The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1875-05-15

ltkN. w . r. HATCHER, u. D.--htF. III. W
l.. Hatcher will De Installed as pastor Of the
Gracc-Street Baptist church tomorrow
night ~ s O'Clock. The Baptist pastors and
ministers OF the city will participate in the
services. The Charleston Courier and Nc,rS.
in noticing the prominent members OF the
Southern Baptist Convention, gave this
sketch OF DR.. Hatcher:
Among the first Of the young and rising
men of the Convention stands Rev. Or. w.
+. Hatcher. pastor Of the Grace.Street Bap-
IT,. church, Richmond. Born JULY 25ib,
1880. in the county OF Bedford, Va, he
passed his youth among those blue noun
t,,iuS where were raised such preachers as
Dr. Je,er, the late Dr.. Daniel Witt {" the
goEGcn-muuthcd orator'') and large num-
Der Of other, OF the most distinguished mln-
isters which Virginia ever produced.
ellis carly advantages We're only those OF
m Indifferent 'oldlicld school, and he en-
tered Richmond College poorly prepared ;
but his native talent and close application
soon enabled him to take rank among the
best students in his class, and 10 graduate in
June, 1888, among the first.
"In August, 1858, he took charge Of a
very weak church in Manchester, opposite
Richmond, and by faithful, judicious, aud
most untiriug work added four hundred to
the church. and made il not only selt-sus-
timing but one of the most efficient in the
State.
"Dr. Hatcher is man Of rare and varied
gifts. As a preacher be is Il remarkable SER
mOniZer, and an earnest and most effective
pr0claimer Of the Soul-saving truths of the
gospel. Able, simple, earnest, pathetic, and
always practical, large and delighted con-
gregations wait on his ministry.
"But DR.. Hatcher is even more efficient
in his pastoral work than in the pulpit. His
genial humor. keen wit, and winning man.
ners make him the centre Of attraction to
tie social circle, while his deVout picty,
warm sympathes, and deep earncStncss
make him always q welcome visitor to the
houses of his people and the house OF
mourning He is especially popular among
the young, is tirst-claSs Sunday-School man,
and has had very large success in Leading
boys and girls to the Cross and putting
them to work for Jesus.
From Manchester, DR.. Hatcher went, in
March, 1867, to the pa>tortte Of the Franklin
Square Baptist church, Baltimore. He had
q pleasant and successful year with this
church. out in October. 1868, he returned to
his native State and took charge OF the First
Baptist church in Petersburg. During his
seven years pa>toralc there DR.. Hatcher has
refused Il number Of most tempting calls
(>omc Of them with much larger salaries than
ne was then rcccivingl to. other pastoratcs,
and has laborcd on in bis chosen field, where
be has added to the church three hundred
and sixty and built up the cause to an eXtcn!
rarely equaIlcd. Besides his labors in the
pastorate, DR.. Hatcher has been remarkably
successful preacher in protracted meetings
and several thousand persons have protessed
conversion III connection with his hbors. tie
has just accepted the pastorate OF the Grace
Street church in Richmond, and will be In
stalled next Sunday.
"Dr. Hatcher has won wide reputation
as writer of keen satire, and popular lee
turer, and is destined TO still higher rcnoWn
in this direction. He vas one of the most
untiriug and successful workers iD the great
Virginia memorial enterprise, and has won
a place among the best collecting agents ID
the country. lie enters upon wide held OF
usefulness in his new paStorate, and there
opens up before few young ministers
brighter career Of successful work for the
Master whom he serves so faithfully"