Congressional Record, Volume 163 Issue 172 (Wednesday, October 25, 2017)

[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 172 (Wednesday, October 25, 2017)]
[House]
[Pages H8220-H8222]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

RECOGNIZING THE 150TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE GENERAL BAPTIST STATE
CONVENTION

The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under the Speaker's announced policy of
January 3, 2017, the Chair recognizes the gentleman from North Carolina
(Mr. Butterfield) for 30 minutes.
Mr. BUTTERFIELD. Mr. Speaker, I rise this evening to recognize the
General Baptist State Convention of North Carolina on the occasion of
its 150th anniversary. The story of this great Baptist convention is a
testament to its founders, Reverends William Warrick, Edward Eagles, C.
Johnson, L.W. Boone, B.B. Spicer, H. Grimes, John Washington, Charles
Bryant, Sutton Davis, and R.H. Harper, the visionary men who founded
the convention on October 18, 1867.
Since its founding, Mr. Speaker, great men and great women have
maintained the convention's strength and viability. The General Baptist
State Convention is the oldest convention of African-American Baptists
in the United States of America. The General Baptist State Convention
consists of more that 500,000 Baptist believers belonging to more than
1,400 churches, including my home church, the Jackson Chapel First
Missionary Baptist Church of Wilson.
The convention is subdivided into 58 associations, each presided over
by a moderator. Over the last 150 years, the convention has been led by
well-trained and spirit-led theologians. The current president and
executive board chair is my friend Dr. Nilous M. Avery, II, of
Salisbury, North Carolina. He is the 32nd president of the convention.
Mr. Speaker, the current officers of the convention are: First Vice
President At Large, Dr. Leonzo Lynch; First Vice President, Dr. Ricky
Banks; Second Vice President, Dr. J. Vincent Terry, Sr.; Third Vice
President, Reverend O.D. Sykes; Fourth Vice President, Reverend Prince
R. Rivers; Recording Secretary, Reverend Curtis O. Donald; Assistant
Recording Secretary, Reverend Matthew Rouse, III; Statistician, Dr.
Nathan Scovens; Parliamentarian, Reverend Reginald Wells. The Historian
is Dr. Harry L. White, and the hardworking Executive Secretary-
Treasurer is Dr. Haywood T. Gray.
Mr. Speaker, the Black church in North Carolina did not begin at the
end of slavery. It became more pronounced and more transparent at
slavery's end, but it existed for many years. It existed for many years
prior to the end of slavery.
In 1831, the North Carolina General Assembly passed a law making it a
crime for any free person of color or slave to preach or exhort in
public, or in any manner officiate as a preacher or a teacher in any
prayer meeting or other association for worship where slaves of
different families were collected together.
Can you imagine?
The punishment for preaching the gospel--beginning in 1831, it was a
crime. The punishment for violation was a whipping of up to 39 lashes
on the bare back.
Notwithstanding this prohibition against preaching, the Black church
existed as a secret association of slaves who worshipped privately. As
the antebellum period proceeded, a few of the White churches, at the
urging of the North Carolina Baptist State Convention, finally allowed
people of color to hold church meetings under the supervision of a
White person; and, at times, a member of the White race would conduct
the service.
Now, Mr. Speaker, when the Emancipation Proclamation was signed on
January 1, 1863, and the 13th Amendment ratified on December 6, 1865,
there were 4 million slaves who obtained their freedom; 300,000 of
those lived in North Carolina. The former slaves, with assistance from
White northerners and the Freedmen's Bureau, began the struggle toward
freedom and equality. It was the Black church that led the way. This
movement consisted of Black Baptist leaders and Black Methodist leaders
and other religious leaders, both Black and White, who understood the
importance of the former slaves having the ability to worship and serve
their God without fear.

{time} 2015

At the end of the Civil War, the former slaves built churches
throughout North Carolina. Many were of the Baptist denomination, and
they were erected with lightning speed.
In 1867, they came together, Mr. Speaker, at First African Baptist
Church in Goldsboro, North Carolina. And I have a picture of it on
display. They came together at the First African Baptist Church in
Goldsboro to form the General Association of Colored Baptists of North
Carolina, which was the original name for the convention. And I might
say, Mr. Speaker, that my grandfather, Reverend Fred Davis, would, in
1916, become the fourth pastor of this church.
Not only did Black Baptists build churches, but one of their greatest
achievements was the establishment and maintenance of historic Shaw
University in Raleigh, which will be discussed by my colleagues,
Congressman David Price and Congresswoman Alma Adams, in just a moment.
Shaw University's contribution to African-American empowerment must be
known and understood by all North Carolinians.
Those pioneers, who were trained at Shaw University, went into
communities and established institutions and engaged in professions
that empowered future generations. They went to all corners of our
State. They went to eastern North Carolina; Piedmont, North Carolina;
Triad; and the Federal area, which is where our esteemed sergeant at
arms grew up in, Ms. Hamlett. Ms. Joyce Hamlett grew up in the Federal
area. There were many other areas that were covered by graduates from
Shaw University.
Mr. Speaker, I am delighted to include in the Record a list of names
of African-American physicians, dentists, pharmacists, lawyers,
ministers, and teachers who were also trained at Shaw University.

Presidents of the General Baptist State Convention of North Carolina
(1867-2018)

William Warrick 1867-1869
A. B. Williams 1869-1872
E. Eagles 1872-1874
L. W. Boon 1874-1875
Joseph Baysmore 1875-1876
Caesar Johnson 1876-1882
Joshua Perry 1882-1884
Caesar Johnson 1884-1885
N. F. Roberts 1885-1889
A. W. Pegues 1889-1895
C. S. Brown 1895-1897
Augustus Shepard 1897-1911
B. D. Griffin 1911-1918
O. S. Bullock 1918-1924
J. S. Brown 1924-1928
R. R. Cartwright 1928-1932
J. T. Hairston 1932-1940
P. A. Bishop 1940-1958
W. H. Davidson 1958-1959
R. M. Pitts 1959-1964
John W. White 1964-1970
Chancy R. Edwards 1970-1974
Joy J. Johnson 1974-1978
John R. Manley 1978-1982
E. Burns Turner 1982-1986
J. B. Humphrey 1986-1990
Willie B. Lewis 1990-1994
Clifford A. Jones, Sr. 1994-1998
John D. Fuller, Sr. 1998-2002
Charles T. Bullock 2002-2006
Gregory K. Moss, Sr. 2006-2010
Howard W. Parker, Jr. 2010-2014
Nilous M. Avery, II 2014-2018

Mr. BUTTERFIELD. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from North
Carolina (Ms. Adams), a former Bennett College professor.
Ms. ADAMS. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding.
Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize the 150th anniversary of the General
Baptist State Convention of North Carolina and join my colleagues,
Congressman Butterfield and Congressman Price, in congratulating them
on their achievements and the appointment of their 32nd president, Dr.
Avery.
In North Carolina, the convention partners with Shaw University, the

[[Page H8221]]

oldest Historically Black University in the South and one of the oldest
in the Nation.
As a retired professor, as you heard, of 40 years from Bennett
College in Greensboro, founder of the Congressional Bipartisan HBCU
Caucus, and a member of the Education and the Workforce Committee here
in the Congress, it gives me great pride to reflect on the general
support that the convention gives to Shaw and its students.
I feel a special attachment to Shaw, since that is what became my
alma mater. North Carolina A&T State University was located on Shaw's
campus during its first year. Its history of leadership, activism, and
service is well-documented. The Student Nonviolent Coordinating
Committee, founded on Shaw's campus in 1960, and the Center for
Alternative Programs in Education--CAPE--had its beginnings there in
1980.
Mr. BUTTERFIELD. Mr. Speaker, I thank Congresswoman Adams for those
enlightening remarks and for her extraordinary leadership not only here
in Congress, but for 40 years that she spent in the classroom at
Bennett College. She has been a trailblazer for sure.
Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr.
Price), who also is a former college professor, who represents the
Fourth Congressional District. I thank him for joining us tonight.
Mr. PRICE of North Carolina. Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for
yielding, and I commend him for taking up this Special Order and giving
Representative Adams and myself the opportunity to participate and to
pay tribute to the General Baptist State Convention.
The mention of Shaw University brings me to my feet because I, too,
want to reflect on this significant Baptist institution, which is in
the Fourth Congressional District, in downtown Raleigh.
Shaw has also recently celebrated its 150th anniversary, a history
that parallels that of the General Baptist State Convention.
I was there last week in historic Estey Hall. I have to say--yes,
point out the historic building there on the campus--when I first came
to the Congress in the 1980s, my first appropriations earmark was for
Estey Hall. Believe me, that was just a little bit of seed money. But
Shaw has restored that building in a beautiful way. The acting
President of Shaw, Dr. Paulette Dillard, is doing a wonderful job of
leading that university.
But the occasion last week was an inaugural lecture. The Adam Clayton
Powell-Ella Baker lecture is going to be an annual occasion at Shaw. I
was honored to give that lecture to a very lively group of students and
faculty. Then we had a luncheon in Estey Hall afterwards and a great
discussion, just liberal arts education at its best. I appreciated
being part of that occasion, and I certainly, over the years, have come
to appreciate what Shaw means: a Baptist institution. It is tied very,
very closely. Shaw University Divinity School is affiliated--an
institution that this convention has nurtured and that, in turn, has
served thousands of people, and enriched the life of North Carolina.
Mr. BUTTERFIELD. Mr. Speaker, I thank Congressman Price very much for
those words, I thank him for his leadership and his relationship with
Shaw University, and I especially thank him for mentioning Estey Hall.
For many of us, who have grown up in North Carolina, we know the
relevance and the importance of Shaw University. We know how Shaw
University trained many hundreds, if not thousands, of individuals, who
came into communities all across North Carolina and made a difference.
They came into the classroom, and they taught at elementary schools and
high schools all across our State. They went onto college campuses and
became college professors. Many of them became lawyers because Shaw
University had a law school during those days. Some became physicians
and dentists. Some became pharmacists.
Shaw University was a real educational engine not just in North
Carolina, but throughout the country, during those very difficult days.
And I say all that to say that it was the General Baptist State
Convention and its predecessor that helped enable Shaw University to be
born. Shaw University has done so much for so many.
I recall, as a child, my parents would tell me that they, too,
attended Shaw University. My dad went to Shaw University from 1919 to
1923. My mother attended Shaw University for high school. During those
days, African Americans did not have the benefit in most communities of
a high school education and so many of the young teens would go to Shaw
for high school. It was there at Shaw University that my parents met.
My dad was in undergraduate school, my mother was in the high school,
and they met right on the porch of Estey Hall back in 1919.

Mr. Speaker, I thank Dr. Price and Dr. Adams for raising up Shaw
University and just telling the world what the General Baptist State
Convention did by creating the environment where Shaw University could
thrive.
Mr. Speaker, I thank both of them for coming to the floor.
Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from North Carolina (Ms.
Adams) for any concluding remarks.
Ms. ADAMS. Mr. Speaker, I thank Congressman Butterfield for yielding.
I just wanted to add that he was almost a Shaw Bear with his parents
attending there. Just last year, I had the opportunity to address
Founder's Day to all of the students there.
Many firsts Shaw boasts: the first college in the Nation to offer a
4-year medical program, the first Historically Black College in the
Nation to open its doors to women, and the first Historically Black
College in North Carolina to be granted an ``A'' rating by the State
Department of Public Instruction.
Over the years, as Mr. Butterfield has said, many scholarships have
been provided to those students. They have encouraged the students to
not only attend their divinity school, but we find that many of them
have become college presidents: the founder of North Carolina Central,
the first President of Elizabeth City State, and North Carolina A&T
State University were all Shaw Bears, and we are delighted. So the
lives that the General Baptist State Convention has touched throughout
its existence is beyond admirable and almost beyond comprehension.
I want to close by saying that W.E.B. Du Bois reminded us that of all
the civil rights of which the world has fought for for 500 years, the
right to learn is undoubtedly the most fundamental.
So I praise the General Baptist State Convention and its commitment
to education, and Shaw University, as well, for their charitable giving
and for their dedication to educating young people through these 150
years, a century and five decades.
Mr. BUTTERFIELD. Very well said, Congresswoman Adams.
Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Price)
for any concluding remarks.
Mr. PRICE of North Carolina. Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for
this opportunity.
I would like to conclude by reflecting on some of the outstanding
pastors who have led this convention and led the congregations that
comprise this convention. I hesitate to name any because there are so
many who have served so faithfully and so well.
But I want to share some memories, and I think our listeners in North
Carolina will remember these as well. They exemplify what this
convention has been all about and the leadership it has offered.
Dr. Charles Ward, for example, long-term pastor of the First Baptist
Church in Raleigh, a civil rights leader, a mentor to so many people
over the years, and a revered pastor. I remember him so well as I first
began to think about running for Congress and sought his counsel. He
unfailingly gave wise counsel and encouragement. He, of course, was a
leader in the General Baptist State Convention.
Reverend Lorenzo Lynch, from Durham, North Carolina, another former
leader of the convention. His son, Leonzo, is now the vice president of
the convention. Leonzo Lynch is a powerful prophetic preacher. He had a
huge impact on the city of Durham. The Durham Committee on the Affairs
of Black People recently honored his lifetime achievements. And his
daughter, former Attorney General Loretta Lynch, returned to Durham to
be part of that recognition.

[[Page H8222]]

I think of C.R. Edwards, former president of the convention, pastor
for so many years at the First Baptist Church of Fayetteville, a long-
term leader of the North Carolina General Assembly, and special
assistant to North Carolina's Governors. Again, a mentor, a wise man,
someone who was a good man and who knew how to bring out the best in
others.
I think of W.B. Lewis, who recently passed away, another former
president of the convention. He was pastor for a long time of the--I
say a long time--decades upon decades of the First Cosmopolitan Baptist
Church in Raleigh. He was a pioneer in figuring out how to work with
the Federal Department of Housing and Urban Development to form a
nonprofit corporation to build affordable housing, which, to this day,
stands in Raleigh--rental housing for the elderly.
Finally, I think of John R. Manley, 60-plus years as pastor of First
Baptist Church in Chapel Hill, a dear friend of mine. Another former
president of the convention, by the way. This was a pattern for
these leading pastors to offer that kind of State leadership, as they
were offering local leadership. John Manley also was a champion of
housing. Manley Estates stands right there in that community. I know
how hard John Manley worked on that because we worked together. We have
this housing in the community because of his vision.

I can go on and on. But this is such an impressive honor roll of
leaders--pastors--who have not only led their flocks, but they have led
the State and, in many cases, national religious organizations.
The General Baptist State Convention has enabled millions of people
over these years to deepen their faith and to express that faith in
ministering to those whom Jesus called, ``the least of these,'' and to
advance the struggle for justice in this country.
So I am proud to join my colleagues in this tribute tonight. And I
say to the General Baptist State Convention of North Carolina that many
faithful members of the congregations, the leaders, may you go from
strength to strength, and may you continue to approach the gospel
powerfully and be a force for good and justice and right in our
community.
Mr. BUTTERFIELD. Mr. Speaker, how much time do I have remaining?
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman from North Carolina has 9
minutes remaining.
Mr. BUTTERFIELD. Mr. Speaker, as I was listening to Congressman Price
a moment ago recite the names of those great men who have led the
General Baptist State Convention, I could not help but to think that I,
too, remember all of them. And then I glanced down at the list of
presidents that I am going to enter into the Congressional Record in
just a few moments from now, and there have been 32 men who have served
as presidents of this great convention, and I have had the privilege of
knowing 12 of them.

{time} 2030

I did not realize that until I actually pulled out the list and
started counting: C.R. Edwards, who Mr. Price recognized a moment ago;
Joy Johnson; John Manley; E.B. Turner; J.B. Humphrey; W.B. Lewis;
Clifford A. Jones, Sr.; John D. Fuller, Sr.; Charles T. Bullock;
Gregory K. Moss, Sr.; Howard W. Parker, Jr.; and the current president,
Dr. Nilous M. Avery, II.
I might say, Mr. Speaker, that of these names that I just mentioned,
three of those passed away in this calendar year.
They have been great Baptists and they have been great North
Carolinians and great Americans.
Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my colleagues and I want to thank the
General Baptist State Convention for 150 years of incredible work in
North Carolina, and I thank the men and women of both clergy and laity
who keep this convention alive and well.
Mr. Speaker, if I can close by simply using my dear, departed uncle
as but one example of a Black preacher who gave his entire life to his
ministry.
Reverend F.L. Bullock of Enfield, born 1896, pastored four churches
that were one-Sunday-per-month churches. Married to my mother's sister
who was a teacher, he was paid very little. Every day of his life,
Reverend Bullock would visit the sick and minister to the needs of his
community.
After serving as pastor for 64 long years, he was diagnosed with
cancer. No health insurance, no life insurance, no pension from any of
his churches, he died at age 84, several days after preaching his last
sermon.
Mr. Speaker, thousands of pastors have devoted their entire life to
the ministry. Many are remembered, but so many of them are not.
Today, the three of us pay tribute to all of them from the floor of
the United States House of Representatives.
May God bless the memory of each of them for making our communities a
better place to live, and may God continue to bless the General Baptist
State Convention of North Carolina and its current leaders as they
continue to serve God and his people of all races, creeds, and stations
in life.
Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

____________________