Roanoke First Baptist Church Sunday School Institute, 1915, Randolph, Alabama http://files.usgwarchives.net/al/randolph/newspapers/bapinst.txt ============================================= USGENWEB PROJECT NOTICE: In keeping with the USGenWeb policy of providing free information on the Internet, this data may be used by non-commercial entities, as long as this message remains on all copied material. These electronic pages cannot be reproduced in any format for profit or for presentation by other persons or organizations. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material for purposes other than stated above must obtain the written consent of the file contributor. The submitter has given permission to the USGenWeb Project Archives to store the file permanently for free access. This file is copyrighted and contributed by: William Fischer, Jr. ============================================= June 2004 BAPTIST PEOPLE HOLD INSTITUTE ---------------------------- Beginning last Thursday [7 October 1915], according to announcement previously made in The Leader, a Sunday school institute was held at the First Baptist church, lasting through Sunday morning. Services were held both morning and evening and much interest was manifested by the Sunday school people of all denominations. The features of the institute were the splendid speeches made by Mr. Harry L. STRICKLAND and Miss FORBES, both of whom work under the supervision of the Alabama State Board of Missions of the Missionary Baptist church. Regular sessions were held in the mornings beginning at 10:30 and in the evenings beginning at 7:30, with Miss FORBES lecturing the teachers, officers and others interested in the primary departments of the Sunday schools, while Mr. STRICKLAND had charge of the lectures and illustrations of the other departments. The meetings were most helpful in every particular, the questions of efficient teachers, properly graded classes, suitable literature, adequate class room facilities, judicious offering, etc., being thoroughly thrashed out by these Sunday school experts. Their work among the Baptists of the state is invaluable, for they leave a chain of systemized Sunday schools in the wake of their travels that invariably results in increased interest and a more enthusiastic effort in the cause of Christ. Saturday a canvas of the town was made, the object primarily being to ascertain just the number of Baptist and Baptist inclined people there are in Roanoke who should be in Sunday school, and those who are already in the school, but record was also made of the members of other denominations. The names of all these people were turned over to the pastors or representatives of the denominations to which they properly belong, while those of the Baptist faith or Baptist inclination were typewritten in four duplicate forms to be used by the pastor, superintendent and teachers of that church. The canvas showed the following figures, not including Lowell: Baptists, 698; Methodists, 404; Christians, 52; Presbyterians, 20. A few Primitive Baptists and one family of Lutherans were recorded but not counted because of the fact that they have no regular church organizations in Roanoke. On Sunday morning at 9 o’clock a worker’s meeting was held in the ladies’ parlor at the church, at which hour Mr. STRICKLAND talked most helpfully and encouragingly of the work. Later, after a short lesson study, the work of grading the school was commenced under the joint direction of Mr. STRICKLAND and Miss FORBES. Several new classes were created under the new system and division superintendents and class teachers furnished for the school throughout. At the eleven o’clock hour it was the good fortune of the congregation to again listen to Mr. STRICKLAND for some half hour on the work of the church, its opportunities and its duty. Dr. RUCKER spoke most earnestly in emphasis of the words spoken by Mr. STRICKLAND. It is with a revivified conception of their work in the Sunday school field that the Baptist people, as well as those of other denominations who were present at these meetings, begin anew the effort to evangelize to its uttermost limits this beautiful little hill city of Alabama. We bid Mr. STRICKLAND and Miss FORBES God speed in the great work which they are doing. [From The Roanoke Leader (Randolph County, Alabama), 13 October, p.1] ---------------------------- MR. STRICKLAND IN ROANOKE ---------------------------- Roanoke [First Baptist Church] has a well arranged and commodious building and with very slight changes will be ready for separate [Sunday school] departmental work in their elementary grades, leaving all the necessary rooms for other departments. Brother J. C. WRIGHT’s great class of men meets in the main auditorium. Everybody one meets in Roanoke tells you concerning Dr. RUCKER: “Our pastor preaches us good sermons; we just wish you could hear them.” And we wish we could have had that spiritual uplift. His wife ably seconds him in the woman’s part of the church’s work. We had the great pleasure at Roanoke of being in the home of those royal-hearted people, Brother and Sister J. C. WRIGHT. —H. L. STRICKLAND in [the] Alabama Baptist. [From The Roanoke Leader (Randolph County, Alabama), 20 October, p.1] ---------- Dr. Joseph Wiley RUCKER was pastor of Roanoke First Baptist Church. James Carter WRIGHT, 16 September 1869—18 December 1924, Alma WORRILL WRIGHT, 25 January 1876—29 March 1944, Both interred in Cedarwood Cemetery, Roanoke, Randolph County, Alabama.