The Nashville globe. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1906-193?, 1918-05-03
GREATEST OCCASION
AMONG PEOPLE
Of VIRGINIA
DR.. w. S. Ellington Delivers A
Burning Message At Newport
News, Va.
THE "PRODIGAL SON." SUBJECT
THE Crying Need Of The Hour" Was
Delivered Monday Evening.

Newport News, Va, April p, 1918
To the Nashville Globe:-We write
lust this line to speak of what we re-
gard and what those who have lived
in Newport News, Va, longer than
we have, regard as the greatest of all
occasions among the church-gotng
people OF this city. We refer to the
recent visit of DR.. w. S. Ellington,
pastor of the First Baptist Church,
East Nashville and Editorial Secre-
tary of the National Baptist Publish
ing Board, located in that city DR..
Ellington had been invited to come
to Newport News, the great ship
building city, to participate in the
anniversary exercises of the Rev, G.
d. Henderson, pastor of the First
Baptist Church.
II is we'll to say that when this dis
tinguished divine arrived In this city
he faced a program that was sufficient
to keep him busy during his stay
here.
After a brief word with the Sab
bath school, touching on ones repu-
tation, DR.. Ellington was escorted to
the main auditorium OF the churcn,
where he was introduced by Secre-
| tary A. F. Williams to an audience or
more than twelve hundred persons
! anXiously waiting to get glimpse or
the man who had written their Sun
day school literature for the past
! sixteen years.
BY request he studied with his
audience the "Prodigal Son." With
80 much force did he tell the story
and in such clear terms, and so prac-
teal did he make the lesson that at
this eleven o'clock service sixteen
men arose, walked down the aisle
of the church and took stand for
Christ. That is, sixteen men were
converted. DR.. Ellington preached
again at o'clock to more than l,oVo
people and standing room was at
premium. At this service he studied
with his audience the Temptation
of Christ" And there were three
men converted. The people OF this
city regarded it as the greatest day
ever witnessed and two of the ablest
sermons ever preached in this city.
+ MIR. Puryear, formerly of Nashville,
|, and Mr.. James East, a leading busl-
, ness man of this city, put their big
, car at the disposal of Dr.. S. A.
, Thomas and Secretary Williams That
DR.. Ellington might reach Camp Hill
and see other points of interest on
the peninsula. So on Monday after
driving around the city to see some
of the churches, he was taken to the
First Baptist Church, where he ad-
dressed the Baptist Ministers Con-
ference. From here a party of
citizens accompanied the Doctor to
$ Camp Hill, just north Of the city,
r where more than 10000 colored SOL
| diers are stationed. Special orders
:. had been issued by the Colonel at
:. the request Of Secretary Williams
$ that all companies assemble from 3
o to o'clock to hear the speaker 1t
g was a beautiful afternoon and thou
sands OF men in Uncle Sans uni
n form greeted him and were inspired
by the eloquent and forceful manner
q in which he admonished them. From
n here the party was driven to Hamp
a ton, Va, where the guest was shown
- through the Hampton Institute
=, -, grounds and the Old Soldiers Home
- grounds. The next visit was tC
. Fortress Monroe, where the Doctor
&c y cot splendid view of several bic
~ battleships as they were steamine
>. into port for the drill ground with
" their observation balloons flying many
'e hundred feet above them.
~ The Nashvillian spoke on Monday
" night in the First Baptist Church t.
10 a full house on "The Crying Need o
Q, the Hour" and on Tuesday morning
CT visited the city public school ant
lg the great ship yard, where fully fit.
IT per cent of the eight thousand mel
e. at work are colored men. The pee
pie of this city were honored in hi
IT presence. He expressed himself a
or being well pleased with the trip here
H. The Doctor left Tuesday at 1905 70
ry Nashville, Tenn.