The Montgomery advertiser. [volume] (Montgomery, Ala.) 1885-1982, 1908-02-02
Dr.. Stakely Tells
GrolDth Of Baptists

win Us TOT any great while, Dur amply
deserves to be honored By us as hav-
Ing been the one to baptise his dis
tinguished brother. Chief Justice ChiI-
ton, who was TOR so long q deacon Of
| this church.
Under the next pastor. Or. Henry
Talbird. who came in January. 1919,
and remained until December. 1851. the
church, as all historians OF the denom-
| nation tell us, advanced to q point
where IL became of recognised eonse-
quence throughout the state, and be.
gan to assume a position OF great
| prominence and renown in the denorn-
nation at large. DR.. TaIbird IL re-
membered by some OF our members to-
day, who were closely associated with
him in the work. He was In the midst
OF the controversy over the questions
viding the North and the South. and Il
was in the administration Of this good
pastor that the Southern Baptist Con-
vention was organized in the city OF
| Augusta. He himself was not dele
gate TO the body. but II fell TO his lot
at the next meeting OF the Alabama
Baptist Convention to prepare and oner
/ the resolutions committing the Baptists
OF Alabama to the policy OF the new
convention. From that day to this. this
church, in common with all the sister
i churches in the Southland. have been
members Of that body. Those were
trying times, yet. under the adminis-
tration Of this man. our work advanced
| so rapidly that Il become recosni1eo
| the Southern country.
The next pastor was DIT. I. T. Tich-
/ enor. II was during his administration
/ that this present building was erected.
The corner stone was laid In 1859 with
Masonic ceremonies. the address ON
| that occasion being delivered by the
eloquent eSohn =. Dawson ot Georgia
ship Of Almighty Goo in 1854 We
have only four members today VINO
j were members when this house Of wor-
/ shin was entered by the church, our
venerable mother. Mrs. Augusta Chez
ney. Mrs, Mary Noble, Mrs. w. Q. Ray
| ana Mrs. Margaret A. Waller, though
Mrs. Emily Littiepage and Mrs. bestie
Benson Paul caH.e into the mempersnip
| lust q few years later. =
1 heard one of my predecesaors II
this puipit say on q public occasion
| that in hts position as Secretary OF tins
i F9otna Mission Board OF the Southern
| Rantint Convention, DR.. Tichenor dic
| the thinking and planning for soutnSrr
Baptists, more than any other man: rs
dehned the policy OF the SCARE. wHos y
the Rio Granae and from the missouri
| to the Gulf OF Panama Compere Duiii
| tha drst house, Tiehenor the second
| Y,af- MS thank Goa that they lived anc
| hreafhed and sacrificed and 'abored
1 ana that 1t Is upon foundations laid "
such men that we are enuoasartnS .
| build today He was twice the pas
Tar OF this church; part o. the time.
i war pastor in those dark AMI gl0ouy
DAYS that tried mems souls. Those Tvs
IA storatas were separated oy the WIS.,
INT difficuit administration OF DIT. ba'
i siI Manly, who was present when the
confederacy was launched. ne makins
the prayer at the Inauguration OF rIss
ident Davis. Every honor TO his name
HI auupose that no man working In tns
state OF Alabama az any time LETT
| mora permanent or more far-reacnint
Innureesion for religious and education
| Al good that Basil Manly. The univer
sity of Alabama never had q greatei
president and no church ever had
| better pastor
| isfration that the coiored people, VI
| TO that time members of this old bod
i and the colored people Were members
Of Ali the white ehurcnsg before ths
period OF reconstruction---tt was IN th'
second administration OF DR.. Ticheno'
that the Thousand or more negro Insin
hers OF the old body were organized In
10 4 separate church. And then eam'
the separate organization OF our color
al brethren. They arc thriving TO
day We should ever keep In mind ina
in those former days the black Eeopt'
were ever with US and with our Meth
odist and our Episcopalian frtends ent
our Presbyterian friends IN the soutn
land, worshtpping with US In housel
built BY uB. Let us wish them well II
their separate existence. In DR.. Tichs
| nor's administration the separation
came. the brethren In black preferrinl
II. They are prospecting today 81
through this Southern country. Moth
ing Is q better tribute to the wisdom
81 our fathers In all their admtnistfa
lions than the separate organization o.
our colored brethren for work among
their own race in this country and II
| the dark continent Of Africa; but the!
were once with US here fhroughout al
this Southern country. And whereve
they are today our blessing Shouts II
upon them, our sympathy should pc 70
wards them, we should hold theM In al
fection for the Masters sake and biz
them God speed in every good word ant
DR.. Tichenor's sacodd pastorrts wa
followed by. that Of DR.. D. w. GwiE u
from January, 1858. to July. 1879. H
was one of the most scholarly men W
nave ever had. There are those FER
today who were baptized by rin, ILL
pastor being among them. No name Il
the list is dearer to me. will neve
forget the time when, under his owl
synpathetic leadership, made my owl
profession Of faith in Christ, In tn
Sunday school room OF this church
| and by his own hands was buried wit
my Lord in baptism. His name Is dea
to me, as II is TO many others here
Or, Gwinns' pastorate here was charac
tArlzed by his wonderful influence upol
the young people. It is felt In ou
CONGREGATION today. DR.. Gwinn was GU
hero here in the yellow fever siege o
1873, going into our homes, and minis
terine to our hearts, preferring to tax
his lot with his people ana with tn
community. he remained here IN tn
siege; and today there are thousands o
people in the City of MONTGOMERY VIII
bless God for the sweet and loving min
Istrations OF this man in that dark an
awful season.
He was followed in the ministry her
by DR.. J. b. Hawthorne, from Septem
Der, 1878, to November. 1879. Here 1
the peerless pulpit orator. No ma
ever had larger congregations here o
| anyyheer else when he was announce
10 preach ! have heard Talmadge,
have heard Phillips Brooks: l hav
heard Charles II. Spurgeon; / hav
heard many OF the best orators of m
time, in the pulpit, in the Legislativ
halls, at the bar, on the platform. o.
the hustings, but I have never hear
that surpassed our J. r. Hawthorn
when at his best. In the mere matte
| - 49, Aionuant nroclarnati0u of IN