AS AN EVANGELIST.
Mention has been made in a preceding chapter of the fact that Dr.
Walker has been very successful in the field of evangelistic work. In
speaking of his work as an evangelist, let it be understood at the
outset that the only limitation that has been put upon his efforts
in evangelism has been due to the fact that all along he has been a
stated pastor and has only given such time to evangelistic campaigns
as he could spare from an unusually busy pastorate. Yet even with this
limitation he has been very successful in evangelistic work, though
he has not been able, for the reason stated, to accept scores of
invitations from great cities to serve the Lord by conducting revival
services.
He has the calling, the spirit, the gift, the courage, the directness,
the sympathy, the faith, the fervor, and the flexibility of the
true evangelist. What gives him his greatest preaching power is the
enthusiastic warmth and impulsiveness of his speech both in matter and
manner. Another thing that adds to the attractiveness of his meetings
is the singing. Unlike most of the world’s greatest preachers, he is
a great singer. It has been often said of him that he can out-preach
any man, and then, without stopping, put in and out-sing any man. It
is beyond the power of man to describe an audience of four or five
thousand colored people engaged in a service of song. In addition to
the Gospel Hymns and Revival Songs, the colored people always use the
old time Negro Spirituals, sometimes called Plantation Songs, and in
the rendition of these last the colored people are inimitable. With
Dr. Walker leading the singing in stentorian notes and the multitude
joining in, its worth a day’s journey of any man’s life to witness the
sight. To be understood, to be appreciated, it must be seen and heard.
At sometime or other, during the past twenty years, revival services
have been held by Dr. Walker in every important city in Georgia without
exception. It will be unnecessary to speak of each meeting. The first
“big meetings” that gave him anything like a national standing as a
recognized leading revivalist were held in Kansas City, Mo. The papers
gave large space daily to the accounts of his meetings. This was in
1892, soon after his return from the Holy Land. During the progress
of these meetings, invitations came to him to go to St. Louis, San
Francisco, and Chicago to continue the good work. As much as he desired
to do so, he was compelled to return to his church at Augusta, after
five weeks of hard work, in which many hundreds were saved. In 1894,
Dr. Walker was invited to New York City to take part in the great
religious campaign inaugurated there during that year. The meetings
were held during March and April. He remained for three weeks. He
spoke at the Antioch Baptist Church, 352 W. 35th Street; St. Mark’s M.
E. Church, 139 W. 48th Street; Niblo’s Garden, Broadway, near Prince
Street; the Academy of Music, Metropolitan Hall, near Macy’s, and at
other points under assignment of the Metropolitan Association. He was
associated with such men as the Rev. A. C. Dixon, the Rev. Ernest Lyon,
the Rev. Granville Hunt, Mr. Arthur Crane, Leonard Weaver, Mr. Theodore
Bjorksten, Mr. and Mrs. George C. Stebbins, the Rev. D. J. Burrell, and
others. The following is taken from the New York Tribune concerning
those meetings:
“The most unique figure in the present evangelistic campaign is,
without a doubt, the Rev. Dr. Walker, of Georgia, who is better known
as the ‘Black Spurgeon.’ This preacher has been working principally
among the members of his own race in the course of his stay in New
York, and has made many converts of the attendants at the meetings in
Antioch Baptist Church and in St. Mark’s M. E. Church. Dr. Walker is a
man who would attract attention anywhere. He has strong features and
his voice, although deep, has a remarkably winning intonation. His
manner is eloquent, and in preaching Christ he follows closely the
life of the Master, and illustrates his remarks by vivid descriptive
phrases.”
The column from which this is taken is headed “The Black Spurgeon’s
Work--Many Negroes Uplifted by His Eloquent Words--Part Which
Dr. Walker is Taking in the Evangelical Services--His Attractive
Personality.”
The New York Sun said:
“‘The Black Spurgeon’ met with great success in his work in this city.
He is a large and powerful man, with a deep voice, but what gives him
his greatest preaching power is the earnestness he displays in matter
and manner. Dr. Walker aroused a religious feeling which is finding
expression in daily meetings. In St. Mark’s, three meetings are held
each day. The special aim of the revival has been to bring the young
into the church, and to reclaim backsliders.”
The New York Times, the New York Press, the New York Independent and
other papers spoke of the “Black Spurgeon” and his work in New York at
this time.
The following account of one of the Metropolitan noon-day meetings is
taken from Sabbath Reading, a religious paper:
“‘Showers of Blessing,’ was the opening hymn at a Metropolitan meeting
a few days ago; and the reports of this and other meetings indicate
that showers of blessing have indeed been falling. After several
hymns had been sung, the Rev. Mr. Hunt led in prayer; Mr. Spencer
sang touchingly the hymn, ‘My Son, Give Me Thine Heart.’ Mr. Arthur
Crane then spoke a short while. Miss Anna Parks rendered a solo on
a cornet, ‘When the Sea Gives up its Dead.’ Dr. Walker, of Augusta,
Ga., who is called the ‘Black Spurgeon,’ was introduced. He spoke in
a voice tremulous with emotion and enthusiasm, and the audience gave
him their close attention, that not a word might be lost. Opening the
Bible, he read the first seven verses from Luke 5. ‘There are four
things to learn from this lesson,’ he said; ‘first, failure; second,
faith; third, fullness; fourth, fellowship. These disciples had had a
night of fruitless toil. Jesus was not with them. They were fishermen
and were plying their usual vocation on the lake, but they hadn’t met
with success. That was failure. In the morning, Jesus came along with
a great crowd of people, and he asked Peter to lend him his ship for
a pulpit, so that he might preach to the people. Peter did so, and to
reward him for his courtesy, Jesus told him to launch out. Now, that
seemed a foolish thing to do, because Peter and the others had been
fishing all night, and hadn’t caught one fish, and Jesus knew it; but
he wanted to teach them a lesson of faith and obedience, as well as
to reward them. It’s just like Jesus. He always does reward us right
away, and he is continually paying us for what we do. The disciples
took Jesus at his word. That was faith. And you know the story, how
they let down the nets and drew in so many that the nets broke. That
was fullness. Jesus always honors faith, even when it is mixed with
ignorance and superstition. Seeing their companions at a distance with
their empty boat, the disciples called them to come and share the fish
with them. That was fellowship. The Lord intends that each of us shall
share our joys with others. While this mighty tidal wave of religion
is sweeping over the country, this is a good time for you to come to
God and bring your friends with you. Jesus blesses us so that we might
bless others. As he is exemplified in our conduct, so shall we win
souls. Are there none here to-day who wish this Christ to come into
their souls to be their own, their personal Saviour?’ Several raised
their hands for prayer, and the speaker said, ‘Thank God.’”
Since 1894, Dr. Walker has held successful meetings in Galveston,
Texas; Houston, Texas; Kansas City, St. Louis, Boston, Philadelphia,
Nashville, Louisville and Atlanta. The last great meeting in Atlanta
was held in April, 1897. The meetings commenced in Friendship Baptist
Church, W. Mitchell St., of which the Rev. E. R. Carter, D. D., is the
pastor. The interest increased so rapidly, and the number that came
was so large that the meetings had to be transferred to the auditorium
in Exposition Park, which before that had been made famous by meetings
held by Sam Jones, and later by D. L. Moody. He crowded the great hall,
with a seating capacity of nearly 8,000 souls, from the start. There
probably has never been just such a meeting on the American continent
as the one held in Atlanta at that time. It was attended by the white
people as well as by the black people. At more than one service there
were more than a thousand whites present--some of them representing
the wealth and culture and refinement of Atlanta. Ministers, lawyers,
members of the city council, the mayor and his wife, the merchants
and bankers--all came out to hear the “Black Spurgeon.” And the white
people were just as eager, and some of them just as emotional in their
worship as were the colored people. Many whites stood for prayer along
with colored people; many were bathed in tears during the preaching;
many of them testified for Jesus in the testimonial meetings; many
were helped; some were saved. At the close of each meeting, the most
prominent people would not think of leaving the building before shaking
hands with the great preacher. Speaking of this meeting, the Atlanta
Constitution said:
“The Negroes of Atlanta are stirred up over the wonderful religious
revival that has been going on in the Friendship Baptist Church for
the past two weeks. The success of the meeting has been unparalleled,
and more religious enthusiasm has been aroused in the two weeks
that the meetings have been running than has been felt in this city
in years. The meetings are being conducted by the Rev. Charles T.
Walker, ‘the colored Spurgeon.’ He is assisted by Rev. E. R. Carter,
the regular pastor. Every night, thousands are turned away from the
church on W. Mitchell St., and the building is always crowded with
people long before the hour of service. Rev. Walker is proving as
great a drawing card among the colored people as Sam Jones did among
the whites. He attracts fully as large crowds and his preaching is
drawing fully as many people into the church as Sam Jones’ meeting--if
not more. Dr. Walker is pastor of the Tabernacle Baptist Church at
Augusta, and is regarded as one of the leading colored preachers in
the country. He attracts large crowds by his preaching wherever he
goes, and his meetings are always attended by wonderful outbursts of
religious enthusiasm.”
In 1899, Dr. Walker again held meetings in Kansas City. The following
is taken from the Kansas City Star, April, 1899:
“Many a white man would be glad to have the eloquence, the command
of language and the power of thought that Rev. Dr. C. T. Walker, the
‘Black Spurgeon,’ displayed in his sermon to a great crowd of colored
people in the Second Baptist Church, Tenth and Campbell Sts., last
night. He is one of the best colored speakers ever heard in Kansas
City.
“The Rev. Walker’s home is in Augusta, Ga. He is so well thought of by
the prominent people of his city that when the mayor died yesterday,
he received several telegrams asking him to come and attend the
funeral. He may return home to-day, but may decide to remain longer.
“Every seat in the large auditorium of the new colored church was
occupied when he ascended the pulpit steps last night, and long rows
of black faces looked down at him from the balcony.
“Dr. Walker is a man of perhaps forty or more. He is of medium size;
although his face is as black as a stove pipe, he says he never drinks
coffee because it is deleterious to the complexion. His features are
prominent, he has a sharp mustache and a short head. His voice is not
exceedingly strong, but clear and well modulated.
“His sermons are sententious and epigrammatic. They abound in original
and striking observations, and his gestures, though not graceful, are
spontaneous.
“‘Men talk a great deal of the perplexing problems that confront
humanity to-day,’ he said. ‘But if men would put the Bible into
practice, there will be no problems. That book is statesmanship as
well as religion, and it not only teaches the fatherhood of God, but
the universal brotherhood of man.’
“The subject of his sermon was ‘Christ the supreme object of worship.’
In referring to God’s plan of salvation, he said: ‘So many say they
failed to understand the plan and sometimes wondered why the Almighty
did not take man into his confidence just a little bit in arranging
it. But it wouldn’t have done. In this day, when there are so many
trusts and combines, salvation would have been bought up and cornered
and monopolized until only the rich could get at it, if man had had
anything to do with it. As some rhymester has said:
“‘If religion was a thing that money could buy,
The rich would live and the poor would die.’”
“One of the characteristics of ‘the Black Spurgeon’s’ style is his
fund of illustrative anecdotes. He used one of these to show that man
cannot read the Bible without feeling instinctively that Christ was
divine, relating a conversation supposed to have taken place between
Napoleon and Gen. Bertrand on the Island of St. Helena. When the
latter expressed his opinion that Christ was only a man, Napoleon
stopped him, and said: ‘No, General Bertrand, I know men. But I never
knew one like Christ. He had that in Him that no man ever had. He was
divine. His army--soldiers of the cross--are now marching on through
ages to victory. But who, general, think you, is marshalling any
forces for me? In a year or two I shall die and be no more, and my
name will be forgotten. But his name will live forever.’
“‘Col. Ingersoll and Gen. Lew Wallace were once taking a ride
together,’ the speaker said, ‘when Wallace informed his companion that
he intended to write a book tearing the mask from the face of Christ
and showing Him to have been but human. Ingersoll told him that he was
the very man to write such a book and commended the idea.’ ‘When Gen.
Wallace prepared to write the book,’ said the preacher, ‘he first set
about reading the New Testament carefully as a prerequisite. Before he
had finished it, he convinced himself of his own error and wrote Ben
Hur instead.’
“‘Over and over again,’ continued the speaker, ‘I have read of the
Pharisee who, after recounting his virtues, thanked God that he was
not like other men. And I have often wondered who this Pharisee was
like. He was not like God, and he was not like the publican--he must
have been like the devil.’
“Dr. Walker dealt sanctification a blow in declaring that such a
thing as perfection was impossible to man. Man was intended to grow
unceasingly into Christian strength.
“‘The Lord’s our judge,’ he said, ‘the Lord is our King; the Lord is
our law-giver--the judicial, the executive and legislative combined in
one.’
“But it is his pictures of the hereafter, of the hosts of saints
marching up to glory, that the Black Spurgeon excels. Then it is that
his voice is raised and his body sways back and forth as he adds
stroke after stroke to the grand scene, and marshals phalanx after
phalanx of moral heroes in Miltonic array, moving on with steady
tread, glittering, triumphant, to the gates of heaven. In the course
of a bit of description of this kind, near the close of his sermon,
shouts went up from every quarter of the church and the audience was
worked up to a high pitch of religious frenzy and exaltation.
“‘I hear the tread of the feet of the great host,’ he said, ‘tramp,
tramp, tramp, they come. Like the angel whose wings John, in his
vision saw released, they are not retarded by polar snows nor
equatorial heat.’
“‘On they come--tramp, tramp, tramp, shoulder to shoulder, wheel to
wheel, charger to charger; onward they march--company after company,
cavalcade after cavalcade, thousands upon thousands and millions
upon millions, marching, marching, marching, on through the ages and
forever. The church of God is going home to Zion. Ah! friends many
are waiting there for you! That mother that lies buried beneath the
sod, that little son or daughter, that sister, that brother--they are
waiting and calling for you. Be of good courage, they say. They are
not far away; they see your struggles; they know your temptations.’
“Then when the emotion of the audience began to find vent in shouts,
the speaker lowered his voice and shifted to another line of attack,
gradually working upon the feelings of his hearers again until he was
again compelled to let up.”
It is not necessary to prolong this chapter. The record of service
done in the Master’s Vineyard by Dr. Walker is one to be proud of. He
has led more than 8,000 persons to Christ, has baptized and received
into the membership of the church more than 3,500, and has not missed
preaching the glorious Gospel of the blessed Christ but four Sundays in
twenty-four years--twice on account of sickness, and twice on account
of being at sea.