Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1918-03-04
GROVE AVENUE CHURCH
OBSERVES Anniversary
Rev. j. NJ. Pitcher. ID. D., OF Peters
burg, Describes Its Organiza-
tlon Fifty Years Ago.
SERVED AS ORIGINAL PASTOR

SERVED AS ORIGINAL PASTOR
Congregation Has Steadily Increased
Through Changes Made in Its
Name = Moved TO Grove Avenue
Some Years Ago.
No moro interesting service hns ever
been held in Richmond than that at
Grove Avenue Baptist Church yes,er-
day morning commcmorating tho If
ti"th anniversary of the organization
Of that church. To poin, with Iride to
:. hplf-century record Of faithful. loyal
pervica Is In Itself notable, but the dis
,inctivc feature OF the service ycster-
day was the fact that the anniversary
sermon was preached by the nrst rcgu-
lar pastor rev. John NJ Pitcher. Il. D..
now of Petersburg. Rev. w. 9. James.
n D.. has been pastor since 1907.
Other pastors, going backward TO the
time OF DR.. Pitchers incumbcncy. wore
Rev. j. r. Hawthorne. Rev. ]. G. hiden.
REV s. a. Goodwin. Rev. w. j. ship
man. Rev. Edmund Harrison. Rev.
Harvey Hatcher and Rev. Vernon 1,
tnson.
The early history of the church. as
related by DR.. Pitcher yesterday. was
of absorbing interest TO the congresa-
,ion OF Grove Avenue Baptist Church.
The half-ccnturY history began with
the organization OF Sidney Baptist
Church. Sundn.. March i. 1865.
"ImmcdIatcly after the dissolution OF
The sidney section or the First Baptist
Church" said Or. Pitcher. IA meeting
was organized by calling Robert II.
-rump to the chair and appointing j..
NJ Pitcher secretary Prayer for d.
vine guidance was offered by J. NJ.
pitcher accord,nc 20 the records OF
ne church ard he read the ecciest-
astical principles rules and covenant
~ the FRS, Church.
uI1ACoNs or VIEW CHURCH
ELECTED IN APRIL. 1893
They were signed by four men from
Grace Street Church. John N. Pitcher
poher, II Crnmp Mrs. Sallie e.
c-ur7r. M's. Mamie & Crump: one
from, second Church. William T. Glenn;
.vantv-snven from the Sidney section.
uies Alctrda n Alley Miss Roberta
Y ,llcv Mrs. N"rroret = hrmstring'
rronrv G PoNow Miss Judith NJ Bal
low Mes Marietta Roliow. George w.
,-hor-ho-'a-nn N'ee Lucv Ann Cham
,c-r,.-c Mics Anna r. Cr"mn. George
" Gaines William r Guest. William
- NORMAN. Miss E"r"nia Mor'en.
.rhor-ns Morris Mrs. ls'h"l Norris
r-,o-o,-r phfl,r= Miss isabella Phillips.
,,o,7o phi,!tps Mrs Leorora G.
cne rls. w. II, Sutor and Henry NJ.
Tcatman.
"It was resolved that this assembly
oo,,noend Of N. above thir'y-two per-
sons regularly dismissed for this pnr-
.oso should fo-m regular. tnde.
.ardnnt church and that councN OF
80 h-e,rron from FIRST. Second,
c.ro. c,ren. nn'vin~.n and Leigh
900, churches. consisting or the pas
,r1 opc other he called 20 publicly
r.on-,iye tho ird"rendent church OF
christ just formed.
"proccodiuc- "a tho election or onl-
ncrs 7 NJ P'lrhnr was elected cl"rN'
md G. W. Chamherlayne treasurer
-,c,.ons we've elected Anrii &c 1853
pohcr. u. Crump The organization
was followed h. meetings in which
a, encourarirr number OF members
were received by BAPTISM.
ORGtSIYArroS CnNpIETED
ASD CIlrRCH REC0GNIZFD
In January. 1865. the Section author
ted mo to procure n new record book
ord .ranscrihc MI the records OF tn"
lodv THO need being dfscredifably APP
r,-ent There was really no treasury.
and had formed the habit Of buying
what was necessary. Accordingly. |
hnuch, n LARGE record book with 4
view TO it's use during fifty or 100
wears At n hirh price and employed
ma. skiii.ul Deuman. Otway T Browne.
/ y
omen Il properly and do the copying.
orvinr him literally for II.
This hook became the record book
NJ me sidney Church and OF It's Nom
ncrshir Mt West Main Street During
The soiourn Of the church on the Beech
street lot, some one borrowed the BOOK
Called to return il and 1t was lost.
From records which. fortunately, I hao
PRESERVED. John D:ckerson made a his
torical statement which | never saw
but which was burned with the build
ing on Grove Avenue.
tho reference 70 the recognition OF
,he church on May 3. 1865: We had
our meeting IN the afternoon and a
Glorious one il was The council con
siS.inG OF committees from the First,
| Second. Grace street and Bcividere
churches was organized. by call
ing Rev. James r. Taylor .. n,
Chamhl!ss secretary. then read ths
Covenant. etc, prefacing the reading
with some explanatory remarks con-
corning our past history. on motion
of Or. Burrows. i; was resolved that
he council was satisfied with the ar
church and recognizes the church rs
sister church Of Jesus CHRIST. The
delicious services then proceeded in
10 following order.
DIR. rV.CWI'w DECLINES CALLS.
70 REMAIN PASTOR or CtIIECi
80 Rcahin" hvrru and scripture by
rev. J. 4. Chsmhliss, prayer by G. c.
Conner. Of atlanta. sermon By DR..
BURROWS, charge to tho church by DR.
/ Taylor. r'2h' hand OF fellowship by
Rev. i. NJ. Butler
81 continued TO act rs pastor" said
Dr. Pitcher IN conclusion, several
times declining calls OF the church to
ordination and thc pastoratc. because
I was in business until February 81.
1870, when ] wns ordained, the way
having opened for me to give my bust
moss TO IN" ''othcr on the first Of the
following .Iulv.
Tho church had hnG nominal trus-
tees. appointed by the Section. at the
date OF its organization. bu: really
had no rrnper'y. as ! discovered by
sc"rchin- the decd books in tho Clerks