The Montgomery advertiser., 1906-12-02
Adams Avenue Church.

Adams Avenue Church. Of the twenty-five churches in Mont gomery the Adams Avenue Baptist is one of the strongest. and one that. in many respects. leads, with the excep- tion of the First Baptist the other churches of the denomination in Mont gomery.
 The Adams Avenue church resulted from the Eastern Mission established in 1859 by the First Baptist church. The Mission was placed in charge or Rev. Francis Galloway, who remained with the Mission for two years. The mission services were held in small frame building on the square until destroyed in fire in 1864. At a con- ference held at the First Baptist church. November 25, 1860, it was de- @ided to grant letters of dfsmission to number of the members who desired them for the purpose of constituting Second Baptist church in connec- tion with the Eastern Mission"
 In accordance with that resolution Presbytery consisting of number of Baptist ministers convened at the Eastern Mission on Sunday December g, 1860 for the purpose of instituting the Second Baptist church of Montgom- cry. The church was organized with twenty-eight members. Rev. Francis Galloway, who had charge of the Eas- tern Mission was called as pastor of the church and continued to serve the |congregation until 1863. Rev. Mir Taylor succeeded Mfr. Galloway and at the time that MT. Taylor came to the church, there were seventy-nine mem bers.
 The first steps taken toward build ing q new church, was in 1881, when the site of the present church was do- mated by Governor T. H. Watts. and Dr. R. J. Ware. The undertaking was most difficult one on account of the time in which it was begun, but, not withstanding the progress of the war between the states the work was con tinued and though it was not entirely completed, the congregation began to worship there in 1854.
 In November 1865, Rev. A. c. Barron was elected pastor of the church and remained with his charge until Octob- CT 1s6s In August 1889. Rev. H. c. Townsend of Virginia, accepted the call to the church and remained one year, resigntng on account of his health. He returned to Virginia and died in August of that year.
 The first cost of the construction of the church was about $s,000 and since that time other work has been done on. the church.
 During the pastorate of Rev. Will Iiaf D. Gay, of recent years the sum of $3.000 was expended on the building.
 The following are the names of the pastors who have served the church at different times and for greater or less periods since it's organization until the present time: Rev. Francis Galloway. ron, Rev. H. c. Townsend, Rev. Samuel Henderson. Rev. William Davis. Rev. Jefferson FaiI<ner, Rev. J. N. Newman. Rev. Joseph A. Howard, Rev. H. c. Trul, Rev. W. N. Wambold, Rev. J. L.. Thompson, Rev. w. Nj. Harris, Rev. ". Y. Quisenberry, Rev. William D. Gay, pr. O. r. Gregory, and the present pastor, Rev. John Bass Shelton.
 The Adams Avenue Baptist church has one of the best Sunday Schools m the city; has a we'll attended mid- week prayer meeting, Ladies Aid So- ciety, a Women's Missionary Societv and Baptist Young Peoples Union.
 No church of the denomination in the State, has done better for the cause or missions during the past year. accora- ing to the membership, than the Adams Avenue church.
 The membership of the church has grown wonderfully during the past few years and at this time the church is enjoying season of blessing in a revival service which Is being conduc ted by Rev. H. W. Fanchsr. a noted Evangelist of Georgia
 Mir. Shelton is an inderatigable work. CT for the church and since his coming to the church, has done much toward building up and strengthening the sev~ eral branches of the work in every way. A number of Improvements have been made recently on the build- ing and while 1t is one of the oldest of Montgomery churches, the Adams