The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1902-07-15

Taylor in his Lives of Virginia Bap-
tist Ministers says that one year the let
ter to the Dover Association from I pper
Essex church reported an increase of
three hundred and twenty in member
chip. Semple tells the following incident
The first person Mr.. Noel baptized after
lac was ordained was a young woman.
lier brother promised To dip any person
that should dip her. In iuliilment OF his
word he made the attempt but could not
succeed. Being pursued by some of the
wicked who resented this treatment OF
the preacher he was Obliged tomake the
best OF his way of. lie died few weeks
after having sent for Mr. Noel to ask par
don" may add that that young oman
was Mrs. Jno. GOuldin, my mothers :
grandmother
How long Mr.. Noel remained pastor of
salem we have no means of fascertaiuing
In the year 1909 Semple mentions him
as pastor Of Upper King and Queen but
of no other church, from which / infer he
was not then pastor of Salem. nor do
we know at what time his successor
John Sorrel, entered on the pastorate.
Taylor simply says that several years
after its organization Mr.. SOrrell was
chosen pastor and continued in this rela-
tion for series of years As he died in
J.
AL minutes of 1913 as pastor, il is almost
certain that he was pastor at the time of
death. lie possessed ordinary intellectu-
al talents and his attainments were mea-
re, but he was n man of vigorous piety
arduous labors, and deep and wide inilu-
ence. As pastor at different times of p
per Zion. Mt. Zion, Salem, Liberty, Prov
iience and Enon he did a great and good
work. He was the founder of the last
two. From Mr. Sorrell's death in lSl4
To the year 1923 or 1924 there was. so
lar as ] can learn. no pastor. My grand
father, Andrew Broaddus, was then chos-
en to that position.
He died in December. 1918. and my
father succeeded him. This position he
held until Dec, 1896. when compelled by
III health TO give us his work. Since that
time the church has been served by the
present pastor. So that during the hun
dred years the church has had only five
pastors and for almost eighty years only
three and they have been father. son aud
grandson, ali bearing the same name.
We learn from the notes of my father
that the first house of worship erected
by Salem church where the arhor stood
was small. rude, frame structure. with
neither ceiling nor galleries. and the seats
were of the modest and most uncOmiOr
table character During my earliest rec
objections this structure was followed by
another frame building. larger. rather
more slightly and convenient. There were
galleries at the end and sides and the
house was ceilcd with plank, but the
seats were inconvenient and rude. and
the windows were small, consisting of
only two panes OF glass each with "A
wooden shutter, hung on hangers below
. A ol, I =. l..
end OF room was cut OIL for the use of
colored people.
This house was succeeded in 1852 by
handsome, convenient and commodious
brick building. Soon after its organization
the church united with the Dover assOcia-
tiOn and 1912 entertained this historic
body. According to my father snotes "at
this session the association divided. The
territory within its bounds was so exten-
sive and the churches had become so
numerous that il was thought that Ii
division would be promotive Of the cause
of Christ and OF the prosperity of the
churches. This opinion was amply justi-
fled by the work. The churches on both
sides of the line of division soon increas-
ed in membership and efficiency The
new association was called the Kappa
hammock and with il Salem has ever since
| 4 lAlDDdUGnuOth
sOciation meet with Salem in 1865. and
| may add that 1t met here again last
year.
There have been many protracted meet
/ ings held with the church and thousands
baptized as the result. OF one of the re-
vivals my father speaks as follows: 1.-The
most extensive revival occurred in 1916
! On that occasion the preaching and
other services were held in the morn
ing in the church building and at night
in large log house which had been
built at Sparta for prayer meetings and
occasional preaching. There were forty
or fifty professions of religion at this meet
ing. among them the writer and his wife
Rev l.. W. Allen was the preacher on
this occasion and he conducted all OF the
services the pastor of the church being
on a visit to Virginia. The meet
ing was not anticipated hence the absence
of the pastcr. 1t grew out OF the inter
est manifested at the first service. Mr.
Allen was very fine speaker and was
noted as n successful evangelist.
Those notes of my father 90 on to say:
when united with Salem church in Sept.
1917 (having been baptized by Rev RObt
W. Cole) among its leading members were
Nathaniel Motley, Reuben B. Richerson,
Andrew S. IBroaddus, Phillip Green, Ira
White, MOrdecai X. Broaddus. James
Andrew and Willis pitts. The only clerks
OF the church of whom have known any
thing were in the order of time, Ira
White, Joseph +. Bruce, Richard l. Broad
dus, Garland Samuel, Andrew Rroaddus.
(third OF that name), Oscar d. Pitts and
Eugene G Pitts.
The ministers who have gone out from
this church were Richard Broaddus, Bur
well Brame, Henry g. Segar, Robert W
Cole, two Andrew Broadduses, Julian
Broaddus. Luther Broaddus and Maurice
+. Broaddus, Mordicai W. Broaddus ant
Joseph Atkinson. Richard Broaddus wal
a man Of large possessions, but of small
talents and OF Indifferent reputation
HurwelI Brame was m moor nrearher 4,