The Wilmington morning star., 1947-10-12
MAFFITT VILLAGE
CHURCH HISTORY
Work Since First Organi-
cation Is Told By
Its Members

~~ lAll41S LII dlC03 10 oN1AoN
Park, because Of the rapid
growth OF the city due 20 lne
:. construction OF the Norm Caro-
70 Ina onlpDulId1ng 70. ne SEM the
Rev. James H. Butler to beg.n
work IN that community, and,
esq in September 6, 1912, the Sunset
Park Baptist church was organ
~ ized."
"They were not near sigt ed,
but in the midst of their efforts
~ to carry on and build the king
dom within their community,
they were truly missionary, and
- looked around to see what good
they could do"
whereby, there was 0
ceived within the hearts and
minds of the members of this
church, our mother church, an
- idea for some form of worship
for the people of the Maffitt
Village community, a wartime
housing unit"
1T was through their love for
the need of mankind, spiritual
ly, that they launched out
though young they were, and
laboring under a financial effort
to build a church within their
midst, with a program which
started a Baptist mission in the
Maffitt Village community"
ut was under the sponsorship
Of the Sunset Park Baptist
church assisted by the state
board, that we had u birth:
A building was purchased and
erected upon the present site.
This mission was known as the
Sunset Park mission"
The Rev. Paul C. Nix, a
young man, who had recently
felt the call to = ministry, and
at. that time serving as deacon
In the Sunset Park Baptist
church, was licensed in Decem-
Der of 1914, to preach and serv-
ed as assistant to Rev. James
H. Butler until the work opened
up in this new mission. The last
Sunday in January of 1914, the
Rev. Mr.. Nix took over the
work of the mission, under the
auspices of the Sunset Park
Baptist church,"
"The first meeting of thls
mission was held in this present
auditorium, with 80 people pres
ent. The service consisted OF
Sunday school, morning and
evening worship"
"The work grew in leaps and
r. bounds and on August 81, 1914,
a Committee, consisting Of Mrs.
- W. Herman, Mr.. L, R. Spry,
and Mr. C. A. Lilies, presented
a request to the Sunset Park
Baptist church, asking permis-
SION to orqanize into an indie
pendent Missionary Baptist
. church. The request was grant
ed, and plans were begun for
the organization of this church
on the first Sunday in October,
1874"
"The organization service
was leld on Sunday afternoon,
Oct /r /, 1914. The services
~- were opened by singing The
- church's One Foundation, and
the Rev. Carl G.. Lewis, pastor
of the Sunset Park Baptist
church, conducted a devotional,
and read the names of the fifty
10 five Charter Members. Rev.
Bradley. pastor of Calvary Bap-
fist church, acted as moderator.
The choir sang "The Lord is
NV j'o~%rd'."
"A nominating committee,
represented by Mr.. L. r. Spry,
submitted a list of names to be
elected as officers and teachers
of the Church, Sunday school,
and B. T. U. These were elect
ed; that afternoon there w a S
planted in the spirit of Christ,
and for the good of mankind,
s-rd that begun to terminate,
and is now lifting its head as
a tree planted by a stream Of
water, over the house tops of
Maffitt Village, not as a mis-
,~ son. but as the Maffitt Village
Baptist church."
"The first business meeting Of
~ the newly organized Maffitt Vii
lage Baptist church was held
October 5, at which time a pull
pit committee submitted the
name of the Rev. Paul c. Nix
% IS pastor. Their report was &C
~ 'epted, and the Rev. Mr.. Nix
5as elected first pastor of the
hurch.
AT this same meeting, the
board of deacons presented a
yearly bu.~ to the church,
amounting to So, 926. 90. The bud
so get was adopted. During that
year, the first year of the life
of the church, the collections
amounted to over $11, 100000"
God richly blessed every eff
fort, rightly directed every
pan, pastor ana officer of the
church. His leadership was rec
~orrized and this church worked
for the glorification Of His
Mar n this village. Its mem
b. ~ has been made up of
p Who have moved into
this village for work, but their
Wor' consisted not altogether of
a <~t+erial nature, for they
we. and are, a part of this
church; a spiritual work. Many
have completed their work, and
have returned to their homes,
in this and adjoining states; a
-.richnr Christian"
"During the short life span of
This church there has been add
ed to it's membership 1863. 13e
upon profession of faith; 105 let