Chatham County GaArchives History .....The 1st African Baptist Church, Chapter IV 1925
************************************************
Copyright.  All rights reserved.
http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm
http://www.usgwarchives.net/ga/gafiles.htm
************************************************

File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by:
Joy Fisher http://www.genrecords.net/emailregistry/vols/00001.html#0000031 October 11, 2004, 7:22 pm

CHAPTER IV.

   In the Second Church there were two brethren developing in ministerial gifts,
Evans Grate and Andrew Cox Marshall, the latter a nephew of Rev. Andrew Bryan.
During his declining years both of these young preachers often assisted the aged
pastor in his ministrations to the church. Though Brother Grate seemed more
grave and devoted more time to the gospel, Rev. Bryan showed inclination to his
nephew, not because of his relationship, it was thought, but because Brother
Marshall displayed far more gift and ability. After the death of Father Bryan,
each of these being ordained, continued to render service. When finally the
church set a day for fasting and prayer that they might make no mistake in the
selection of the right man and that all might pass off peaceably, though there
were great fears, Rev. Marshall absented himself and worshipped at the
Presbyterian Church, and, by direction of the Holy Ghost, they made choice of
him. That he was the man for the position was afterwards demonstrated a thousand
times, as will be revealed in the progress of this narrative. Suffice it to add
here, that under his gifted and prayerful leadership, Zion continued to flourish
like a green bay tree. Peace abounded and converts were multiplied.

   In 1818, the Savannah Association, which was at that time composed of both
Georgia and South Carolina churches, saw fit to divide that the Carolina
churches might be more directly under the supervision of their state convention.
On November 7th of that year, the Georgia churches met at Sunbury in Liberty
County, at the Sunbury church and organized the new association and adopted for
it the name of the place hi which they met. The church was represented by
Deacons Adam Johnson and Josiah Lloyd, and reported a membership of 1712. The
constituent churches of the Sunbury Baptist Association were: The Savannah
Baptist Church, First Colored, Second Colored, Great Ogeechee, and the Sunbury
Baptist, of mixed membership. The Second church reported 536 members, Great
Ogeechee, 460. Hence the Mother Church still far outnumbered both her daughters.
Though Rev. Marshall had been pastor less than six years, he seems to have
inherited the endowments of his great uncle. Being prosperous in the ministry
and in temporal affairs, he was greatly loved by his flock and highly respected
by the whites who aided him materially in his business as drayman of their
mercantile goods.

   In 1819, the church bricked up the grave of Father Bryan and covered it with
a marble slab with a beautiful inscription on it composed by Rev. Marshall.
During that same year, Rev. Marshall, having accumulated considerable wealth,
began the erection of a two-story brick residence, which caused considerable
jealousy and persecution. He was charged with purchasing brick from slaves who
had no power to sell, and was sentenced to a public whipping. Mr. Richard
Richardson, who bought Rev. Marshall that he might set him free, came to his
rescue, claiming that he was his property, and by the grace of God, had his
punishment so modified that the whipping was merely a semblance. Instead of
humiliating him and driving his people from him, they clung the closer and
shielded him with the mantle of charity and prayer.

   On account of the trouble in which the pastor was involved, the church failed
to report in the association in 1819; but in 1820, Deacons Adam Johnson and Adam
Sheftall represented her and reported 1836 members. In 1821, delegate, Rev.
Evans Grate; membership, 1916. 1822, delegates, Rev. Evans Grate and Deacon Adam
Sheftall; number of members not recorded. It was at this session, in 1822, at
Newport, Liberty County, because of the growing number of churches with mixed
membership of white and colored people, that the Association, to distinguish
those churches of purely Negro membership and Negro pastors, first designated
them "First African Baptist Church" and "Second African Baptist Church," which
is their designation in all ecclesiastic and legal records consistently to the
close of slavery. 1823, delegates, Deacons A. Johnson, A. Sheftall, J. Simpson;
membership, 1888, 1824, delegates, A. Johnson, A. Sheftall; membership, 1912,
1825 New Providence Effing-ham Co., delegates, Rev. A. C. Marshall, Deacons A.
Johnson, A. Sheftall, J. Simpson; membership, 1886.1826, delegates, A. C.
Marshall, A. Johnson, A. Sheftall, J. Simpson; membership, 2141. 1827,
delegates, A. C. Marshall, A. Johnson, J. Simpson; membership, 2,275. 1828
delegates, A. C. Marshall, J. Clay, C. Ross; membership, 2,31l! 1829, delegates,
A. C. Marshall, J. Clay, C. Ross; membership, 2,357. 1830, delegates, A. C.
Marshall, J. Clay, J. Simpson; membership, 2,417. 1831, Savannah Baptist Church,
delegates, A. C. Marshall, A. Johnson, J. Simpson, S. Whitfield; membership, 2,795.

   In the year 1826 the first Negro Sunday School in North America was started
in this church. The initiative was taken by the Independent Presbyterian church
whose superintendent, Mr. Lowell Mason, appointed Mr. George W. Coe, Mr. •John
Lewis, and Mr. James Barr to undertake the work with the colored people in the
First African Baptist Church. Mr. Coe was the superintendent until his death
when he was succeeded by a Mr. William Bee.

   The average attendance of this school was about two hundred. Sometimes they
were divided into classes and then at times the superintendent gave
the-instruction from the desk. Special emphasis was put upon behaviour and
obedience. Each scholar was asked to bring from their masters a certificate of
good behavior for the week. Those who were fortunate to have such certificates
were made to stand that they might be complimented before the school and inspire
others to follow their example. As a token, they were given a ticket with a
scripture text. Those reported as having been bad during the week were made to
stand also to blush in shame and, perhaps, receive a reprimand.

   These white brethren presided over the Sunday school until December 27th,
1835. After that date the church maintained the school with great
success.—(Independent Presbyterian records.)

   During the year 1832, the Savannah Baptist Church completed its new brick
house on Chippewa Square and moved into it. The old structure of the First
African Baptist Church, being about 40 years old, was quite delapidated. Hence
Rev. Marshall, through the assistance of some very influential white friends,
had his church buy this discarded frame building of the white church on Franklin
Square. The records of the white church show that in the conference of that
church, April 28th, 1832, the contract was authorized for the sum of $1,500, to
be paid by Nov. 1st, 1832, when the property would be turned over to the First
African Baptist Church. The white church in conference May 10th acknowledges the
payment of $1,000 from the First African Baptist Church on the contract, within
less than one month, therefore these slaves had paid in $1,000 to the white
church in cold cash. The contract was complied with; the First African Baptist
Church took charge Nov. 1st, 1832, and the deeds were recorded in the Chatham
County Court House (Book SS, page 74), December 20th, 1832.

   During this same year, 1832, a great confusion arose in this grand old
church. Rev. Alexander Campbell, founder of the Christian Church, or
denomination, came to Savannah advocating his new faith. The white Baptists
refused to open then: pulpits to him. He came to Rev. Marshall and he received
him and seems to have made the impression that he had partially indorsed his
views. Criticism of their pastor by the whites led to dissatisfaction and
confusion in the ranks of the First African Baptist Church. Things remained
unsettled until the Association met at Walthourville, Liberty County, November
9th and 10th, 1832. The church sent their pastor, Rev. Andrew C. Marshall and
Deacon Adam Johnson as delegates. The Association refused to seat them and drew
up resolutions recommending that A. C. Marshall be silenced, condemned the
church for its corrupt state, dissolved the membership of the church with that
body. This action greatly embarrassed and incensed Deacon Johnson and others who
had so often sat as delegates in this august body, and very highly appreciated
their position in it. And although he had long been the bosom friend of the
pastor, loyal and devout, he felt now that the time had come to take a stand
against the pastor, especially as the only charge against the church was that it
was following and sustaining a corrupt pastor. Both men were influential and
rallied powerful white citizens to their aid. In the meantime the white church
and the friends of the church were laboring to settle this strife that this
great church might settle down and pursue its marvelous labors with peace and
prosperity. Still some of the whites had never looked upon this band of
organized slaves with favor, and were bent on its destruction. The struggle was
fearful and the cause of Christ suffered tremendously. Finally, in January,
1833, sometime between the dates of the 4th .and the 28th, the church split and
the Third African Baptist Church came into being. A minority of 155 members of a
total of 2,795, went out with Deacon Adam Johnson; while the remainder, 2,640
members, remained with the pastor at Franklin Square, where the split occurred.

   In the records of the white Baptist Church, which was all the while striving
to arbitrate the trouble in the church, these 155 members are first called the
minority of the First African Baptist Church. After their constitution, they are
called the First African Baptist Church. They called to their ministry Rev.
Thomas Anderson, and in November of that year, 1833, their pastor and Deacons A.
Johnson and J. Simpson; and in the records of the Sunbury Association (par. 25)
we read: "Application was made by the Third African Church to become a member of
this Association. Granted by unanimous vote." The following paragraph reads:
"Resolved, That this Association approves of the conduct of S. Whitfield, J.
day, and others, who separated from the First African Baptist Church, and
recommends them to full fellowship with all the churches."' They separated from us.

   This Third African Baptist Church which is the third daughter of the First
African Baptist Church, (the Ogeechee being the second), retained this name and
consistently reported to the Sunbury Association annually in that name until
that Association suspended annual meetings in 1861, owing to the depletion of
white man power in the state during the civil war; and for all those years she
made not a single protest. But envious of her mother's glory, and ambitious for
a great place in the sun, in 1866, being in the 33rd year of her life, the Third
African Baptist Church took steps to defraud the nations and wrest her mother's
birthright from her. In that year she voted to change her name and in the
January term of the Superior Court of Chatham County, she secured a charter,
styling herself the First Bryan Baptist Church, purporting to be the original
First African Baptist Church.

  Both the grounds and the fallacy of that claim will be clearly and logically
set forth in the next chapter.


Additional Comments:
From:

THE FIRST AFRICAN BAPTIST CHURCH OF NORTH AMERICA

BY REV. EDGAR GARFIELD THOMAS, A. B., B. D.
SAVANNAH, GEORGIA

Copyright, 1925
By E. G. Thomas, Author.


File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/ga/chatham/history/other/gms375the1staf.txt

This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/gafiles/

File size: 11.9 Kb