Richmond planet., 1890-05-03

HENRY W. DICKERsON was b, IN in
Botetourt Co. Va, July 16, 1851.
When young Henry was but eight
years old his parents died, leaving
him solely dependent on his generous
aunt for a mothers care of a child,
which he gladly received at her
hands. Undoubtedly, notwithstand-
ing the kindness of his aunt, he felt
the want of the care of his soul as well
as the care off his body. So in 1860
he sought and embraced a hope In
orr Lord and Savior Jesus Christ,
and was baptised in the month of
September of the same year, by Rev.
Richardson, and Joined the Sharon
Baptist church, of which he was
then pastor.
Now one ..of the most remarkabl,
and great test features i'm his whole
life, is the realization of his call to
gospel ministry at SO early an age
as ten years. The colored youth of
the South at this time had no advan
tages, and there were open no chan
nels through which he could travel
successfully. He had no
SCHOOLS OF LEARNING.
no Sunday schools OF religious train
ing, no thaningieel sess,irss.ss
which he conld get the training es-
sential to.his success as a theolooian.
So it was with him. However he
awaited patiently the opportunity.
and grasped ii when it presented
itself to him Ia 1865, when the Freed
mans Bureau schools were open to
the Negro. He then entered the
Freedman Bureau school at ST.. mT-
ton, Va, and studied with great
energy and zeal the primary branch
es of study.
In 1866, on the 10th day of Octo-
ber he was licensed to preach by the
church of which he was a member.
He having great desire to preach
the gospel then, organizing the 1st
colored Baptist church i'll Staunton
Va, known as the 9th Mt. Zion Bap-
tist church, and was ordained to the
pastorate in Lexington, Va, Aug.
Sth, 1865. The church under his
ministry grew with great rapidity.
Having strong desire for a thor
oHgh classical training, and having
been well informed of the medium
through which he could get it, he
then resigned his pastorate of the
church and entered the Richmond
Theological Seminary ,Iof which Rev.
Chas. II. Corey, ID. ID. is president,
where he studied classics and theolo-
gy until the winter of 1870, when, on
December 10th, of the same year, he
was
CALLED TO THE PAsToRATE
of Third Baptist church, in Peters.
burg, Va, which call seems to have
been blessed OF God, for the church
under his jealous labors has been
built up both temporarily and
spiritually, and is now in a thrifty
condition.
He did not fail to continue his
studies after leaving college, but
took private studies under a very
learned man, and one among the
best educators of his time, Ia ths
person OF Rev. John ID. Kelly. He
studied under him, Grammar, Ho
miletics, Rhetoric, Latin and Other
studies in which, he is pronounced
well ver' ed. AS pulpit orator he il
deep, rich and sublime. He is a maj
of sterling qualities, and liked by al
who know him. He married Mis-,
Maggie NJ. Pritchett. in the winter
of 1876. His church have now il
progress the erection of new an.
handsome church edifice with a seat
ing capacity of not less than 500, OF
: a beautiful site on north Perr
street, near Washington street.
He is chairman of the Minister
} Conference of Pete riburg, and bid
fair to WELD even a greater infiuenc
in this commonwealth.