LEAVES AUGUSTA--GOES TO NEW YORK.
In the month of June, 1899, a unanimous call was extended to Dr.
Walker to become Pastor of the Mt. Olivet Baptist Church, 161 W. 53d
St., New York City. Soon after, by invitation, he visited New York to
confer with the officers of the church with regard to the work. The
meeting between the pastor-elect and the officers was satisfactory in
every way, and the former signified his intention of accepting the
call. Returning to Augusta, he presented his resignation as pastor of
Tabernacle Baptist Church, to take effect on the 1st day of October,
1899, on which date he proposed to enter upon work in New York City.
It is putting the matter mildly to say that the members of the
Tabernacle Church and the people of Augusta were in a frenzy. Mass
meetings were held, protest after protest was filed by various civic
and benevolent organizations, the newspapers rebelled, the Tabernacle
Baptist Church voted to add $50.00 per month to his salary, the whole
city was literally stirred in an effort to get him to reconsider his
acceptance of the New York invitation and withdraw the resignation
he had tendered as Pastor of Tabernacle Church. These efforts were
unavailing, because Dr. Walker said that he felt moved of the Spirit to
go to New York. As a compliment to the pastor, the Tabernacle Baptist
Church refused to accept his resignation, and passed resolutions to
the effect that he be left free to go to New York if he desired, but
stipulating expressly that he could return at any date to the pastorate
of the Tabernacle Church, which he had founded, and of which he had
been the able, successful and beloved leader for 14 years. With this
understanding, the Rev. Silas X. Floyd was unanimously elected as
Pastor of the Tabernacle Baptist Church, and installed as Pastor on
Tuesday night, Sept. 26, 1899.
[Illustration: TABERNACLE BAPTIST CHURCH, AUGUSTA, FOUNDED BY DR.
CHARLES T. WALKER.]
The following account of Dr. Walker’s last Sunday night with his
Augusta church is taken from the Augusta (Ga.) Chronicle of Sept. 25,
1899:
“Last night Dr. C. T. Walker preached his farewell sermon at
Tabernacle Baptist Church. The church was packed to overflowing. A
Chronicle reporter called soon after the service commenced, and found
great crowds going away, unable to gain admission.
“The service commenced by singing, ‘Come, ye disconsolate,’ the
hymn being read by the Rev. Silas X. Floyd, A. M., pastor-elect of
Tabernacle Church. Prayer was offered by Bishop R. S. Williams, of
the C. M. E. Church.
“Dr. Walker used for a text Acts 20:32, ‘And now, brethren, I commend
you to God, and to the word of his grace, which is able to build
you up, and to give you an inheritance among all them which are
sanctified.”
“In his opening remarks, the speaker referred to the fact that
in the 20th chapter of Acts the apostle Paul was delivering his
farewell message to the elders of Ephesus. Concerning himself, the
apostle had been desirous all along of two things. One was that he
might be faithful, and the other was that he might finish well. The
apostle commended the Ephesians to God--to God’s providence, to God’s
protection, to God’s word. He commended them in this way for their
edification and for their glorification.
“Then leaving the text, he delivered some very pathetic and helpful
parting words to his congregation. Among other things he urged them
to be a united people: he plead with them to stand together and to
uphold the hands of the young man who had been called to succeed
him; he urged them to be industrious, progressive, self-respecting
and self-reliant; with much eloquence he called upon them to be
interested in all the affairs of their race--he appealed to them to
be law-abiding and to make themselves a credit to the race and to the
city of Augusta and not a disgrace.
“Parting words were also spoken to the officers of the church.
Parting thanks were expressed to the church, to the sinners, to
the citizens, white and colored, who had stood by him and made his
success possible.
“In closing he gave a brief summary of his 14 years work in this
city. During that time he has baptized at his church over 1,400
people, erected a handsome brick church, bought an ‘Old Folks’ Home,’
the church and home valued at over $20,000, and done many other
things of which he did not speak. Many of the congregation were
shedding tears at the close of the service. The parting hymn was ‘God
be with you till we meet again.’”
[Illustration: THE TABERNACLE OLD FOLKS’ HOME, AUGUSTA, GA., FOUNDED
BY DR. CHARLES T. WALKER.]
The Mount Olivet Baptist Church was organized March 10, 1878. Rev.
Daniel W. Wisher was its first pastor. The church had its place of
worship in West 26th St., until 1885. In that year, by the help of
generous white Baptist friends and the Baptist City Mission Society,
they were enabled to purchase the splendid edifice in W. 53rd St.,
valued then at $130,000, in which they still worship. During the
pastorate of Rev. D. W. Wisher, or from 1878 to 1899, the church
paid on its debt, $39,000, of this $18,000 were given by Mr. John D.
Rockefeller, Mr. W. M. Isaacs, Mr. James Pyle, Mr. W. A. Caldwell, Mr.
Samuel S. Constant, Mrs. Nathan Bishop, Mr. J. A. Bostick, Mr. J. F.
Comey, Mr. B. F. Judson, Mr. R. Parker and others through the Baptist
City Mission Society.
In 1897 during the heated political campaign in New York City, the Rev.
D. W. Wisher saw fit to side with Tammany Hall in the city election,
and, it is said, went so far as to preach a sermon in which he
advocated Tammany’s claims and advised his members to vote the Tammany
ticket. As a result of this new departure, great opposition to the Rev.
Mr. Wisher sprang up in the church, and for nearly two years there was
an unseemly church wrangle by which the church was finally divided into
two factions, known as the “Wisherites” and the “Anti-Wisherites.”
It would be offensive to go into details. After a series of court
trials the “Anti-Wisherites” triumphed. The Rev. Mr. Wisher was deposed
in 1899, and his followers left the church.
It was then that the Mt. Olivet Baptist Church commenced to look for
a new leader. The Rev. Chas. S. Morris, D. D., of Boston, Mass., was
called to lead the church temporarily. After prayer and deliberation,
the church looked to Georgia, its eye fell on the “Black Spurgeon,” and
he was invited to become pastor of the church. As already stated, after
conference with those in authority, Dr. Walker decided to accept the
new charge. At first his friends throughout the nation felt that he was
making a mistake, the church already divided, the people who had kept
up with the “church war” (so far as they could keep up with it from the
newspaper reports) felt that it would be impossible for any human being
to reunite the membership. But Dr. Walker undertook the task, trusting
in the Lord. He succeeded from the day he took charge, the first
Sunday in October, 1899. From that day to this there has not been the
slightest friction in the church, and the membership has increased from
about 430 to more than 1,800 in the short space of two years and four
months. Besides, it is said by those competent to give correct opinions
in the matter that from the beginning he has preached to the largest
regular congregations of any man in New York City, white or black.
The second Sunday in March, 1900, he baptized 184 converts at one
time, which is the record for New York City, and perhaps for the
country. It was such an unusual spectacle that all the New York
newspapers gave large space to a report of the baptism and the
Associated Press sent a long account of it throughout the length and
breadth of the country. At the night service the pastor gave the hand
of fellowship to 408 members.
The second Sunday in March, 1901, he had another large baptism, in
which 95 were baptized, and the second Sunday in February, 1902, more
than 100 were baptized into the fellowship of the Mt. Olivet Baptist
Church. In all there have been more than 1,400 added to the church
under his administration, 700 by baptism and about 700 by letters and
Christian experiences. These last are usually called backsliders. They
are persons who were at one time members of Baptist churches in other
places, but who have been in New York, some ten, some fifteen and some
twenty years, without connecting themselves with any churches, while
at the same time they lost their identity with the churches where they
formerly were members. Dr. Walker has reclaimed hundreds of these, and
they are making good church members.
Financially his success with the church has been remarkable. In round
numbers, he has raised for all purposes, $25,000. He has kept up the
interest on the church debt and paid $2,500 on the principal. He has
raised $3,000 for the Colored Men’s Branch Y. M. C. A.; $2,500 for Home
and Foreign Missions, and more than $2,000 for various charities. Among
the regular contributors to the church at the present time are Mrs.
Geo. Lewis, Mr. W. R. A. Martin, and Mr. James W. Talcott.
The Mt. Olivet Baptist Church is a commodious structure, three stories
high with a beautiful granite front. The first floor contains the
trustees’ room, library room, the deacons’ room, one large dressing
room, kitchen and Sunday School room and the lecture room--the library
room and trustees’ room, by means of folding doors, can be thrown into
the lecture room. The second floor contains the main auditorium and
the choir gallery with two large swinging galleries. The third floor
contains the pastor’s study and room for committees, choir practice,
etc. Following is the list of present officers of Mt. Olivet Baptist
Church:
[Illustration: MT. OLIVET BAPTIST CHURCH, WEST FIFTY THIRD STREET, NEW
YORK CITY, N. Y.]
DEACONS OF MT. OLIVET BAPTIST CHURCH.
Wm. Moore, Chairman. Born in Hertford County, N. C., in 1855. Joined
Mt. Olivet Baptist Church in 1881. Made deacon in 1882. Served for
several years on the Advisory Board.
Fleming W. Jackson, Vice Chairman. Born in New Kent County, Va., in
1836. Joined Mt. Olivet Baptist Church in 1879 by letter from Second
Baptist Church, Richmond, Va. Licensed to preach by Joy Street Baptist
Church, Boston, Mass., and also by the Mt. Olivet Baptist Church.
Served for five years on the Advisory Board of the Mt. Olivet Baptist
Church and for the past four years has been a deacon.
J. A. Gardener, born in Shirley, near Richmond, Va., in 1846. Joined
Mt. Olivet Baptist Church when it was organized in 1878. Has been a
member of the board of deacons 22 years.
G. P. Webb. Born in Orange County, Va., Oct. 7, 1850. Joined Mt. Olivet
Baptist Church in 1878. Been a member of the Board of deacons since
1885. Deacon Webb is also Vice President Board of Trustees.
Robert H. Jones. Born in 1850 in Petersburg, Va. Joined Mt. Olivet
Baptist Church in 1885. Became deacon in 1898.
Herbert S. Royal. Born in Nottoway County, Va., Oct. 31, 1858. Joined
Mt. Olivet Baptist Church in 1884. Served as an usher for three years;
member of the Advisory Board for two years, and made a deacon in 1894.
David Grant. Born in 1848, in Marengo County, Ala. Joined Mt. Olivet
Baptist Church in 1882; made a deacon in 1900.
John L. Walters. Born April 3, 1862, in Accomac County, Va. Joined Mt.
Olivet Baptist Church in 1885. Served on Advisory Board for several
years. Made a deacon in 1898. Deacon Walters is, also, Assistant
Superintendent of the Sunday School.
General Grant Stephens. Born in Newbern, N. C., March 15, 1870. Joined
Mt. Olivet Baptist Church in 1895. Made a deacon in 1900.
A. J. Campbell, Born in Nottoway County, Va., April 20. 1857. Joined
Mt. Olivet Baptist Church in 1887. Made a deacon in 1900.
W. H. Holloway.
Samuel Swann.
TRUSTEE BOARD.
W. H. Jones, President; Henry Darnell, Treasurer; Cyrus Henry Trent,
Secretary; James Wells, Assistant Secretary; Deacon G. P. Webb,
Vice President; J. E. Taylor; Frank Youngblood; P. F. Comey (white);
W. H. J. Innis (white).
OTHER OFFICERS.
J. E. Decker, Church Clerk; Prof. J. S. Brown, Assistant Clerk;
J. F. Comey (white), Treasurer; Wesley Norman, Superintendent
of Sunday School; Deacon J. L. Walters, Assistant Superintendent
of Sunday School; B. H. Green, President B. Y. P. U.; Samuel Tabb,
President Young People’s Literary Society; Mrs. Charity Jones,
President of the C. T. Walker Volunteer Club; Mrs. Clarence Robinson,
President of the United Tribes (auxiliary to the Y. M. C. A.);
Deacon F. W. Jackson, President of the Co-workers; Prof. A. C. Fletcher,
Chorister; Madam V. E. Hunt Scott, Organist; John Collie, Sexton;
Robert Washington, Assistant Sexton.