The Washington times., 1917-04-09
EASTER SERVICE HAS
HUMBLE SETTING
BeuIah Baptist Church, Small
est in Washington, Has
Home in Shed.

Last night was q miserable nlBnt
and a Times man far from his base
strolled into q little twelve-by-twenty-
foot shed somewhere In the north
eastern district" The far northeast
ern district was slxty-hrst street
northeast and the small dimensioned
shelter was the Beulah Baptist Col
ored Church.
The door was locked, but was
opened upon rapping, and little boy
wanted to know who the newspaper
man wanted to see. He wanted to
see the preacher. For some reason
the little fellow. was filled with fear
at the answer and bolted out into the
roadway and darkness.
Three other persons were there.
however, and after explanations The
Times man was welcomed by the sex
ton, an old fellow of the Southern
type, in a red fianneled shirt, who
trimmed several oil lamps, slowly, re-
fiectively, and with extreme care. The
two little girls were his daughters, and
as they shined up the chimneys they
suspiciously eyed the newcomer.
Boy Fears Conscriptlon.
From the sexton, w. H. Ward, 1t
was learned that the church had been
there dve or six or seven years, al
though the shed may have been there
ten or twelve years; that he had been
q church member nigh onto sixty
years: that the little fellow that ran
was his son, who was afraid that they
wanted him for the army, and that
Frank W. Dixon was the pastor.
After trimming another lamp he
told the reporter that they had TWEEN
ty-some members, although It might
reach as high as thirty-hve, which, he
said, spoke well for the new pastor;
that they had fair attendance and the
bad boys In that vicinity only occa-
sionally threw stones at the church,
and that was because they hadn't
been raised In the Sunday school.
The congregation began to arrive,
and soon the church was filled with
an assemblage of fifteen or eighteen
souls to hear the substitute pastor,
William Mingo, preach the Easter
night service. The substitute pastor
told the reporter that this was his
first appearance before the congre-
cation.
Three high-backed, red plush chairs
adorned the pulpit, and the several oil
lamps revealed a varied assortment
of seats for the audience. On the
right OF the pulpit was an organ and
In front OF the. pulpit there was q
small table, for an important looking
man, the youngest OF the three. who
was presumably the song leader.
Has survived Many storms.
He told the reporter that the church
had had a hard fight and had suf-
fered many hardships but had sur
vived the storms. and the loyal con-
gregation would be rewarded with the
modern church that Is to be erected
during the summer. This shed which
had served them so well for seven
years was only Temporary"
Near the table, a welcoming fire
roared, and the sections boy put on
some wood as the service started.
The Rev.. Mingo took for his text.
Revelations va, "who Is worthy?"
Mr.. Mingo preached for ninety min
utes, each Of the eighteen worshipers
in the CONGREGATION listening with
rapt attention except when they felt
II necessary to interrupt the preacher
by Offering up a prayer. Three of
these prayers temporarily halted the
sermon.
Then, after many "Amens." singing
of the Doxology and benediction, the
Easter night services in Beulah Bap-
tist church - easily the smallest
church In washington-were brought
to a close and the congregation filed