherty, a deacon of the old school. Brother Mitchell is known as the pastor's friend, but does not connive at anything which savors of wrong in a pastor, and will be detrimental to the 122 MONITOR. interest of the church. He is an active Sunday school worker, and has worked earnestly to keep a good one at Old Round Hill Church ever since his connection there. Deacon Mitchell was elected as Treasurer of the Sunday School Convention for the years 1901-06. He has always labored to advance the interest of his church in the Association as others have done before him. MONITOR. 123 DEACON JAMES BROWN. Deacon James Brown, of Prospect, Tenn., was born at Veto, or State Line, between Alabama and Tennessee in 1846. He was a Federal soldier in the Civil War, 1861-66. He professed religion when a young man, joined and was baptized at old Antioch Baptist Church, Prospect, Tenn., and af¬ ter the lapse of a few years was licensed to preach in 1877. He has been proud of his call ever since. Deacon Brown has been a great pillar of sup¬ port in old Antioch Church for a long time. He will hold any good pastor whom the church selects. 124 MONITOR. He joined the Association many years ago, and has worked faithfully to help build it up to its present useful and high standing as a great moral and uplifting agency. The day of small things is not to be despised, while the Lord has around such stalwart servants as Deacon James Brown. Thank; God for such earnest, strong, Christian men! MONITOR. 125 DEACON JOHN WASHINGTON GILBERT. Deacon John Washington Gilbert, of Pulaski, Tenn., was born November 6, 1866. He professed religion and was baptized by Rev. M. C. Skillern September, 1883, at Anthony Hill Church, near Pulaski, Tenn., where afterwards he was ordained a deacon by Elder M. C. Skillern during the summer of 1888, and the same year joined the As¬ sociation at St. Luke Baptist Church, Athens, Ala. Brother Gilbert has been very faithful in the discharge of his church and associational duties, 126 MONITOR. which makes him very popular at home and with the Association. He was elected Secretary of the Ministers' Pension or Relief Board for the years 1903-06, faithfully performing the duties of that position. He has ever been the friend of the pas¬ tors. The generous, considerate bearing of Brother Gilbert has endeared him to his pastors and his friends. He is a man of some means, showing that the Lord has been mindful of the temporal welfare of his servant. MONITOR. 127 LUCIUS H. GILMORE. Lucius H. Gilmore was born at Columbia, Mau¬ ry County, Tenn., January 11, 1889; he entered the public school of the city when seven years of age; he has made his grade every year, graduating from the grammar school department in June, 1904. He passed the ninth grade in June, 1905; passed the tenth grade in June, 1906, and he then passed to the eleventh or highest grade, from which he intends to graduate in June, 1907, after which he will take up the study of medicine at Nashville, Tenn. 128 MONITOR. Lucius H. Gilmore joined the St. John Baptist Church, Columbia, Tenn., and was baptized by his father, the writer, John S. Gilmore, in May, 1901; he was a delegate to the General Association that convened at Pulaski, Tenn., August, 1903, at which he was elected Secretary of the Home Mission Board. He was also elected colporter and book agent at the 1904 session of the Association held at Athens, Ala. This young man has a future resplendent with unrealized hopes—a future big with the grandest possibilities, if he but stick to his purposes with that bulldog tenacity that knows no yielding. His father, the writer, has spared no pains to give him that which no change of fortune or cir¬ cumstances can rob him of—a bank account of brains, a legacy that cannot be taken from him. With the future stretching out before it remains for him to make his place among men. A. T. BRAXTON, M. D. 130 MONITOR. DR. THEODORE BRAXTON. Dr. Atwell Theodore Braxton, of Columbia, Tenn., son of slave parents, was born at Bruns¬ wick, Ga., July 30, 1871. He was educated at the Tuskegee Normal and Industrial Institute, Tuske- gee, Ala.; he received his medical training at the following places: Leward Medical College, Ra¬ leigh, N. C.; Medical Hospital and City Hospital, Brooklyn, N. Y.; the Physicians and Surgeons Col¬ lege, Boston, Mass., and Meharry Medical College, Nashville, Tenn. Dr. Braxton was quite young when he came from Nashville to Columbia, Tenn., March, 1896. Both his youth and his racial identity were Pjt first a drawback to him in the prosecution of his chosen profession. But his manifested skill as a doctor of medicine was soon recognized and misgivings on the part of his own people gave place to, confidence in his ability, and even the leading white physicians of the town were out¬ spoken in their commendations of his fitness as a votary of materia medica, and a follower of the great Esculapius, the father of medicine. At first Dr. Braxton's financial condition was anything but inviting as were also his outlooks for beating back the tide of prejudice and doubt, which seemed to have set in against him; but, like the man that he is, he struggled on, confident that success would crown his efforts. As one has well said, all things come to him who learns tp Jabor and to wait. MONITOR. 131 Dr. Braxton climbed over obstacles and pushed aside impediments; he had no horse, so he made his professional calls and visits afoot; so deter¬ mined was he and so successful, that his friends began to multiply and increase, which enabled him to open an office in the building occupied by the writer as his pension office. Soon he had all the practice he could handle. Dr. Braxton now has on South Main Street a valuable home and drug store where you will find him. He is affable, sociable, and accommodating —these traits, with his sterling manliness, are the sequel of his remarkable success. Dr. Braxton joined the African Baptist Church or Colored Missionary Baptist Church, Bruns¬ wick, Ga., and was baptized. He is a true friend of the St. John Baptist Church, of Columbia, Tenn., rendering valuable assistance during the erection of that fine and sacred edifice of worship. White physicians have called him on several oc¬ casions during the performing of difficult and deli¬ cate operations; he has also served as a member of the City Board of Health. When the Colored State Medical Association met in Columbia, Tenn., in June, 1904, Dr. Braxton was elected president. There were pres¬ ent at that session many of the leading colored physicians of the State. Dr. Braxton is a high lodge man, a Knight Templar and holding other honored positions. When Richland Creek Baptist Association held its annual session at St. John Baptist Church, Co- 132 MONITOR. lumbia, Term., August, 1906, Dr. Braxton deliver¬ ed the welcome address, which was a credit to the church, a credit to the Association, and a credit to himself. In conclusion, we say that Dr. Braxton is a cred¬ it to the race; and what he has done, is prophetic of what he will yet do. . ~,c; is a penect reproduction of Mrs. Sa¬ rah Jane Gilmore, who was born in Brownsville, Tenn., October 27, 1865, but was reared in Nash¬ ville. She received a common school education in the city schools of Nashville. She professed reli¬ gion in her youth, and joined the Edgefield Baptist Church, and was baptized by the late Rev. R. B. Vandeville. She was married to Elder John Smith Gilmore, of Columbia, Tenn., September 30, 1885. She joined the Association at the annual session held in 1888, and was elected Vice President of the Women's District Mission, old form, which was MONITOR. 135 MISS LURA B. EDMONDSON. The above is a perfect picture of Miss Lura B. Edmoiidson, of Columbia, Tenn. She joined the Mt. Lebanon Baptist Church at that place, and was baptized by Elder John S. Gilmore when quite young, and is now a most valuable member of the St. John Baptist Church, having donated in sixteen months to the building fund of the Church $23.50. She acquired a common school education, and in 1899 joined the Association. In 1902, she was elected the first secretary of the Women's As- 136 MONITOR. sociation, where her excellent business qualities were demonstrated. Miss Edmondson is a daughter of Elder Lott Edmondson, of Columbia, Tenn., and is extremely popular in the Association, being a faithful and untiring worker both in the body, the Sunday school, and several secret lodges among the ladies of Columbia. MONITOR. 137 MISS VIOLA JUSTICE. Miss Viola Justice was born in Columbia, Giles County, Tenn., and has a very excellent education, having received a college diploma. She was the first candidate baptized in the St. John Baptist Church, when quite young; since that time she has been a true member of the church. She is Secre¬ tary both of the church and Sunday school, and is always at her post. Miss Justice in 1902 joined the Association, and was elected Secretary and Recorder of the Sunday School Convention, which place she has held and filled very creditably for four years, or 138 MONITOR. until 1906. The Moderator has rendered her much assistance in her office. She has a beautiful voice, and has won many friends by her singing. She is the untiring companion of a widowed moth¬ er, and is happy in the church work. MONITOR. 139 This picture is almost a perfect likeness of Mrs. Mattie E. Harris, the youngest daughter of Rev. Lott Edmondson, of Columbia, Tenn. She made a profession of religion during the spring of 1897 and was baptized in September of the same year, entitling her to full membership of the St. John Baptist Church, of Columbia, Tenn. Mrs. Harris graduated from the Grammar De¬ partment of the City School of Columbia, Tenn., in June, 1896. She was one of Maury County's teachers until her marriage to Mr. Eugene Har- 140 MONITOR. ris, March 18, 1906. Her maiden name was Miss M. E. Edmondson. Since her baptism Mrs. Harris has been an ear¬ nest, faithful worker in the Sunday school. She is a young woman of rare qualities which make her a desirable accession to the Women's Associa¬ tion, which elected her secretary for the years 1900-1902, The members of the General Association im¬ plore the blessings of heaven upon the future of this capable, useful young Christian woman. MINISTERIAL ROSTER OF THE ASSOCIATION. The ministerial roster of Richland Creek Bap¬ tist Association contains the names of earnest Christian men—devoted sons—who have helped to make a great uplifting moral and religious force among their people. The pioneers had no qualities to recommend them for leaders other than their deep sense of religious duty and native ability; the condition from which they had emerged—slavery—had deprived them of every opportunity of acquiring the most rudimental forms of intellectual information, not to speak of sure enough education; that was not to be thought of; could not have been the creation of the wild¬ est nor most extravagant and chimerical dream. The pioneers were succeeded by younger men whom they had been instrumental in bringing into the fold of God and ordaining, and the good work has gone on until five distinct groups of ordained ministers bless and fill up the places of those who fall to sleep at their post of duty. These groups &re about seven and a half years apart. (14D 142 MONITOR. FIRST GROUP OF ORDAINED MINISTERS. Rev. Reuben Malone, Athens, Ala. Rev. Jerry P. Felps, Elkton, Tenn. David Crockett Coleman, Pulaski, Tenn. (De¬ ceased.) Calvin Sloss, Elkton, Term. (Deceased.) Alfred Nicholas, Bellmina, Ala. (Deceased.) Albert Honney, Pulaski, Tenn. (Deceased.) Dublin Coleman, Athens, Ala. (Deceased.) Thomas J. Lee, Good Springs, Tenn. Lewis Coleman, Pulaski, Tenn. (Deceased.) Prince Parsons, Bellmina, Ala. (Deceased.) Burnett Houston, Athens, Ala. SECOND GROUP OF ORDAINED MINISTERS. John Smith Gilmore, Columbia, Tenn. Elijah Lincoln, Decatur, Ala. Charles Miles, Aspin Hil7, Tenn. Wm. Jones, Bryson, Tenn. William N. Clark, Blanche, Tenn. Dandridge Coleman, Bethel, Tenn. (Deceased.) Henry L. Bledsoe, Elkton Tenn. (Deceased.) THIRD GROUP OF ORDAINED MINISTERS. M. C. Skillern, Pulaski, Tenn. Lott Edmondson, Columbia, Tenn. R. J. Love, Pulaski, Tenn. Henry H. Braden, Lynnville, Tenn. Moses M. Gilbert, now of Texas. John Westley Meals, Athens, Ala. Mack White, Mt, Pleasant, Tenn. MONITOR. 143 David V. Jones, of West Tennessee. Rev. William Coleman, Athens, Ala. (De¬ ceased.) FOURTH GROUP OF ORDAINED MINISTERS. Hamilton Mason, Athens Ala. (Deceased.) Stephen Abernathy, Bunker Hill, Tenn. (De¬ ceased.) David Meals, Pulaski, Tenn. Haywood Coleman, , . Andrew Jackson Gilbert, Good Springs, Tenn. J. C. Coleman, Jr., Prospect, Tenn. FIFTH GROUP OF ORDAINED MINISTERS. Thomas T. Stone, Decatur, Ala. Rev. Wade Hamilton Ballantine, Pulaski, Tenn. (Deceased.) Franklin J. Givens, Pulaski. Tenn. Transom Johnson, Pulaski, Tenn. Monroe W. Moore. Decatur, Ala. David Howard, Pulaski, Tenn. There is a dearth of ministerial aspirants in these times; so it behooves us to pray that the Lord of the harvest will send forth more laborers into the field. (Luke 10:2.) OFFICIAL ROLL OF THE GEN¬ ERAL ASSOCIATION. GENERAL MODERATORS. Old Elder Abraham Coleman, of West Athens, Ala., was the first elected Moderator of the Asso¬ ciation and served the organization from 1867 to 1869. Old Elder David Anderson, deceased, was the second Moderator of the Association, and served the term of . Elder John Smith Gilmore, of Columbia, Tenn., was the third Moderator, and served the Associa¬ tion eleven successive years, 1873 to 1884, and re¬ signed. After three years he was prevailed upon and elected again, and is at present Moderator, having served since the second election eighteen consecutive years, making in all twenty-nine years of faithful work for the Association. The last term was from 1888 to 1906. Elder Thomas P. Smith, of Pulaski, Tenn., was fourth Moderator, and served the Association faithfully for the year 1885. The late Elder Albert Honney, of Pulaski, Tenn., was the fifth Moderator, and served the Association for two years, 1886 and 1887. (145)' 146 MONITOR FIRST VICE MODERATORS. Elder Reuben Malone, of Athens served from 1867 to 1868. Old Elder Abraham Coleman, of Athens, was elected and served in the years of 1871 and 1872, again from 1875 to 1878, and the last time in 1886. The late Elder David C. Coleman, of Pulaski, Tenn., served in this office in 1873 and 1874, and again in 1888. Elder Henry H. Braden, of Lynnville, Tenn., served in the year of 1887, and was elected again and served in the years of 1897-1899. Elder J. P. Felps, of Elkton, Tenn., was the next elected, and served one year, 1882. Elder Daniel W. Binford, then of Athens, Ala., served in the year of 1884, The late Elder Albert Honney, of Pulaski, Tenn., filled the office in 1885 and again from 1888 to 1893. Elder A. J. Gilmore> ^f Good Springs, Tenn., was elected and served the year of 1895. Elder M. C. Skillern, of Pulaski, Tenn., was elected and served in the year of 1896. Elder Monroe W. Moore, of Decatur, Ala., was elected and has served from 1901 to 1906, and is at present filling the office, having served five suc¬ cessive years. SECOND VICE MODERATORS. Elder Wm. Jones, of Bryson, Tenn., served for the years 1880 and 1881. MONITOR. 147 Eder Jeremiah Felps, of Elkton, served from 1873 to 1876. The late David C. Coleman, of Pulaski, Tenn., served in 1877. Elder Reuben Malone, of Oneal, Ala., served in the years of 1878 and 1879. and again in 1887. Elder E. J. Lincoln, of Decatur, Ala., served in the year of 1889. The late Elder Richard Sanderson, D. D., of Co¬ lumbia, Tenn., served in the year of 1886. Elder David Meals, of Pulaski, Tenn., served in the year of 1890. Elder Monroe W. Moore, of Decatur, Ala., served in the year of 1899. Elder Andrew Jackson Gilbert, of Good Springs, Tenn., served the years of 1897 and 1898. Elder Henry Harrison Braden, of Lynnville, Tenn., served in 1896. Elder M. C. Skillern, of Pulaski, Tenn., served from 1892 until 1895. Elder James W. Ellis, of Columbia, Tenn., for 1901. Elder Transom Johnson, of Wales, Tenn., was elected in 1902, and is holding the office at the time of this writing in 1906, leaking a term of four years. RECORDING SECRETARIES. Elder Thomas Jefferson Lee, of Oak Grove, Good Spring, Tenn., was elected in 1867 and 1868. Elder David Meals, of Pulaski, Tenn., was elected in 1869. 148 MONITOR. The lately licensed preacher, Elder Franklin Coleman, of Pulaski, Tenn., served in 1870 and 1871. Elder John Smith Gilmore, of Columbia, Tenn., elected in 1873. Prof. Dennis Williams, of Elkmont, Ala., was elected for the years 1874 and 1876. Prof. W. S. Madrid, of Pulaski, Tenn, served in 1875 and again from 1877 to 1879. The late Deacon Thomas David, of Athens, Ala., served from 1879 to 1881. The late Elder Thomas J. Marsh, of Lynnville, Tenn., served in 1882 and 1883, and again from 1892 to 1898. Elder M. C. White, of Mt. Pleasant, Tenn., served in 1884 and 1885. The late Elder Thomas W. Miller, of Hurricane, or Glendale, Tenn., served for the year 1886. Elder Franklin J. Givens, of Pulaski, Tenn., was elected for 1901. Deacon James R. Brown, of Elkmont, Ala., was elected in 1887 and served to 1890, again in 1899, and the last time in 1902, which office he fills at this writing, 1906. CORRESPONDING SECRETARIES. Elder Thomas Jefferson Lee, of Good Springs, Tenn., in 1869. The late Elder William Roberts, of Buford. Tenn., in 1870 and 1871. MONITOR. 149 The late Elder Green Roberts, of Bellmina, Ala., for 1867. Elder Reuben Malone, of Gilbertsboro, Ala., served for 1874. The late Elder William Coleman, of Bethel, Tenn., served in the years of 1875-1877. The late Elder George M. Fears, of Prospect, Tenn., served for 1879. Deacon Austin Buford, of Buford, Tenn., served in 1878. The late Elder Hamilton Mason, of Athens, Ala., served from 1882 to 1884. Deacon J. M. Gentry, of Pulaski, Tenn., served for the years of 1885, 1887, 1888, and 1902 to 1906. The late Deacon Thomas D. Coleman, of Pulas¬ ki, Tenn., served for 1886. Elder Daniel W. Binford, of Athens, Ala., served for the years 1889 and 1890. Deacon James R. Brown, of Elkmont, Ala., served in 1893. Deacon I. E. Edmondson, of Glendale, Tenn., served from 1895 to 1898. Elder David Howard, of Pulaski, Tenn., served in 1899. Deacon Thomas E. Carden, of Prospect, Tenn., served in 1901. TREASURERS. The late deacon Edward Coleman, of Bethel, Tenn., was elected for 1867 and 1868. 150 MONITOR. The late Peter Coleman, of Bethel, Tenn., for 1869 and 1870. Deacon George W. Coleman, of West Athens, Ala., served in 1871. Deacon Leroy Coleman, of Bethel, Tenn., served the years from 1872 to 1875. Deacon Jackson Dun, of Prospect, Tenn., was elected for the years of 1876 and 1877. Deacon Toney Birdsong, of Elkton, Tenn., served in 1878 and 1879. Elder William Jones, of Bryson, Tenn., served from 1880 to 1884. Elder John Smith Gilmore, of Columbia, Tenn., served from 1885 to 1887. The late Elder David C. Coleman, of Pulaski, Tenn., served in 1888 and 1889. Deacon Jerome M. Gentry, of Pulaski, Tenn., served from 1890 to 1900. Elder Henry Harrison Braden, of Lynnville, Tenn., served from 1901 to 1906, the time of this writing. THE MODERATOR'S ANNUAL MESSAGE. [TO THE CONVENTION IN 1899.] It might be stated before giving the message that the members of the Association have been greatly benefited by the Moderator's annual mes¬ sages, for in many of them was found the very best counsel for ministers, as well as recommen¬ dations relating to work and taxation. The paper as read before the annual session, which convened in the Second Baptist Church of Pulaski, Tenn., in 1899, follows, being reproduced from the minutes of that session and found on pages 13 and 14. To the Officers and Members of- the Richland Creek Missionary Baptist Association convened in annual session with the Beulah Baptist Church, of Pulaski, Tenn., greetings: Dear Brethren—We acknowledge at the begin¬ ning of this message that many important acts have transpired since we assembled in our last annual session, all of which add interest to the session in which we are now assembled. I want to say to you: First. That you must be more careful than heretofore, and also watch as well as pray. You (151) 152 MONITOR. must be slow in inviting strangers into your pulpit or charge, for sometimes you get into trouble or get trouble on your hands that you cannot control. Second. You must try to do all you can to stop the sale of books and papers in your field of labor for which you cannot vouch to be bona fide Bap¬ tist books containing sound Baptist doctrine. This may require a lecture to your Sunday school, your young people and also your church. Take the time to warn them of these impostors. You can spare the time just before or just after your ser¬ mon. The fields are full of Mormon elders and Do Rights, with their compromised forms of Ca¬ tholicism, spreading it by means of cheap books which they sell our people both in Tennessee and Kentucky. See to it that your people buy their books from the Educational Board at Pulaski, the Baptist Publishing Board at Nashville or the American Baptist Publication Society at Philadel¬ phia. Third. Don't compromise your character while you are young, build it up, for when you are old you will have a foundation to live on. Now, my brethren, while you are forming this, the most important factor in your lives, make the most of it, build firmly, let your character be spotless, for we only pass this way once and a preacher's days are short compared with the number of days preachers used to live. My dear friends, there is one thing as sure as death itself, i. e., when a monitor. 153 preacher grows careless in handling public money. All of your sins may be hid till then, but then you had just as well be dead for they will despise you so you will wish for death as a welcome relief. Have a care, my dear brethren, for most of you have families. Fourth. I may have moved into that house not made with hands, but eternal in the heavens, with Brothers Honney and Campbell, but in case I am not here to exchange thoughts with you I hope that some of the thoughts I have exchanged will serve as guiding ropes on your sails, carrying you safely through the storms of adversity and over the restless sea of life and anchor you safe in the harbor of rest. Respectfully submitted by request, J. S. Gilmore, Moderator of Richland Creek Association. PRESIDENTS OF SUNDAY SCHOOL CONVENTION FROM 1881-1905. 1881.—Rev. Henry L. Bledsoe, Elkton, Tenn. (Deceased.) 1882.—Rev. W. H. Mason, Athens, Ala. (De¬ ceased.) 1883-1885.—Rev. David V. Jones, Veo, Ala. CONSOLIDATED IN 1886. 1886-1888.—Rev. John Smith Gilmore, Co¬ lumbia, Tenn. 1889.—Rev. Daniel W. Binford, Athens, Ala. 1889.—Suspended for Independence. 1900.—Reorganization under present system. 1900-1905.—Rev. M. C. Skillern, Pulaski, Tenn. FIRST VICE PRESIDENTS OF THE CONVENTION. 1881.—Deacon Samuel Scott, Prospect, Tenn. 1882.—Deacon George Washington Coleman, Bethel, Tenn. (Deceased.) 1883-1885.—Licentiate John Westly McKin- nie, Bethel, Tenn. 1886-1888.—Rev. David Crockett Coleman, Pu¬ laski, Tenn. (Deceased.) 1889.—Prof. John Robert Graves, Columbia Tenn. (155) 156 MONITOR. SECOND VICE PRESIDENTS OF THE CONVENTION. 1886-1888.—Rev. M. C. Skillern, Pulaski, Tenn. 1889.—Wade Hamilton Mar on, Athens, Ala. (Deceased.) THIRD VICE PRESIDENTS OF THE CONVENTION. 1881, 1888.—Rev. David C. Coleman, Pulaski, Tenn. (Deceased.) 1886, 1887.—Rev. W. A. Clark, Blanche, Tenn. 1889.—Rev. W. C. Skillern, Pulaski, Tenn. FOURTH VICE PRESIDENTS OF CONVENTION. 1886.—Rev. Charles Miles, Aspin Hill, Tenn. 1887, 1888.—Rev. J. P. Phelps, Elkton, Tenn. 1889.—Rev. Henry H. Braden, Lynnville, Tenn. SECRETARIES OF CONVENTION. 1881-1883.—Rev. Thomas J. Marsh, Lynnville, Tenn. (Deceased.) 1884, 1885.—Rev. Jacob Crockett Coleman, Prospect, Tenn. UNDER CONSOLIDATION. 1886.—Rev. Thomas W. Miller, Columbia, Tenn. (Deceased.) 1887-1889.—Deacon James R. Brown, Elkmont, Ala. CORRESPONDING SECRETARIES OF CONVENTION. 1881-1883.—Rev. William Coleman, Athens. Ala. (Deceased.) monitor. 157 1884.—Wade Hamilton, Athens, Ala. (De¬ ceased.) 1885.—Deacon Wallace A. Nason, Aspin Hill, Tenn. 1886.—Rev. Daniel W. Binford, Athens, Ala. 1887.1888.—Prof. A. H. Baugh, Athens, Ala. 1889,1890.—Deacon James R. Brown, Elkmont, Ala. Note.—This department was suspended indefi¬ nitely after the election of officers by an act of the Association in 1890, the Sunday school work to be under the supervision of the Educational Board, known as the Training Board. The cause of the trouble was independence or rebellion. When the schools were put on better footing, the Conven¬ tion was reorganized in 1900 with a strong and good man at its head. treasurers of old convention. 1886,1887.—Deacon J. C. Coleman (blind), Pu¬ laski, Tenn. 1888.1889.—Deacon Thomas H. David, Athens, Ala. (Deceased.) 1900.—Licentiate Calvin White, , . 1901-1905.—Deacon Henry N. Mitchell, East Lynnville, Tenn. 1882-1886.—All monies were held or paid out by the Finance Committee. OFFICIALS OF THE SUNDAY SCHOOL CONVENTION. [UNDER NEW ORGANIZATION.] FIRST VICE PRESIDENTS. 1901-1903.—Rev. Transom I. Johnson, Wales Tenn. 1904.—Rev. Franklin J. Givens, Pulaski, Tenn. 1905.—Rev. David Meals, Pulaski, Tenn. SECOND VICE PRESIDENTS. 1900-1901.—Rev. Armstead R. Johnson, Pulas¬ ki, Tenn. 1902.—Rev. David Meals, Pulaski, Tenn. 1903.—Rev. James Wells, Columbia, Tenn. 1904.—Rev. David Meals, Pulaski, Tenn. 1905.—Rev. Armstead R. Johnson, Pulaski, Tenn. RECORDING SECRETARIES. 1900, 1901.—Mrs. Lee Fowler, Glendale, Tenn. 1902-1905.—Miss Viola Justice, Columbia, Tenn. CORRESPONDING SECRETARIES. 1900, 1901.^—Licentiate Carter Readus, Buford, Ten^u (*59) 160 MONITOR. 1902.—Brother John Rivers, Buford, Tenn. 1903.—Miss Lydia Taylor, Athens, Ala. 1904.—Miss Cleora Givens, Pulaski, Tenn. 1905.—Miss Ella Honney, Pulaski, Tenn. TREASURER. 1900-1905.—Deacon Henry N. Mitchell, Lynn- ville, Tenn. AN OBITUARY REPORT. [DELIVERED AT THE SESSION HELD IN 1882,] To the Officers and Members of the Glendale As¬ sociation of Richland Creek Missionary Bap¬ tists, convened in session with St. Luke Bap¬ tist Church of Athens, Ala., August, 1882, to you come sad greetings: Your committee sent out to look up the number of members who have died since our last session, beg leave to report the following: From time to time we find a soldier who has fallen at his post, and we think, "How sad and sol¬ emn is the thought." It is very true when we say that we enjoy the sunshine of life for only a short while and soon, so soon does the ruthless hand of death manifest itself by cutting short the pleas¬ ures of Mother Earth. Yes, the shears of eter¬ nity are ever busy clipping the flowers of man¬ kind and making bouquets for the grave. It mat¬ ters not how good or bad, how wise or simple, how righteous or wicked, how rich or poor, how young or old, how humble or noble, how white or black, none are immune from death. Death is no respecter of persons, but treats all alike. Though de^th i§ all around us we cannot but have sad (161) 162 MONITOR. and solemn thoughts when we see where the sword of death has been wielded mightily in our field this year and has carried to their last reward the following dear ones: Licentiate Silas Luder, of Blanche, Tenn.; Elder Henry L. Bledsoe, of Elk- ton, Tenn.; Elder Dandridcce R. Coleman, of Beth- el, Tenn., who were all at their posts of duty in our last session. The first two brothers held life-time member¬ ship in the Association and were known as life members. Elder Dandridge Coleman was pastor of the church at Bethel, his home for four years, where he was dearly loved as a worthy young pastor. He worked hard to build up the church, and bap¬ tized many candidates during his short pastoral life. On December 10, 1881, his Lord and Master passed upon his work and promoted him to the realms of glory. He passed through the valley and shadow of death and did not shrink back but rushed on singing: "Death cannot make our souls afraid, If God be with us there; We may walk through its darkest shade, And never yield to fear." Therefore be it, Resolved, That we bow in humble submission to the hand of God in removing them from our ranks, and that we are called upon as was Moses to run our race and die in full triumph of the faith as did our brothers named above. monitor. 163 The Committee on Devotions is hereby re¬ quested to arange for the memorial services to be held on Sunday morning by order of the Modera¬ tor. Respectfully, Committee. OBITUARIES. Elder David Anderson, of Nashville, Tenn., was the founder of the Richland Creek Association in 1866, and was its first Moderator, holding the of¬ fice for six years, or until 1873. After severing his connection with the Association he lived around and about Nashville until his death, which is supposed to have occurred some time in the year 1900. Old Brother Samuel Coleman, who was father of a great family of Colemans, viz.: Abraham, George, Sr., David and Dublin. This old brother was a member of the white Baptist church before the Civil War and lived at Athens, Ala. He died at Mt. Roysall, about seventeen miles west of Athens, in the spring of 1872. The writer preached his funeral in August, this being the first funeral sermon preached by him. Elder Calvin Sloss, of Prospect, Tenn., died about 1885. No history could be ascertained. Old Elder Lewis Coleman, of Pulaski, Tenn. was another grand old gentleman. He was one of the founders of the Association, and in 1866 ad¬ ministered the ordinances of the Lord's Supper for five months in 1872 at Mt. Olvan Baptist (165) 166 MONITOR. Church, which was founded by Rev. J. S. Gilmore, who was ordained during this time. He is sup¬ posed to have died some time in 1875. Brother Franklin Coleman, son of Elder Lewis Coleman, was also one of the founders of the As¬ sociation. He was sercetary of it from 1866 until 1872, when the writer succeeded him. Brother Coleman died in 1880. Elder Dandridge Coleman, of Bethel, Tenn., was a most promising young minister of his day and the Baptist denomination sustained a great loss in his untimely death, which occurred December 10, 1882. Elder H. L. Bledsoe, of Elkton, Tenn., was an¬ other very valuable young minister who was edu¬ cated at Roger Williams University, of Nashville, He was both a preacher and teacher, and the Bap¬ tists sustained a severe loss in the death of this dear brother, which occurred some time in 1882. Elder Walter P. Miller, of Columbia, Tenn., was a very useful young minister who died in the year of 1889. Elder William Coleman, of Athens, Ala., who attended school at the Trinity College, of Athens, Ala., was a most valuable young pastor and the Baptists of Athens felt a heavy blow by his early death in 1892. Elder Wade Hampton Mason, of Athens, Ala., who used to be one of the pastors of the Associ- tion and a good worker but afterwards joined the Seventh Day Adventists, died in 1890. MONITOR. 167 Elder Wade Hampton Ballentine, of Pulaski, Tenn., was one of those gifted young men who did not live long enough to make much history. He died in March, 1893. Elder David Crockett Coleman (see biography of Elder Coleman), of Pulaski. Tenn., was one of the founders of the Association. He was pastor of the little church at Prospect, Tenn., at which the organization took place in June, 1866. Elder Coleman was one of the most successful pastors in the body and up to his death, which occurred in October, 1893, had done more work than any other preacher in the Association. Elder Henry Clay Campbell, of Pulaski, Tenn., was a young minister very gifted as a preacher and pastor and faithful to the Association until his death in , 1898. Elder Stephen Abernathy, of Pulaski, Tenn., was another young pastor who for eight years did some excellent work for the Association. He died in 1897. Elder S. W. Duncan, of Nashville, Tenn., was a most powerful preacher and pastor, who was educated at Roger Williams University, at Nash¬ ville. He came to our Association from the Stone River Association, and after remaining two years returned to the Stone River Association. He died some time in 1896. Elder Albert Honney, of Pulaski, Tenn. was known as a great revivalist of this Association. He was among the first ministers . [»> >. 4) ■O a © H « S ib P a e p D V a .£ a CL, 5 1st Baptist 1875 $ $ 10 $ 25 $ 10 New Zion 1875 in 25 Mt.- Olvan 1877 8 25 Centerpoint 1875 in 25 New Zion 1875 10 2» Antioch 1875 10 Antioch 1884 -•* l 25 Antioch 1883 2 25 Antio'ch 1883 2 25 Antioch , ... 1883 2 25 Batch Grove 1882 2 25 Bethel 1883 2 25 Bethel 1876 10 St. Luke 1879 6 St. Luke 1879 6 25 St. Luke 1888 2 St. Luke 1883 2 St. Luke 1883 2 St. Luke 1884 1 1 Mt. Pisgah 1881 1 1 25 Mt. Pisgah 1883 2 St. John 1883 2 St. John 1883 2 Indian Creek 1882 3 25 Indian Creek 188 2 26 Indian Creek 1884 1 - Indian Creek 188.i 1 1 Mt. Olvan 1885 1 . 1 Mt. Olvan 1885 1 1 Mt. Olvan. 1880 " 1 1 Chestnut Grove 1883 2 25 Chestnut Grove... 1883 2 25 Chestnut Grove... 1885 1 Rev. J~ S. Gilmore. .. " A. Coleman " A. Honney Bro. K. D. Sherrell... " P. Smith " Lorenzo Ferrell " J. C. Coleman, Jr " Jas. Brown " Stirling Brown. " Elmore Coleman " Sam Scott " John McKinney ' Peter Coleman.*. *' N. T. Thatch " William Coleman " N. Math is... " W. H. Nason " D P. Houston " Thomas David " N. Binford " D. W, Binford " W. H. Moore " Elder B. Houston " Mc White.. " John Turner " James Patterson " Wm. Jones .. " W. Abernathy . " Pryor Readus. " Henry Monra. .. " Wm. Gilbert .. " Richard Howard " Wm. Howard.. Columbia, Venn ., Athens, Ala Bulord, Tenn Elkton, Tenn Bellmina, Ala. Prospect, Tenn.. Prospect, Tenn . Prospect, Tenn... Prospect, Tenn.. Prospect, Tenn.. Prospect. Tenn.. Bethel, Tenn.. .. Bethel, Tenn.. .. Athens, Ala Athens, Ala Athens, Ala Athens, Ala Athens, Ala, . Athens, Ala Athens, Ala Athens, Ala Rowland, Ala Rowland, Ala Bryson, Tenn Bryson, Tenn Bryson, Tenn Bryson, Tenn ... Buford, Tenn.... Buford, Ten Buford, Tenn Bodenham, -Tenn Bodendam, Tenn Bodenham, T«nn LlB'ETfME MEMBEKS. Members. Bro. Peter Howard . Spencfc Howard. Jerrv Moore Ned Barcer R. L>. McDonald R W Gressom Charles Myars. Calvin Sloss. Thomas J. Lee Porter Baity. J. W. McKinnie VV. S. Madry A. .f. Gilbert... . K. J. Love Reuben Malone P. J. Serevere . JIenrv Bradeu W S' Moore Frank Grisby M. C Skillern J. M. Gentry Charles Brown.. T. P. Smith W A. Perkins Isaac Bhodes .. D. V. Jones Harry Readus.. J. J. Suttles H. Johhnson Alonzo Pulcn Lott Edmonson ffm. Hnrns Jas. Wells. ... T. W. Miller . Post Office. Membership. Bodenhani, Tenn liodenham, Tenn Bodenham, Tenn Blanch, Tenn.... Blanch, Tenn ... Columbia, Tenn . Elkton, Tenn Elkton, Tenn Elkton, Tenn ... Elkton, Tenn .. Gilbertsboro, Ala Gilbertsboro, Ala Gilbertsboro, Ala Athens, Ala Athens, Ala Aspin Hill, Tenn. Lynnville, Tenn.. Hurricane, Tenn. Athens, Ala Pulaski, Teun.. . Pulaski, Tenn Pulaski, Tenn.. Pulaski, Tenn Mineford, Tenn Pulaski, Tenn . Veto, Ala Elkmont. Ala... Wales, Tenn Walt s, Tenn ... Wales, Tenn Wales, Tenn . Wales, Tenn Lynnville, Tenn Hurricane, Tenn Chestnut Grove Chestnut Grove. Chestnut Grove New Zion Reuben Chapel. Mt. Lebanon.. .. Indian Creek.. Indian Creek. . Union Hill Centerpoint .. Bethel Mt. Nebo Mt. Nebo Union Hill Newbera Aniony Hill.. First Baptist.. Hurricane . Newbera . . Antonett Hill . Antonett Hill . Antonett Hill.. Bethel ... Antonett Hill . Antonett Hill.. New Salem.. . New Salem . Mt. Olvan . .. Mt. Olvau St. Paul 1st B. Lynnville Mt Olvan 1st Baptist M t. Lebanon .. . 1885 . 188ft . 1885 1885 1881 188.i 1882 1883 1881 1883 1885> 18S3 1883 1881 188i 1885 1885 1885 1885 1884 1885 1885 188H 1885 1885 1884 1885 18&5 1885 1884 1885 1885 1885 1885 $ 1: raw T.if« \i/