St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1907-05-04
Baptist Church Dedicated

Sunday, April 81, was red letter
day with the local Baptist Church,
at the end Of the third year of ITS
life has witnessed the dedication Of
their first house Of worship, neat
chapel on the corner of Jefferson
and Twenty third Avenues. In
spite of the rain, which fell steadily
from daylight until long after the
service was ended, the house was
we'll filled with members of the
denominations and their friends,
who entered heartily into the spirit
of the occasion and reiolced in the
contamination of the concentrated
and consecrated effort of the Pas
tor, Rev. J. E. Brakefeld, and his
devoted flock. The church had its
inception in the invitation extended
to Rev. A. o. Ware, OF the State
| Mission Board, and Rev. Garner,
of Frankllnton, by S. Batemap,
ID. ID. Nolan and w. P. Minckler,
In February of 1904, TO come to
Covington and preach to the Bap-
tist people and investigate the
prospects for a local organization.
| W. G. Evans, then pastor of the
| Methodist Church, invited the gen.
tlemen to use his church as they
| felt inclined, and 1t was there, Sun
day afternoon, February II, 1904,
that the church was organized, af-
ter powerful sermon at the IL
O'Clock hour, by DR.. Weir, and at
night the Pastor of rhe church
spoke to the newly organized
church from the passage in Exodus
ssWherefore criest thou unto me:
= Speak to the children of Israel
y that they go forward"
Rev. DR.. Garner was chosen
temporary pastor of the new flock,
but his duties in other places
caused him to resign the local pas
: torate, which lay open for nearly
4: year.
In the meantime, Rev. DR.. Mer'
rIll, of New Orleans, came on
= once a week and preached to thu
r congregation at the Methods
: church, which was kindly thrown
). open 10 them. Later the con-
!. gregation found quarters at TIT
" Presbyterian Church on the day
II when that church was not occu-
# pied by Rev J. M. Williams and hi
:. people. After a few months o
4 unstinted hospitality, it wa
thought best to move the service
to the public school building, when
= they were continued until the open
ing of the present edi6ce. In July
1905, the present Pastor, Rev. J
E. Brakefeld, was called to tn
church for half Of his time, th
- other half being given to the churc
" at SlidelI, and in the twenty sec
- ond month of his pastorate he ha
"a raised $4,000 for all church pu1
e poses. He found9 five member
T. enrolled and has added sixtY-on'
The same energy which has marke
his work here buff up the chure
p at SlideIl, until that church, coup
= led, with the new work at Bog
% lusa, now sustains pastor in tt
j., person of Rev. A. Finch, M
9 BrakefeId having recently take
oversight of small eongregatic
at Ramsay. Several months pa
is the local church bought the 81
of the present church, lot $50 |
nd $50 feet, on which there was ne
cottage, for $4,000, which W
so remodeIed and enlarged
TO- to afford the comfortable chapt
NO cloakroom and Pastors stud
"a which was Yesterday dedicated
he the service OF God.
q The total cost of the prese
property Is $3,533.43, $l7o
which was raised at the morni
service.
90 The morning service was open
1Iy with the "'Doxology," followed
.fe, an invocation Of the divine BIZ
RS. sing by Rev. Mr.. Brake6eld, a
49, the reading of the Eighty four
TO-, Psalm by Rev. J. A. Howard,
lily Alexandria. A qaartette, co
posed of Oscar GreenIaw, E.
Greenlaw and q. M. Tay
,ell sang with much feeling go
to SweetlY Solemn Thought, at
ed. winch Rev. A. Fiueh, Of Slide
Ro. delivered an address on 81
Church and Its Message.
and said:
s arn "The Church of to-day stan
for all that Christ stood
rvs; in his day, and the commlssI
500 gwen him by the Father was pass
200 oo by him to the Church. He c
wing fined the Church to be body
htly converted men and women, VIII
duty it is to labor for Chris
'af0 kingdom. "The apostles referred
4oc them as the ambassadors
CSC Christ, and Christ's commission
lie. them was and Is: $50 ye into
odd. the world aud make disciples
,res- all nations, baptlsing them IN
nand name of the Father and the
had and the Holy Ghost, teach
'I CITY them to observe all things whic
' ex- have commanded YOU The d
hich OF the Church he SAID, ~
acity threefold: First, calling men
Christ; second, the adminlstrat