Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: TUESDAY, April 25, 1995 TAG: 9504250095
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: A-2 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE:
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
The First Baptist Church of Roanoke, Virginia, was organized in Big Lick, Roanoke County, Virginia, September 30, 1867, in a dwelling on what was known as Hart Avenue, North East. The small membership held service in that dwelling for a short while, then moved to an old hall for another brief period. From this location they moved to Diamond Hill, where the first house of worship was built.
The membership increased rapidly and soon the little meeting house was found to be too small to accommodate the congregation. Then it was that they purchased the brick church owned by the St. John's Episcopal Church [used by the congregation for a number of years] .... Truly it has been a Journey of Faith that has brought us safe thus far and faith will lead us on so that First Baptist will shine as a refuge, a joy, a hope, and a great soul saving station. ...
No other pastor in the history of the church has faced the struggles and hardships compounded by outside oppressors as did Rev. R.R. Jones [pastor from 1882 to 1904]. ... Notwithstanding that the Church had only eleven dollars ($11.00) in its treasury, this man of God had Brother Henry Stewart to break ground for the church at Gilmer Avenue and Jefferson Street in which the members worshiped for 84 years. The cost of the building, which was likened to a cathedral in its time, was $25,000.00.
Rev. E.E. Ricks became the fifth pastor in the Fall of 1915. Through his vast influence, a very generous gift from Mr. Andrew Carnegie enabled the church to install a $2,500 pipe organ. Many generations sat in awe and admiration of the tall stately pipes set in majestic columns atop the pulpit area and the glorious tones emitting from the great organ. ...
The growth and influence of the church under Rev. A.L. James [pastor from 1919 to 1957] can only be called phenomenal. ... It was under this fantastic pastor's administration that the membership of the church, during his first 19 years, peaked at 2193 ...
Many improvements and new ideas were launched under Rev. James' distinguished leadership. To recount a few: stained glass windows [installed later at the present church] ... the church office was established and a secretary employed ... the first Daily Vacation Bible School in the city was begun; the first equipped playground for Negroes was opened ... the Parish Hall was built. ...
In 1932, during the Great Depression, the Milk Line was begun. For more than six years the First Baptist church gave free milk, from 20 to 350 gallons per day, to citizens who were in need. According to the October 1938 issue of The Church News, one of the daily sights in Roanoke was the long procession of men, women, boys and girls with pitchers, buckets and fruit jars going and coming from the Milk Line. ... The church rented a hall on Harrison Avenue Northwest where volunteers from the church gave their time each day to distribute the milk.
-excerpts from "Journey of Faith (A History of First Baptist Church)" By Eunice R. Poindexter, published in 1983.
by CNB