[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 146 (2000), Part 12]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 16923]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



  RECOGNITION OF THE FIRST AFRICAN BAPTIST CHURCH OF COLUMBUS' 160TH 
                              ANNIVERSARY

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. MAC COLLINS

                               of georgia

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, July 27, 2000

  Mr. COLLINS. Mr. Speaker, 170 years ago, while the manacles of 
slavery were still fastened on African Americans, twelve Christians--11 
whites and a slave named Joseph--founded Columbus' first church, the 
Ephesus Baptist Church, which was renamed the First Baptist Church. 
This was in 1830, one year after Columbus, Georgia was granted its 
charter. Blacks and whites, slaves and free, worshiped God under one 
roof.
  In 1840, after construction of a new building, the First Baptist 
Church gave the old sanctuary to the mixed black and white 
congregation, who reorganized as the African Baptist Church. Today, one 
hundred and sixty years later, after war, reconstruction, oppression, 
economic depression, and hardships, the First African Baptist Church is 
still spreading the gospel in Columbus.
  This church has a long history of service to its community. Up to the 
advent of the Civil War, it had an ethnically diverse congregation. 
After the war, the church gave birth to three different churches: the 
Metropolitan Baptist Church in 1890, the Friendship Baptist Church in 
1906, and the Mt. Tabor Baptist Church in 1908. The church sanctuary 
has changed four times. Today's main sanctuary was erected in 1915, 
when the church adopted its present name, the First African Baptist 
Church.
  The congregation of the First African Baptist Church has weathered 
many storms, but the worst may have been the Great Depression. In 1936, 
creditors foreclosed on the church. But all was not lost, because four 
trustees stood in the gap and pledged their personal property to pay 
the debts. These men were W.A. Talley, J.J. Senior, J.H. Williams, and 
G.F. Rivers. The congregation stood by these four men of faith and 
worked to raise the funds to retire the debt.
  Mr. Speaker, the First African Baptist Church congregation has been a 
force for good in Columbus.
  Under the leadership of the Rev. Dr. Robert M. Dickerson Jr., it 
continues to play a key role in the city. Rev. Dickerson began the 
``Gathering of the Children,'' and restructured the Youth Program. He 
reorganized the Christian Education ministry. He started the Tuesday 
noon Bible Study time, the Early Sunday morning worship services, and 
the Riverfront Easter Sunrise Service. He ordained 11 new deacons and 
established the Capital Improvement Fund for mid-range and long-range 
improvements. He also added three ministers to the Ministerial Staff. 
Additionally, Dr. Dickerson instituted the ``Pastor's Unsung Hero'' 
Award presented each November.
  He is continuing his work to add new programs to bring the word and 
comfort of God to the people of Columbus.
  Mr. Speaker, I want to commend the First African Baptist Church of 
Columbus, its congregation and its leaders. They have been doing a 
great work in the city for 160 years, and I trust that, Lord willing, 
they will be spreading the Gospel a hundred years hence.

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