Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1921-11-06
LIBERTY FIGHT
RECALLED IN OLD CHURCH
coochland Baptist Celebrates
Its Sesqui-Ccntcnnial With
Interesting Ceremonies.
sEUBEN FORD FIRST pAsToI,

EEUBEN FORD FIRST PASTOR
Mustered There Over Fifty Years
nnd Was Regarded ns the f.cndcr
In Presenting Memorials tn House
of Durxessrs.
The sesuui-centenninl of the Gooch-
and Baptist Church. in Goochiand
county. was mos, Gttingiv celebrated
IN Saturday. October 30. The SER
ices were under the direction OF the
|astor. Rev. Il. y. Moody. Devotional
Ncrciscs were conducted by Rev. AL
red Bagby. ID. D.. the Nestor " Vir-
finia Baptist ministers.
DIR. j. w. cammack field secretary
{ the Virginia Baptist state Mission
'oard. gave an historical sketch of
he church from It's beginning To the
present time. emphasizing the imDor-
ant part that this church has played
n the history OF tho Baptists Of Eir-
-irtia. DR.. Garnet Ryiand. of the Uni-
fcrsity Of Richmond spoke on Bod
lists and liberty, showing the
;rcat influence that certain mcmbers
Il the old Gooch!nnd church had In
he struggle for religious freedom in
Virginia. Or. r. w. cartwright.
president of tho University OF Rich-
bond. delivered an address on "Bop-
achievements. Present Opportunities"
The historical sermon wax prcac I"d
by Rev. w. T.. Gibson, y. D.. OF
sroaddus Memorial Church. Richmond.
nut formerly one of the pastors OF
ioOchland church The occasion
brought together vast throngs OF pco-
lie from far and wide. II was IN
li-day meeting. with dinner on the
grounds.
Founded In Yrnr i11I
Many interesting historical facts
we're brought out In the hddrcSscs
delivered. In 1863. Samuel iia-ciss
md James Read came into G oochland
'ounty and preached in the neigh
iorhOOd OF the present church. James
tead baptized II young man By the
iame OF Reuben Ford. Ahoui Ihis
inc. also. cam. John Wallc, aud
baptized two other young men. VIII
lam Weber ana Jossph Anthony.
These three young men all ncIine
PREACHERS, and under their mil'stra-
ions II tx recorded that 'in;rv he
ic"cd ana were baptized in Goucn.
and. insomuch that they thought
hsm selves ready for an independent
government. and were accordingly
sonstitutcd as church. toward tho
aai OF the year l77l. II was called
iooch.and Church, and contain"J
ibput s"ventv-hve members.
Reuben Ford was the frs; pastor
and continued In this Office for over
aNy years The church grew md
prospcred under his ministry. Two
remarkable REVEALS occurred during
fis pastorate. In the year 1893 about
icJ wcr. added 10 the church.
In. the language OF Mr. Ford, II was
ar pleasan; as rain to the thirsty
kyrounG. or bread to III hungry SOUL
Again. in 1906. there wns a remark
able revival among the negroes, who
in those times affiliated with the
whites in their church connections
About 100 OF them were buDtiz, d at
this time.
Four Pastors In I:5 Senrs.
II is worthy OF note that during the
nrst century and n quarter OF it's his
tory. or from l77l TO 1896. til church
iad only four pastors.--Iteu en- Ford
Meriwcther J.. Jones. y. Il. Smith and
III. u. Rneland. Not only was Reuben
Ford pastor OF Goochiand Church for
more than n half century, he was for
thirty years clerk OF the Dover AS
ISOLATION, and for Ike period clerk
20! the GcneEai body OF Virgin Bap-
lists. under the different names ny
which IL was called during that time
According To the historian Semple,
Reuben Ford was moro responsible
than any other man for d~awinE IN
and presenting to the House OF Bur-
Eesses the memorials OF Virginia Rap-
lists for religious liberty. He was
usually the chairman OF the commits
tee. Many Of these old documents are
stu pr, served In the archives Of the
Nirslnia state Library. ana in Mr..
Fords handwriting
William eber and Joseph ANTHONY
went out from old Goochland Church
,1 co.,
Togcthcr they organized old Powha-
tan Baptist Church. in Powhatan
County, in the year 1871. Then th.v
went 10 Chesterfield County and
preached. and were there imprison "A
in old Chesterfield JAN for preaching
doctrines contrary to those OF the Es-
'abiished Church Of that day. After
getting out OF Chesterfield Jail, Weber
went To Middlesex County and
preached his doctrines. and was i'm
prisoncd In old Middle jail. Weber
was for thirty years moderator OF
the Dover Association. and for n like
period was moderator OF the general
body OF Virginia Baptists. an honor
that no other minister has ever en-
toyed.
Graves Are Unmarked
i;eubcn Ford and William Weber
sleep In their old family burying
=. o"i'u' III tnc vicinity or GOOchland
Chnrch. and their graves are at pres
ent unmarked The Dover Associa-
ton. 81 its recent session. took stems
toward the erection of suitable monu-
ments 70 their memory.
BESIDES sending out these dis,in
guished ministers. Goochland Church
has the distinction of being tho
mother church Of those regions. Ont
OF its membership were organized tho
following churches: Dover, ira:
Chickahominy, I776; Licking Hole.
ll7!6; Hungary. 1891, and Hopeful.
IIS07.
In the community of Goochland
3Church IT is more Familiarity known
as Nuckles Church. because of the
TACT that from its lightning the fam
lily OF Nuckles have been prominent
Iy Identified with It. The first dele.
gates II sent TO the Dover Associp
lion were Reuben Jones. It's pastor.
and Pouncy Nuckles, its leading Iay.
man. Among the pillars of the church
today are Abner c NuckIcs. grandson
OF Pouncy Nucklcs, and Vernon Ford.
reat-granrson OF Reuben Ford. horn
living In their old family homesteads.
Tho present building is I'm n beau
tlfui grove near the site of the oriri.
nal one. IT Is n commodious struc-
ture with modern convenicnces for
Sunday school work. II is a model
plant for country church. The