The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-06-07
ROUNDING UP A CENTURY
GEoRGIA's NEGRO BAPTIsrs CELE-
BRATB THEIR CENTENNIAL.

Inauguration of the Big Festival
Three Hundred Preachers in Attend
ance-The Address of Welcome and
the Opening Sermon-Some Statistics
Concerning the African Baptist
Church-The Programme for the
Celebration Scenes at the Centen-
NAL Tabernacle and Grounds.
The centennial celebration of the organize
ton of the negro Baptists of Georgia
opened in the immense tabernacle on
Eighth street yes erday morning most
auspiciously, and last night six of the
largest electric lights in the city illuminated
the structure and grounds.
Over 5000 people were present at the
opening of the celebration, and 800 of the
most eminent of the African Baptist clergy
of the south were on the platform. There
was but one banner displayed, and that was
the silken gift of the Baptist state conven-
tion to the First African Baptist church of
Savannah. On one side of the gold fringed
banner, on blue field, in gilt letters, was
God loves a cheerful giver, and the
liberal soul shall be made fat On the
reverse, on a crimson field, in golden
letters, Awarded to the banner church Of
Georgia in token of the appreciation of Ter
hberality by the Baptist state convention"
On the stage, and furnished by Rev.
Alexander Harris, chairman of the centen-
NAL committee, was an old-fashioned
wooden chair, occupied by Rev. Andrew
Bryan, founder of the African Baptist
church of Georgia, who occupied it as presi-
dent of the First African Baptist confer
ence and a crayon bust of the preacher in
q heavy gilt frame hangs on one of the
columns of the stage. The chinaware of
Rev. Bryan will be on exhibition to-day.
The participants in the celebration wore
handsome silk badges through all the higher
grades to gold, the badges representing the
following eleven centennial societies; Mar
shall, Campbell, Gibbons, Motto, f. K.
Love, Mount Zion, jackson, johnson, Ruel,
and Harmony
In the inclosure on the centennial grounds
are booths where meals and refreshments
are served, and the national colors are pro-
fuse On the outside, the commons have
put on the appearance Of fair. Booths
and stands are numerous, and vendors of
everything eatable and drinkable, except
intoxicants, can be obtained. There is no
attempt at ornamentation on the stage, and
the tabcs>ac is rudely built, as are the
seats, and even then the expense has been
very large, much beyond the ability of
people struggling in the new life which
dawned upon them twentythree years ago
An organ has been put upon the stage, and
when the choir of 100 voices began the in
terlude to the long looked for celebration,
the melody was inspiring, the vast audience
cate ing the inspiration and joining in the
refrain.
THE OPENING EXERCISES.
The meeting was called to order by the
venerable Rev. Alexander Harris, chair
man of the centennial committee and pas
tor of the First Bryan church, who con
graduated the people upon the suspicious
opening of the Tooth anniversary meeting
of the negro Baptists Of Georgia. He intro
duced Rev. Henry Way of Hawkinsville,
who read Hebrews xii, and after appro-
pirate remarks on the text offered a fervent
prayer.
Rev. E. K. Love, ID, pastor of the
First African Baptist church, was then in
troduced and delivered the welcome ad-
dress. The speaker fifty said that the
African Baptist church of Georgia sprang
from the First Baptist church, but all the
Baptist churches of Savannah welcomed
the visitors to this reunion around COM
mon altar to recount the trials and rejoice
over the results of an hundred years of con-
fict with Satan and sin. The Baptist star
which has risen in East Georgia and light
ened the horison of the state has sometimes
been eclipsed by intense darkness, but
smiling face has been hidden behind
frowning providence. Abiding to the
early trials of the church he said;
"Our church was planted in blood.
Rev. Andrew Bryan, its founder and
1rst pastor, was whipped until his flesh
was terribly torn, his blood ran freely and
puddled by his iacerated body on the
ground, for no other crime than that he
preached Jesus TO Africa's sable sons and
daughters enslaved in this country. When
be was commanded not to preach the gospel
he raised his dusky hand, stained in his own
blood, drawn by his prosecutors, and said
with trembling voice, with that manly
beroism and Christian courage that the
grace of God alone can give, at you would
ktop me from preaching cut off my head"
Referring TO the beginning of the church
Rev. Love said: THE African Baptists OF
Savannah 100 years ago numbered only four
FOULS. Now they number over 10, 600. The
nineteenth century has been wonderful
century. II began upon an enslaved people,
without liberty. without churches and with
1ut knowledge of Christ. In this awful
sentury our church was organized" The
speaker then detailed the inventions of the
last 100 years, and turned from that to say:
"In this busy and exciting century the Afri-
tan Baptists of Georgia ere born, the
tlaves had been set free, and public opinion
has been entirely revolutonized. So
wonderfully has God blessed us through all
these weary years that we have felt great
privilege as well as pleasing duty to
invite you here to celebrate our centennial,
aud from the depth of our souls we well
come you. From this time-hallowed shrine
you begun, and you have spread over Geor-
gia. A communicating God has gone
with YOU The speaker detailed the suffer
lngs of his race during the days Of bondage,
the rapid strides in educational knowledge
hnce, and closed with religious peroration,
In which thankfulness and welcome were
tremendously blended.
THE CENTENNIAL SERMON.
The opening sermon was delivered by
Rev. c. 7. Walker of Augusta. His text
was Numbers xiii, %: According to this
time it shall be said what hath God
wroughtPn The address was scholastic
Ind eloquent. The speaker began with
1 retrospective view of the African Baptist
sburch of Georgia for the last 100 years,
The vicissitudes of the early church, the
conflicts encountered, the obstacles sur
mounted, the victories achieved and the
uccesses obtained. Very eloquently the
speaker said: 1--WE are here TO pass up and
down the line of March from 17SS to 1888
Old fathers, worn and weary with the bur
lens and cares of long and useful life,
their heads whitened by the frosts of many
winters, intirm and superannuated, they
lave come up to shake hands with the cen
fury, to bid Godspeed to their brethren, and