The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-01-21
WHOSE ANNIVERSARY IS IT?
Two COlOTed Baptist Churches Claim
Ing 70 Be l07 Years Old.

The First African Baptist Church and
the First Bryan Baptist Church Held
Services All Day Yesterday 10 Cele-
brate the Rev. E. K. Love
Says the First African Baptist Church
in Franklin Square Was Decided by
Competent Authority in 1873 20 Be
the Mother ohurch-The Members
Took Their Dinner with Them and
Spent the Day in Worship.
The First African Baptist church in
Franklin square. at Bryan and Nontgom-
cry streets. celebrated its I97th auniver-
sary yesterday. the services continuing
throughout the entire day. This church
has over 5000 commitments which is said
to De- tho largest commlntcaut member
ship OF amy church in the country. white
OF colorcd.
AT the same time The First Bryan Bap-
fist church. colored. was hol8lus% hat it
called .ts l07th anniversary This church
also claims 10 be the First African Baptist
church. proper, and holds that it is the
mother church instead of the church ia
Franklin square. This latter church is
on Bryan street west of West Broad.
The services at the First African Baptist
church in Franklin square began I'm the
morning at II o'clock. The anniversary
sermon was preached by Rev. S. A. Nc
Neal of Americas, who preached on Gods
Choice of Zion" taking his text from
Psalm cXNNii., 10. During the morning
service the congregation which then NUM-
bered about loo. SANG the l01th ami
Versary hymn, written 10y the pastor. Rev.
j.. *. Love and dedicated TO the church.
After the morning services dinner was
eaten by the entire c0neregauon in the
Sunday school room In the basement The
members carried dinner for themselves
and their fTicnds, and they an partook OF
a right hearty feast. The officers of the
church had their dinner IN the official room
just in front of the sunday school room.
The church was appropriately and tast-
iy decorated I'm honor of the day,
flowers, palms and evergreens Of differ
ent kinds adjoining the pulpit and the
platform around it, and the sides of the
galleries being lined with evergreens.
In the afternoon there was union cell
ebrauon OF the Sunday schools which con-
stitutc branches Of the oh "ch. This
church has i'm all fourteen branch schools
at different points around the city and
in the suburbs, and nearly an of them
had large delegations present. Interest,"
ing papers were read by Nancy Gibbons.
John A. Lockett 5. j. Searles, j. J.
MOrninsstar. Edna Norwood, Hattie V
Morrel. T.. A. Washington, Sallie Baker
S. O. Graham Rev. w. G Clark Nancy
l.. Green and S. ID. Houston. There We're
about 1900 present at the afternoon ser
vices.
The night services were more largely
attended than any of the others. There
was a congregation Of fully $500 present,
and, after putting chairs in the aisles,
standing room was scarce. Talks We're
made by r. n. Rutledge, Sandy Rhett,
Marian Johnson, Deacon i. w. Parker
and by the pastor Rev. e. k Love spoke
on the Regulars" of the church That
is what he calls those who are faithful
in their attendance and come out to SER
vices whether there is rain or shine.
He says he has in his church between
500 ana 200 regulars.
over the pulpit there was a canvass. on
which was printed in large gilt letters:
The one hundred and seventh ann.ver-
sary First African Baptist church. or
gained Jan. 20, 1855 Deceased pastors,
Andrew Bryan Andrew c. Marshall w.
J. Campbell. George Gibbons. These all
died in faith. Heb. xxi; 13 verse;
This is the first anniversary of the
tuAltn NtltDl dttN TlllNt 1900 ~ men IL W us
| 100 years old. Collections We're taken up
at each service, and in all about $3.50 was
raised. Pastor Love also read TO his
congregation the old deed held by The
church TO the property now occupied by
the First Bryan Baptist church, down on
Bryan street which was the old quarters
OF the church in Franklin square up 10
1893. and which it left to 80 to its present
site i'm that year. At that time he said,
/ there was a row within the church, and
l55 of the members withdrew, but after
ward came back and acknowledged their
fault and got letters of dismissal
from this church and organized
the Third African Baptist church
down on Bryan street, west Of West
Broad. In 1856 the name of this latter
church was changed to the First Bryan
/ Baptist church, and since 1883. he says,
! its members have claimed that they are
the First African Baptist church, they
/ having celebrated their Tooth anniversary
in that year He states, however, that it
| was decided by competent and au-
/ thoritative council of white Baptist min
listers and officers in 1888 that the church
now in Franklin square was the old
| church and properly the First African
/ Baptist church.
The First Bryan Baptist church also held
! its 10th anniversary yesterday, and ser
vices went on during the entire day. This
/ church claims that it is the one of 107
! years standing. The sermon at the morn
! ing service was preached by Rev. Z. J.
/ Fisher of Atlanta. who handled his sub
! iect with much eloquence. He went into
4 historical facts to show that instead of
! this being the l0Tth anniversary of the
/ church 81 is really the 18TH. The services
/ were intersperse1 with singing; the
/ church was preltly decorated in honor OF
/ the occasion. and the congrega ton was a
/ large one In the afternoon there was a
! Sunday school service, at which several
/ very bright papers We're read by both
men and women teachers, and at night
| services We're held again. This church
! has between 200 and 1900 members, most
/ of whom are enthusiastic workers in its
/ behalf
Split the Century in Three Parts,