Perhaps the first church (white) organized in Jefferson county was
organized about the year 1818. Dr. Holcombe’s history tells us that
in 1823 the “Rock Creek Church,” in Tuscaloosa county, received into
its membership from South Carolina an African preacher, Job Davis. Mr.
Holcombe says of him: “He was an acceptable preacher, a man of deep
thought, sound judgment, and was well skilled in the Scriptures of
Divine Truth.”
The venerable Mr. A. J. Waldrop, of Birmingham, informed the writer
that when a little boy he heard Job preach in a camp meeting. He said:
“The meeting had been in progress a week or so, and mother and father
went to the camp on Sunday morning. The meeting was very cold. Brother
Holcombe was wondering who would be the fit preacher to open the day’s
services, as Job, now free from his daily toil, walked into camp. As
Brother Holcombe saw him, he remarked: ‘There is our man.’ Job was led
up to the stand and invited to go up and take a seat. Job replied: ‘No,
I’ll stand down here in front of it.’ Job then reached back to the top
of the stand and took off the Bible and opened it. I can never forget
the deep thrill of devotion which Job’s person and manner turned in
upon the audience that day; something of the feeling is with me yet. He
had hardly parted his lips before men and women began to sob. When he
was through with his sermon, it was plain to all that the meeting was
no longer a dead meeting. This was the beginning of a revival which
affected much of Tuscaloosa county.”
Mr. Holcombe says of Job, in another place in his book: “Job was
brought from Africa to Charleston, S. C., in 1806; professed religion
in 1812; soon learned to read and write; taught Sunday school for two
summers in Abbeville district, S. C.; licensed to preach in 1818; came
to Alabama in 1822; died November 17, 1835, in Pickens county. He lived
the Christian, he died a saint.”
Further, Mr. Holcombe says: “In those days we had but few better
preachers than Job.”
Thus it appears that not only in wars for independence, but in gospel
labors as well, the negro is in the foundations of this country.
Rev. Prince Murrell, who had bought himself some time before the days
of the Emancipation, opened the work at Tuscaloosa on the dawn of
freedom. Rev. Messrs. M. Tyler and M. D. Alexander came into the van at
Lowndesboro.