The western Democrat. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1852-1870, 1859-03-22
HENRY EVANS, THE NEGRO PREACH

EVANS, THE NGO1So h!1ASAA-
ER.
Bishop Capers of South Carolina, in his autl-
biography, gives the following account of Henry
Evans, colored preacher, who founded the first
Methodist Church in Fayetteville, n. c. There
are persons still living in that town who first at
tended preaching under Evans 60 years ago. He
is spoken of as a man of most exemplary character
by those who knew him well:
"Henry Evans was confessedy the father of
the Methodist Church, white and black, In Fayette-
ville and the best preacher of his time III that
quarter, and was so remarkable as to have become
the greatest curiosity of the town; nsomuch, that
distinguished visitors hardly felt that they might
pass Sunday in Fayetteville without hearing him
preach Evans was from Virginia; shoemaker
by trade, and, think was born free. He became
a christian and Methodist quite young, and was
licensed to preach in Virginia. While yet
Young man, he determined to remove to Charleston,
S. c. thinking he might succeed best there at his
trade. This determined him to stop
in Fayetteville; and he began to preach to the ne
groes with great effect. The town council inter
fered, and nothing in his power could prevail with
them to permit him to preach. He then withdrew
to the sandhills out of town, and held meetings in
the woods, changing his appointments from place
to place No law was violated, while the council
was effectually eluded; and the opposition pass
ed into the hands of the mob. These he worried
out 10y changing his appointments, that when they
went to work their will upon him, he was preach
ing somewhere else. Happily for him
and the cause of religion, his honest countenance
and earnest pleadings were soon powerfully second
ed by the fruits of his labors One after another
began to suspect their servants of attending his
preaching, not because they were made worse, but
wonderfully better. The effect on the public
morals of the negroes too, began to be seen, par
ticularly as regarded their habits on Sunday, and
drunkenness. And it was not long before the
mob was called off, by change in the current OF
opinion, and Evans was allowed to preach in town.
At that time, there was not single church editce
in town, and but one acknowledgement
who worshipped in what was called the State
house, under which was the market; and it was
plainly Evans, no body, to preach to the ne
sroes. Now, too all of the mstresses, there were
not few, and some masters, who were brough to
think that the preaching which had proved so
beneficial their servants, mig hit be good for them
also; and the famous negro preacher had some
whites as well as blacks to hear him. Seats, dis
tnctly separated were at first appropriated to the
whites, near the pull it. But Evans had already
become famous, and these seats were insufficient.
Indeed, the negroes seemed likely to lose their
preacher negro though he was, while the whites,
crowded out of their appropriate seats, took pos
session of those in the rear
Meanwhile, Evans had repres ,nted to the
preacher of Bladen Circuit, how things going,
and induced him to take his meeting house into the
circuit and constitute church. AS there was no
longer room for the negroes in the house when
Evans preached; and for the accommodation of
both classes, the weather boards were knocked off;
and sheds were added to the house on either side,
the whites occupying the whole of the original
building and the negroes those sheds a part of
the same house. Evans dwelling shed at
the pulpit end of the church.
1t was my practice to hold a meeting with the
blacks in the church, directly after morning
preaching, every Sunday And one Sunday before
his death, during this meeting, the little door be-
tween his humble shed and the chancel where |
stood, was opened, and the dying man entered for
last farewell to his people. He was almost too
feeble to stand at all, but SUPP orting himself by
the railing of the chancel he said, II have come
to say my last word to you. It s thas: None but
Christ. Three times have had my life in jeopardy
for preaching the gospel to you. Three times [
have broken the ice the edge Of the water, and
swan across the Cape Fear river, to preach the
gospel to YOU And now, if in my last hour, I
could trust to that, anything else but Christ
crucifed, for my salvation all should he lost, and
my soul perish forever"
When Evans died he was buried underneath the
Altar of the Church, then containing large white
congregation.