The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1908-11-30
PIONEERING IN
BAPTIST CHURCH
EARLY LaborerS In the Alabama
Field
SOME INTERESTING DATA
Many Leaders of Note Discuss Church
History for Century in Ala
bama at Centennial Celebra-
ton at Montgomery.
SOME INTERESTING DATA
BY HERVEY w. LAIRD.

bama Baptists' centennial Saturday had
to. do with all sorts of pioneering as
an organization in Alabama. Josepheus
! Shackelford of Tuskegee lead off with
pioneer Preachers of North Alabama,
to be followed by w. M Blackwelder OF
| Greenville on pioneer Preachers of
South Alabama" Prof. H. s. Halbert
of the Alabama history department talked
ON the work among the Indians c. w.
Hare of Tuskegee on the work for the
negro, and the Rev. ]. w. Stewart of
Evergreen on "Our Local and General
Benevolence; the Story of the Orphan
age
In the afternoon George w. Duncan OF
Auburn, another layman, spoke of the
literary history of the Baptists of the
state, while A. G. Moseley of Enter
prise took up Baptist historians. j. I.
Murfee of Tuscaloosa made talk on
Baptist journalism in the state and Chief
| Justice John r. Tyson of the supreme
court reported for the state Baptist His
torical society, of which he is the presi
dent.
General education took up the time of
the night session of Saturday, the speak
Howard college, East Lake; President r.
G. Patrick of Judson college, Marion, and
H. G. Willingham, secretary of the ex-
aiming committee of the state depart
| ment of education. DR.. Montague dis
| cussed the provisions for the education
| of men and related the history of the col
lege while the provisions for women and
the history of the Judson were the sub
jeets of DIR. Patrick Mr.. Willingham
had up the general question of Baptist
education.
The Sunday programme included the
following items: Alabama Baptists and
Theological Education" John r. Sampey,
Louisville, KY; Reinstatement of Our
Baptist Position" w. j. Il. Cox, Mobile;
"Our Baptist Statistics in Alabama M.
NJ Wood, Furman; Alabama Baptists
and the Sunday Schools j. M. Shell
bruno, East Lake; Baptist Young People
in Alabama" j. L. Rosser, Selma; Our
Relation to the Political and Civil Order;
Baptist Public Men," Ray Rushton, Mont
kgomery; Alabama Baptists and the Re-
forms of the Century" ]. Fl. Foster, An
niston; Our Baptist Cultus in Alabama"
A. ]. Dickinson, Birmingham; closing re-
marks by the president and voluntary ex-
| pressions by the members of the conven-
ton.
Pioneer Preachers.
The history of early preachers was
taken up by the Rev. Josepheus Shackel-
ford of Tuscaloosa, who dealt largely
with the early controversies of the church.
The question of missions early split
things, divisions arising among the Bap-
lists who had come over from Missis
sippi, the Carolinas and Georgia. The
Flint River association came into exist
ence in 1873 following the organization of
the Flint River church in Madison county.
About the same time the Liberty associa-
ton was organized, and little later the
Muscle Shoals association, all in that
part of the state The moderator of the
last named was Flat Footed" Davis,
the Sam Jones of his time.
After this other organizations came
| along until the state was pretty well
| organized. In lo0S there was one church
| in the state, in 1Svs the number mad
grown to two, in 1S47 to IA associations,
| 275 churches, 100 preachers and 1900
| members. OF this number 1000 members
| were of the anti-missionary order In
| North Alabama there are now 80 asso-
| Citations, 1044 churches, SIPS members.
w. M. Blackwelder recalled that of the
early south Alabama preachers William
Cochran, Alex Travis, John Ellis, Peter
| Hawthorne, ]. Anderson, Hezeklah Burns
| and Others Lewis Davis was one of the
| great fighters of his time. A great many
men who grew to prominence in the work
were recalled, after which the wives of
the early heroes came In for nigh COM
pliments.
With the Negroes.
In his talk of the work among the ne
| groes c. W. Hare of Tuskegee was given
| to high commentator of the treatment
by the old slave owners of their negroes
and the way they helped them in religious
| ways He quoted Hosea Holcomb, who
said that the law preventing the educa-
ton of the slaves was not just; how
| ever, it did not prevent teaching them
| religion 1t was noted that in those days
| the negroes went to the churches and
had part In the worship along with the
| whites Servants were made part of
| the family worship and made to feel that
| there was an interest In them. 1t was
| not an nfrequent thing to see white
| preachers of the best name and station
sitting In the same pulpit with negro
| preachers. Since the war there has been
| much interest in the negroes by the
| whites, as many good schools and
| churches show.
Among Indians.
Prof H. s. Halbert, who had paper
| on the Indians and the work of the
| Baptists among them, Is one of the
best known students of the red man in
| the country. He taught for many
! years among the Choctaws and has in
| manuscript now history of that ma
| ton. He is attached to the Alabama
department of archives and history and
| is a profound scholar.
| Professor Halbert recalled that tho
| first work was In 1918, when memoir
! ial was sent to Congress concerning the
| deplorable condition of the Indians in
| the Mississippi section, result of
| which was the appropriation of $4,000
| annually, beginning in 1919, to aid in
| the civilization of the red men. In
response to this the Ocmulgee associa-
| ton in 1919 sent Rev. Francis Flour
| nov to act as agent among the Creek
| and to secure from them site for q
i school.
This work was made to grow and
| flourish. Mr.. Flournoy became in time
| the appointee of the Baptist general
convention at Philadelphia for the
| work among the Indians. In time he
| was Joined by Lee Compers, the found
| er of the first Baptist church In Mont
( gomery, and between them they laid
| the foundat ion of the great success of
| the work among the Indians.
orphanage Report.
! Rev. j. w. Stewart. who has been for