Knoxville weekly chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1875, 1873-02-19
RELIGIOUS INFLUENCES.
The Cause of God i'm knoNvIlIe-The
Workings of our Churches
No. NGIG.-TIIE SHILOH PRESBYTERIAN
CHURCH (CoLOREDl

in the city of New York, in May, 1866,
Rev. Henry II. Garnet and John b. Reeve.
were appointed to visit the South and
Southwest to look after the interest of
their colored brethren who were i'm sym
pathy with the doctrines, polity and gov
ernment Of the Presbyterian Church.
Rev. Mr. Garnet was appointed to visit
parts Of the South, and Rev. Mr.. Reeve.
the Southwest.
Mr.. Garnet came TO Knoxville, and was
kindly received 10y Rev. u. =. Wells, then
acting pastor of the Second PRESBYTERIAN
Church, and Rev. Samuel Sawyer, Presby-
terial Missionary. Both were warm
friends of the Freedmen, and ready to as
sist in whatever might be for their reli-
gious or moral advancement,
There were eleven colored communi-
cants connected with the Second Presby-
terrain Church, who We're DESTROYS of being
organized into saperate church. Their
wishes were made known to Rev. Mr..
Wells, and the Elders and the Session
cheerfuiiy granted them letters and babe
them God speed.
With these eleven members from the
Second and one from the First Presbyteri-
an church, Rev. Mr.. Reeve proposed to or
ganZe.
Pursuant to notice, meeting was held
at the Second Presbyterian church on the
4th of September, 1865. A sermon was
preached by Rev. Mr.. Reeve, after which,
with the assistance of Revs. Messrs. Wells
and Sawyer, he proceeded to organize "the
First Colored Presbyterian church of Knox
ville' NOW known as Shiloh) by prayer
and they enterd into covenant to walk
together in the ordinances of Christ's ap-
pointment.
David Scaggs and Levi Lillison were
chosen and ordained elders, after which
two others were received on profession,
making in all fourteen members
Soon after the organization, Rev. Mr..
Reeve had to return to Philadelphia, Pa,
TO his pastoral charge. This church was
then left without any regular pastor, or
stated supply ofspritual food and as a mat
ter of course the membership soon became
somewhat scattered.
The Elders wrote to the General Assem-
bly's committee for Home Missions a state
ment of their condition and requested
them to send them a minister, and they
would do all in their power for his sup
port with their assistance. The commit
tee sought to find such man as might be
suitable for the field, but without success.
In the mean time the Rev. q. w. lie
We're returned from the war where he had
lOuOIdDly anu lullnlully as ClaD-
lin i'll the 10th Regiment of L. $. Colored
Infantry, and being well known as the
pastor of st. Pauls Congregational Church,
Brooklyn, New York, for eleven wears, un.
I'll lie offered his services to the govern
ment. The committee earnestly solicited
him to accept commission as missionary
for Knoxville and vicinity. He accepted
and arrived here February 8, 1866, and
found twelve of the original members, but
without nlnpn Of in
strong feeling of prejudice against colored
churches. This he says he expected to
ind, consequently he came prepared to
meet 1t, but he had also to meet the preiu-
dice of the colored churches, who seemed
to think that no other churches should be
established but such as were of their own
faith and order, but this was easily ac-
counted for.
The building of the First Presbyterian
church being vacant. Rev. Mr.. LeVere
obtained permission and held services there
until 1t was turned over to the former oc-
cupants.
Again this little flock was without |
place of worship. The pastor wrote to the |
General Assembly's committee a statement |
of their circumstances, and of the many |
ANNOUNCEMENTS with which they had to |
but expressed the hope that by |
the help of the Lord he would succeed in |
dlsabuslng the minds of the whites of |
the erroneous idea that negroes were all |
alike.
He used every effort imaginable TO pro-
cure some vacant building, but to no avail. |
MIR. Perez Dickinson being present when
he applied for the use of the Lecture Room
Of one of the churches, and heard him re-
fused, went home and sent his servant to
inform Mr.. LeVere if he had not succeeded
In getting place, he might have the use
Of his back porch and lawn, in the rear of
his stately mansion, which, at the time,
was as fina, If not one of the finest build
ngs in Knoxville. This offer was not only
accepted with many thanks, but was re-
ceived as an evidence that the Lord was
opening the way. Mr.. Dickinson was NOT
1 professor of religion, but he proved HIM
self the "nOblost Roman of them all.u
With but short notice, large, genteel and
orderly congregation met, and Mr.. LeVere
preached. There and then favorable i'm
preston was made, and from the evidence
given it was admitted such a church should
De encouraged.
After this, services were then regularly
leld at the residence of Wm Nelson. di>
ectly in front of the lecture room of the
second Presbyterian Church, until the
purchase of a lot and the erection of the
heat church edifice on Clinch street. in
which they now worship. The lot was
purchased and the building erected at a cost ,
# $500, and was completed and paid for
n twenty-five months, being at present
rec from all debt.
SABBATH SCHOOL.
They have now flourishing Sabbath {
chOol, superintendent by the pastor, and
lugbt bV the menu hers Of tho churol, MI, |