The tribune independent of Michigan. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1933-1935, 1934-07-14
Ebenezer Celebrates
Continued from page 1

together shows that the few men,
Ders first met in the home of one
OF its members on Watson street.
where the church was organized.
Later meeting In the home of Elijah
and Louise Willis the parents OF |
the well known lawyer Robert j.
Willis.
Other people listed among the !!
founders were. Calvin Rice, Mr..
Webster, Mr.. Smith. Mr.. Wood, Mr..
Parker. George W. Moore and his
wife Almeda. Mrs. Peggy Wood, |
Mrs. Mary Smith and others. The
Rev. Jeffries whose fist name has
Rev. Jeffries whose first name has
the first pastor and Robert j. old
Bob" Willis the first clerk.
The congregation soon became
too large to meet in the private
homes of its members, 1t was then
that they set out to find a church
In which to worship. Calhoun ST.,
which Is now Erskine. was a por-
ton of the old Morgan fam and l
Is believed that the Moran estat
donated the ground on which tn
church stands under the provist
that the members build a church
themselves. This happened at a
time when the white congregation
of Presbyterian church which
stood at the corner OF Sibley street
and Woodward avenue. were NOV
ing into a newly acquired church
and having no further need for the
old building gave II to the colored
congregation providing they could
move il from its then present site.
This was away back in 1878 when J
Negroes had very little or no mon I
ey with which TO do anything; so |
for a short time they faced the dif-
ficulty of removing the church.
Prayer. il is believed brought about
the disired results and Mrs. Mary
Smith one Of the founders mOrtgag-
ed her pOperty and in that way
raised enough money to have the
old Presbyterian church removed.
The old church building being OF
frame was cut in half and moved In
sections 10 the present location.
George w. Moore carpenter and
one of The founders supervised the
work. The rear section of tile
church was moved first later the
other half was joined onto IL. They
began worship in this
church Which for a long time was
known as "A Mission. Several years
later after the church had maze
such rapid strides they were in
duced 10 join the Methodist con-
ference. which they d. linking
up with old Bethel
thereby becoming the second
Methodist church to be orgnized
in Detroit.
IL was to ldto this writer by both
DR.. George w. Fielder and Arthur
Moore offsprings Of some OF the
founders of Ebenezer that the con-
tinuous shoutings of the congre-
CATION when giving vent to their
religious emotions brought on by
the fiery sermons Of the pastor
caused the old church TO fairly
rock at times and 1t is believed II
would have eventually been shak-
en- from It moorings. That is why |
the brick wall was built around
old Ebenezer as 1t stands TO day.
Anniversary Quietly Observed
There will be no pomp and cere-
mony to mark the 61st anniver-
sary of the church this time ac-
cording TO Rev. G.. w. Babe, the
present pastor. He says we plan
mostly prayerful service that the
spirit and the traditions OF the
founders will prevail and guide
us thru another sixty years.
Rev. Baber is the third genera
ton of the Baber family 20 serve
rs minister in the Methodist con-
nection. His father Rev. VIM. b.
Baber is pastoring in Pontiac
Michigan. while his grandfathe y.
w Babre was a Methodist minis
ter in Tennessee some years ago.
While Rev. G.. w. Baber OK Ebe-
nezor is wonderful preacher ne
Is also a leader in the true sense
of tho word. having built three
churches I'm his twelve years IN
the ministry, one in Laport, lnd-'
one I'm Michigan City, Ind. and an
other i'm Benton Harbor, Mich. he
came to Detroit from Flint, Mich.
While pastoring there he served
as a member OF the welfare COM
mission.
The anniversary Of Ebenezer
closes Sunday night July 10, at
which time the pastor hopes to
look back over 61 years OF con-
tinuous religious service of the
church and say to its founders,
"we have kept the faith"