The Richmond palladium. (Richmond, Ind.) 1906-1907, 1906-09-09
FIVE YEARS OF
GOOD SERVICE
Rev. F. P. Bakers Work for
Bethel A. M. E. Church
This City.
REVIEW OF HIS CAREER.
MUCH BELOVED COIORED PAS
TOR HAS DISTINGUISHED HIM
SELF IN MANY WAYS-WHAT
HE DID FOR CHURCH.

The Rev. F. P. Baker. pastor of
Bethel A. NJ. E. Church, Richmond
County, Kentucky, July 3, 1860 of
slave parentage. He attended the
first school instituted for coIored
youths in that county. In 1880 he
moved to Evansville, Ind Here he
Joined Alexander A. NJ. E. church I'M
der the pastorate of Rev. Morris Lew
is, who is at the present time Presid-
ing Elder of the Richmond District
| Not long after Rev. Baker was made
| Steward and Glass leader and was also
elected president of the Union Liter
airy Society,"" Owing to the musical
, ability and Willingness to work in the
church, he was chosen chorister of
the choir.
| In 1884 he was elected first presi-
| dent of the Colored Y NJ C. A. of the
state of Indiana, and the same year
was made local preacher. 1t was in
| this church and city that Rev. Baker
made his mark. In 1890 he was adj
mItted a member of the Indiana An
nual Conference which convened in
New Albany; over which session Bis
| hop John M. Brown presided. At
| this conference Rev. Baker was trans
| fered to the Illinois Conference; his
| first appointment being to Shiloh Cir
| cult, where untold success attended
his efforts for one conference year.
In 1891 he was appointed to the pas
torate at Shawnetown, H., which
church he found had been closed for
three monthS. He also. found the
membership of SO scatteredabroad
During the two years pastorate of this
| church, by his untiring efforts and
trusting in God as his guide, one hun
dred souls were added to the church.
During this time he repaired and
beautified the church, built a parson-
age and raised more money for all pur-
poses than had ever been accomplish
ed in all of it's existence.
In 1892, Rev. Baker was ordained
Deacon by Bishop A. w. Wayman.
In 1898 he was sent to Carbonate,
Ill.,, where he increased the member
ship from 40 to 160 and repaired the
parsonage and remodeled the church,
thus breaking all previous records of
the church, both spiritual and finan-
cially.
In 1894 he was ordained Elder by
Bishop Waymen land was in 1895
transferred back to the Indiana Con-
ference and stationed at Jefferson1
vile, Ind, where he served the church
three years. During this time the
membership was increased from so to
120 and a mighty work was done for
God
In 1898 he was sent to Mt. Vernon,
Ind. 1t was here the power of God
was wonderfully manifested by the
rebuilding of the church and by adj
ding many to its roll, such as will be
saved He repaired the church and
parsonage preparatory to entertaining
the first Annual Conference held by
Bishop A. Grant, d. D., in Indiana.
In 1901 he was sent to Bethel A. NJ
E. church at Richmond, Ind. Here
he has broken the record of all his
predecessor by serving as it's pastor
five consecutive years. And now the
writer of this article is at a loss of
words and thoughts sufficient to biog-
raph the life and character of the sub
ject of this sketch, but looking back
to his Introductory and what he has
accomplished during the past five
years, | am reminded of the passage:
What l doeth now thou knoweth not,
but thou shall know hereafter
Rev. Baker found Bethel church's
Indebtedness, mortgage and interest
amounting to 81 10000 and member
ship of 1875. The first conference year
of his pastorate to Bethel he succeed
ed in collecting money from our white
friends and congregation sufficient to
pay the mortgage debt and interest. |
The 9th of July, 1902, said mortgage
was burned by Bishop Grant, witness |
ed by large audience composed of |
both colored and white. The present /
membership of Bethel A. NJ. Z. church /
is 3S4-S6 of whom were acce ssories |
during the year.
Rev. Baker found two Auxilaries to |
the church when he took charge name |
ly: The Sewing Circle and Married |
Ladies' League. To these he has ad- |
ded the Starr Society; Ladies' Aid: |
Herculean; The F. p. BIS; The Young |
Mems Lecture Course; The Literary /
Congress; and the Business League, |
all of which have been active in as
sisting the church financially. Thomas /
Roach, of Carbonate, H., said in an /
article he wrote concerning Rev Ba- /
ker, that he was a natural born leader /
of men,
During his five years pastorate at /
Bethel. he has preached $50 sermons /
married ga couples and officiated in /
lie IL
self with many of the secret societies t
known to the colored race, being a /
member of the Odd Fellows and a I
prominent Mason. He has been a /
member of the City Sunday School /
Executive Committee, and has held a
strong relation to the Ministerial AS
Sociaion.
In 1894 he was alternate to the Gen
eral Conference which convened in
Chicago and is now talked ofgeneraIly
as Presiding ElL1r for the ensuing