[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 163 (2017), Part 11]
[House]
[Pages 16552-16554]
[From the U.S. 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-

[[Page 16553]]

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 
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

[[Page 16554]]

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.
  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.

                          ____________________