Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1895-08-15
HOW He BUILT ACHURCH.
A COLORED PREACHERS Ex-
PERIENCE.
The Rev. j. B. Swami Tells How He Sue
ceeded in Building His Church at
Mt Zion, Anne Arundel County.

4 Church, at west River, Anne Arundel
county, Md, as told by its most earnest
and efficient pastor. Rev. j. b. Swami:
~ began the organization with only
any wife and myself. We had no mem
bers and not one cents worth OF proper
| ty to start the work. | rented an old
storeroom and preached the FIRST sermon
on the first Sabbath, Sd day, of Februa.
| ry, 1884. My first congregation ON the
| day mentioned consisted of two little
boys, and when the services were about
| half through they became tired aud one
of them wanted water aud the other
wanted To go. This was certainly very
discouraging to the young preacher in
his new field. The next sabbath | had
three persons inside for congregation
and two outside looking in through the
old broken windows. The next Sabbath
| had congregation of seven or eight
persons, all on the inside. Now this
looked like achurch and made the preach.
| er become more eloquent. l continued
| TO preach Christ, and it was not long
before our old storeroom church WAS
overcrowded with people earnest to hear
the words of life. But our progress
caused jealousy which resulted i'm our
having to give up our old storeroom
church, for it WAS sold ana bought To
stop the new organization.
Il took my church and Sabbath school
INTO my own little house of two rooms,
into room 10Xl2 feet. Here preached
until the prospect of new voice forced
us out to look fof third place of wor-
ship. | now began to raise money from
among my poor congregation To purchase
Il lot on which to erect house of wor-
ship. After much self denial To my fami-
ly and many hard struggles raised 800
and purchased an acre of land. We put
some forks in the ground which held
some boards over our heads, and soon
we were in our own church on our own
ground. The preacher sat on IA rail and
had a rough board for his pulpit. As |
had no money with which To hire labor,
| went into the woods and with my own
hands cut out the heavy timbers for "a
house of worship; and by the aid of my
Presbytery and some kind friends sue
ceeded in erecting house of worship.
was in the woods some nights cutting
and hauling timbers until III o'clock.
But when / had my house of worship
within two days of completion it was
destroyed by lncendiaries, on the 10th of
November, in the year 1856, leaving me
to raise 5000 to pay off debt on pile
of ashes and volumes of flying smoke.
1.-The Presbytery of Baltimore, our
Board of Church Erection. and some
kind friends came to my relief and |
WAS encouraged to go forward with the
work again. L went into the woods
with my axe and saw, as at the first,
and got out the timbers for another
house of worship. got man with his
team to help me get the timbers to the
Sawmill, where my two elders and /
sawed out the timbers for another house
of worship, which we built, working all
day and watching In turns all night for
ineendiaries for over two months, until
after the house was insured. The church
and Sabbath school gradually grew in
numbers and interest during all this time
of trial.
81 organized a day school in the church.
which soon grew so larre that ! needed
Il regular school building. / went into
the woods again with my axe and saw
and got out the heavy timbers for "a
school building, working before and af-
ter school hours. Our Board of Mis-
sions for Freedmen greatly aided in the
erection of this building. The school
was then moved out of the church into
its proper place, and very soon number
ed over seventy-fve children, all study
ing the Shorter Catechism even in the day
school. Many of the school have be-
come converted and united with the
church.
"Within three years the school made
such progress that many people beyond
this neighbOrh0Od made application to
send their children TO my school. This
caused the need of a few dormitories /
went into the woods with my axe, as
before, and cut out the heavy timbers
to enlarge the school building. And by
the aid of our Board of Missions for
Freedmen, during the summer of 1891,
! succeeded III enlarging the school build
ing so as to accommodate the pastors
family and "A few boarders.
Feeling that the knowledge of books
alone is not sufficient to elevate my peo-
pie here, have erected through kind
lady friend and our Board of Missions
for Freedmen, an industrial school
building, where the hands of the chill
dren IN our school here can be educated.
as we'll as their heads and hearts; where
the boys can learn to repair shOee, har-
ness. broken furniture, tins and cane
chairs, ETC.. and where the girls can
learn to cut and sew"
The church numbers now, at the end
of ten years, 43 members; the Sabbath
school, 46; day school, 81: and the night
school, 80. A mission school has been
established about seven miles away at
Mill Run, to which Mr.. Swami goes and
returns each Sunday on foot. Upon
learning this, the members of the Pres
bytery of Baltimore, recently in session,
made personal contributions to provide
him with horse and conveyance. He
is about to begin work also in Annap-
oils. Mr.. Swami has eight children, to
whom he is trying to give good educa-
tion. His salary for the support of
his family Of ten has been less than $500
per annum from all sources. The Pres
bytery of Baltimore directed itsCommit-
tee on Freedmen to lay these facts be-
fore the churches; to commend this work
to the people in its name; and to seek
annual contributions to the support of
MIR. Swami, so as to increase bis salary
at least $500 per annum; and also TO ask
donations at once toward the full equip
ment of the industrial school.