[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 128 (Wednesday, September 22, 2010)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1713-E1714]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




        CELEBRATING THE 200TH ANNIVERSARY OF ELAM BAPTIST CHURCH

                                 ______
                                 

                     HON. ROBERT C. ``BOBBY'' SCOTT

                              of virginia

                    in the house of representatives

                     Wednesday, September 22, 2010

  Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Madam Speaker, I rise today to congratulate an 
institution in Charles City County, Virginia. On Friday, September 24, 
2010, Elam Baptist Church will celebrate its 200th anniversary, and I 
would like to highlight some moments from the history of the church and 
its contributions to our community.
  The seeds of Elam Baptist were originally planted prior to 1810, when 
groups of African-Americans who worshipped at First Church Petersburg 
(now Gilfield Baptist) would meet together in canoes on the James 
River, holding prayer services and singing songs of praise. The father 
of the church, Abram Brown, donated a parcel of land where the first 
log hut was built and used as both a church and meeting house. The 
actual construction date has been lost to history, but it is known that 
the church was standing in 1810. This date leads historians to consider 
Elam Baptist to be one of the oldest regular organized churches for 
people of color in Virginia.
  The church applied for admission into the Dover Association of 
churches and received it in 1813, the same year that the Rev. William 
Clopton was appointed the first pastor of Elam. The Church's 
congregation was a mix of both slaves and freed African-Americans 
worshipping together. While this was initially accepted, as tensions in 
the country grew, most of the slaves were barred by their masters from 
worshipping at Elam and were carried to Old Mt. Zion church, the first 
of many churches Elam Baptist was mother to.
  Rev. James Clopton succeeded his father William. Rev. James Christian 
succeeded the second Rev. Clopton from 1850 to 1865. During this time, 
Church associations required the presence of a white pastor to lead the 
congregation; however, the majority of the preaching was left to Rev. 
Christian's black assistant, Rev. James Brown.
  After the war, when there was no longer a requirement for a white 
pastor to lead the congregation, Rev. Samuel Brown, son of the original 
church father Abram Brown, assumed the pastorate as Elam Baptist's 
first African American pastor. He served until his death in 1881. Elam 
Baptist continued to grow, and by its centennial in 1910, under the 
direction of pastor Rev. Wesley Curl, the church was either directly or 
indirectly responsible for the establishment of the 12 other colored 
Baptist churches in Charles City County, and one in neighboring New 
Kent County.
  This growth demanded a new worship house. The original church site 
became the church cemetery, and the church began erecting a new 
building at its current location on The Glebe Lane under Rev. John 
Kemp. Sadly, shortly before construction was slated to be completed in 
1919, a fire destroyed the building before it could be inhabited. 
However the spirit of the church was not extinguished, and the church 
was rebuilt. A second fire in 1922 once again consumed the worship 
house, but the church was not daunted and rebuilt again.

[[Page E1714]]

  Elam Baptist continued to improve its facilities, installing a front 
veranda, electric lighting, and baptizing pool. A monument dedicated to 
the founders of the Church was erected at the cemetery site, and in 
1966 a multipurpose annex was erected with offices and classrooms. Elam 
Baptist is truly a cornerstone of the Charles City County community.
  As Elam Baptist gathers to celebrate its bi-centennial, the church 
can truly remember its past, celebrate its present, and focus on the 
future with great expectations. I would like to congratulate Rev. 
Horace B. Parham, Jr., Elam's current pastor, and all of the members of 
Elam Baptist Church on the occasion of their 200th anniversary. I wish 
them 200 more years of dedicated service to the community.

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