Chatham County GaArchives History .....The 1st African Baptist Church, Chapter VIII 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, 7:47 pm CHAPTER VIII Rev. George Gibbons was born in Thorny Island, S. C., November 13, 1819. He was the property of Mrs. Telfair, through whose beneficence the Telfair Academy was endowed. She was very kind to him and reared him with great care and culture. He travelled extensively with the family, going once with them to Europe. He was baptized in 1844 by Rev. Andrew C. Marshall. In 1869 he was elected a deacon of the First Church and in 1870 was licensed to preach and served as an assistant to Rev. William J. Campbell. He was called to the Bethlehem Baptist Church about 1875, and by his humble, refined and dignified bearing, won the love and esteem of his entire flock. Rev. Gibbons was brought into prominence by his call to the First African Baptist Church in 1878. This was a time of great excitement, being two years before the death of Rev. Campbell and during the period of greatest strife among the contending groups Rev. Campbell had so triumphantly led for so many years. The old pastor being still alive with living influence and cherished ambitions, Rev. Gibbon's was a difficult task. Under the circumstances, he could not be expected to do more than maintain regular procedure and keep those under his guiding hand together. This he nobly did. Being a model Christian of high moral tone and fine intellect, he admonished charity and moderation, which after the death of the former pastor, began bearing rapid fruit. And though his is the shortest pastorate in the history of the church, he lived to see Mother Zion reunited and restored to loving peace. After the reunion of the church in 1884, his health began to decline. The church gave him a vacation and he travelled in the northeastern portion of the state, visiting Columbus, Rome, Atlanta, Athens and other points and returned in October, looking improved and feeling that he was now able to take up his work with renewed zeal. But on Thursday night, November 12,1884, rising to preach, he selected for a text, Psalm 16:11, "Thou wilt show me the path of life: in Thy presence is fullness of joy; and at Thy right hand are pleasures forever more." This text he read distinctly. He read it the second time. Then his mouth closed, his hands fell to his sides, he never spoke again. He was taken home, where despite the best medical aid possible, he expired nine days later. He was buried Sunday, November 23, 1884, greatly lamented by his vast congregation, Rev. Alexander Harris preaching his funeral. Rev. Gibbons was a shining example of the gospel he preached. His was a happy home circle breathing plenty and contentment. His members had just cause to mourn their loss. His estate was valued above $12,000; $7,000 of which he inherited from his former owners. 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/gms379the1staf.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/gafiles/ File size: 3.5 Kb