Second
Baptist Church
Humble
Beginnings: Beyond Slavery, Beyond a Century
Written
by Dr. Earleen De La Pierrere
The first century since the founding of Second Baptist Church of Mumford,
New York, was celebrated in 1991. The nascence of the church was in
Belcoda, New York, and was marked by its humble beginning with a small group of
Christian farm workers who had put slavery behind them, and was spiritually led
by the eloquent and inspired founder, Rev. Clayton A. Coles.
Rev. Coles, (1838-1926) was a
product of the slave system. Ere emancipation, Clayton A. Coles, survived
without some basic facts that today we tend to take for granted. One
example is that the identity of his father, mother and extended family was not
available to him. His birth was not listed in the public record.
Burning questions about his own heritage led him to search for answers.
"His faint memories stood him in good stead and somehow he knew that he
perhaps saw the light of day in the city of Chattanooga, Tennessee in ...
1838" ante-dating the Civil War by 23 years.
1891:- He was an eloquent
speaker without formal education. The tenant farmers or migrant workers
(many from Culpepper, VA) came to the rural area of Monroe County with a
fervent desire to worship GOD. Rev. Coles recognized this strong devotion
to GOD. All the necessary elements came together under the leadership of
Rev. Coles. They thanked and worshipped GOD in a Baptist
parsonage. This body of Christians was thus established as the Belcoda
Baptist Church of Mumford.
Church was the only institution
African Americans possessed. Nationally, the count of Negroes lynched in
the year 1871 rose to 112. Often the church leader also became the
spokesman for the race especially in political areas.
Clayton A. Coles was born (1838)
into slavery and denied knowledge of his parents.
Young
Clayton A. Coles became the body-servant of Confederate Gen.
"Stonewall" Jackson, a good and religious master. The trade of
young Coles was broom-making.
On Aug. 26, 1885 Clayton A. Coles
was ordained a minister at Ebenezer Baptist Church, Lignum, Va.
Rev. Coles took for his wife, Miss Ellen Wilson in Philadelphia, Pa.
August of 1898 the church was
officially incorporated as the Belcoda Baptist Church.
In 1944 the name was changed to the
Mumford Second Baptist Church.
The first parsonage still stands
along the Belcoda Road
The headstone at the grave of Rev.
Coles in the Belcoda Cemetery still stands
Second Baptist Church of Mumford is
the second oldest African-American Baptist church established in Western
New York and the second African-American church established in the Greater
Rochester Area. The first church established in the Greater Rochester
Area is A. M. E. Zion Church.
A selection of the founding families
are: the Charles B. Coles Family, Messrs. Minor Poles, John Martin, and
Horace Blackburn. Second Baptist has become ancestral home to several
living descendants of past generations. They continue as members of
Second Baptist Church. Likewise, descendants of Rev. and Mrs. Clayton A.
Coles are traditional members of Second Baptist Church of Mumford today.
This congregation has regularly
enjoyed from its very inception a fortunate blending of disparate degrees of
talents: be it skills, abilities, and/or other intellectual assets.
Perhaps the most valuable asset that is very apparent in the congregation is
the spiritual fellowship demonstrated by the apparent love, peace and joy of
its members. Frequent occasions to eat together, loving care and
attention paid to each and every child, the Children's Sermon, religious and
other occasions to celebrate all combine to make get-togethers in the basement
anticipated events. Visiting the sick, remembering birthdays and
anniversaries are among the many caring signs.
1898, the church was moved from
Belcoda to Mumford on centrally located land donated by two members, James and
Henry Johnson. Men of the church made the foundation and hauled the
building on a horse-drawn, spring wagon to the site in Mumford.
Incorporation followed.
This church
has enjoyed the privileged advantage of access to ministerial students at
Colgate Divinity School of Rochester. Excellent students have shared
their inspiration, knowledge and training by visiting or in a practicum with
this congregation. Frequently the Pastor has come from the pool of
graduating seniors at Colgate as is the case for Rev. Dr. Charles Thurman.
1898
Rev. Clayton A. Coles became the 1st
Minister and administered the name change from Belcoda Baptist Church to
Second Baptist Church.
1905
Rev. Coles retired due to the
illness of his wife.
The
sanctuary -- from its inception to 1908 -- was one room: a large
pot-bellied stove, kerosene, lamp, chairs, no musical instrument, and no basement.
Often the minister was paid with food.
1905-08 Rev.
Slaughter became the 2nd Minister. He came during the summer. When
he had "had enough of our cold winters, he returned to the South,
married and settled there."
1908-10 Rev.
Kearney, the 3rd Minister, was licensed by the First Baptist Church in
Rochester. He served his first two years with no salary. He
usually traveled to church by train. During his second year, he received
"carfare" and "a bit of money" from the congregation once
in a while.
1908 Prior to
this time the church building contained only one room, a large potbellied
stove, kerosene lamps, chairs instead of pews, no musical instrument and no
basement. Renovation included: pews purchased, building raised,
basement partially excavated, a hot-air furnace installed, the church enlarged
where the pulpit and choir stand are. The first organ was bought.
Miss Ethel Marshall, later Sims, was organist.
1910-12 Mr.
Charles Hunt, the first Negro to integrate Rochester Theological Seminary,
became the 4th Minister of Second Baptist. He established uniformity:
a consistent order of service, Sunday school and B.Y.P.U.
Rev. Rose
came for a short interval, then went to Le Roy and organized a Le Roy Second
Baptist.
1913-16 Rev.
Mordecai Wyatt Johnson, became the 5th Minister while a student at Rochester
Theological Seminary. He organized the first Trustee Board, Missionary
Society and enjoyed the endearment of the congregation -- especially the young
adults. As a speaker, his style is described as "provocative"
and entertaining. On the day of his departure, so many members crowded
the Caledonia train station that the "train was delayed for over an
hour." He later became President of Howard University.
During this
time, the church produced a very well-known quintet of men. The members
were: Joe Allen, Sidney Robinson, Steve Davis, Henry Washington, and
Ernest Burrell.
1916-19 Rev.
Charles Haynes became the 6th Minister who set a record when he baptized twenty-seven
(27) candidates on one Sunday in the creek across from the church on George
Street. He was a first-year student at Colgate-Rochester.
Fall of 1919
Rev. Simpson, Colgate-Rochester Divinity School, filled in 'til the end of the
year.
1920-27 Rev.
William T. Parker, a Colgate-Rochester grad, and his wife, Daisy, became the
7th Minister. He ministered to both Mumford and Le Roy Baptist
churches. He introduced offering envelopes. He went to pastor the
First Baptist Church in Princeton, NJ.
1927-39 Rev.
Robert R. Turpin, A.B., B.D., 8th Minister, served both Le Roy and Mumford
churches. He withdrew from Le Roy and served Mumford only. His
tenure was during the Depression era. At times he "waited for months
without getting his full amount of salary, and then at the time of rally in
August he would receive his money." A traditional practice for the
church was the fourth Sunday in August, which was celebrated as BIG DAY.
"Everyone who could come home, came home, and the people brought baskets
of food and ate together. There were two services, morning and afternoon,
and we truly enjoyed a wonderful fellowship. It was [probably] during
this [depression] era that the dinner was discontinued." (From the 70th
anniversary program booklet, pp 10-11) In May of 1939 the Turpins went to
Michigan where Rev. Turpin recently retired and his sons are both dentists in
Saginaw and Pontiac.
1939-43 World War II, Rev. and
Mrs. Charles Blalock, 9th minister, first to live in the newly owned parsonage,
which was paid for in record time. He was a student at Colgate and he
served until the beginning of W.W.II. With Mr. George Wilson, Trustee, in
charge of a funding committee, each Church member paid one dollar a month
combined with money out of the treasury and the Rally for any short-fall.
This method paid for the parsonage in record time. The next project was
the purchase of a new organ. Mrs. Pauline Jackson Carter headed that
committee. They used the same method of payment. The Blalocks went
to Philadelphia.
1943-1944 Rev. Charles T. Epps,
a seminarian, was the 10th and a wartime minister. Nov. 17th, 1944 the
name was officially changed from Belcoda Baptist Church to second Baptist
Church for business purposes. Having a recreation room was first
suggested. Rev. Epps left to become dean of a college.
"From
November 1944 to April 1945 [the church was] served with supply
ministers."
1945-49 Rev. Ivor Moore, was
called and he accepted, the 11th minister. He and his family moved to the
area from Jamestown. "For the first time Second Baptist was
represented at the National Baptist Convention and B. T. U. Congress.
Also for the first time two youth delegates were sent to Waterloo for a Youth
conference, and to Buffalo for a Youth conference. Rev. Moore started a
car-pool for the Sunday School. The membership
grew greatly and the old church was enlarged to its present size on George
Street." Members of the church worked on enlarging the
structure. Rev. Moore went from here to Gary, Indiana and subsequently to
the Walker Memorial Church in New York City.
Especially
notable are the contributions of Mr. George Nelson and Mr. James Warner (both
deceased) for unselfishly giving of themselves in their efforts toward
renovating the building. The are recognized and
remembered here.
In the
interim Rev. Ashton Turner worked with the congregation at Second
Baptist. He preached between regular pastors. Rev. Moore often
invited him to preach and for a while it was once a month regularly.
"A more humble ... nor a more faithful man could ... be found; he
gave his best."
1949-52 Rev. Odell Porter,
12th, wife Madeline, and sons came from Buffalo. He served well.
His wife was active in the music department. He left to work with
migrants in Rochester until he was called to a church in Lynchburg, VA, where
he was still a pastor in 1961.
1952-56 Rev. Paul McDaniel,
13th, graduate of Colgate; married Miss Edna Phillips, a member of Second
Baptist. He formed the first Executive Board, Christian Education Board,
Church Mortgage was paid off. Constitution was created by a committee and
adopted. A copy was given to each member of the church.
1956-60 Rev. Thomas E. Wright,
14th, had the church redecorated and renovated, new organ and new pews were
purchased, a new rood was put on, and he reorganized the Missionary Society.
1960-64 Rev. Wendell Phillips,
15th minister, native of Pittsburgh, BS from Virginia Union Univ., Graduate
degree in Physiology from Howard, and University of Rochester in psychology and
counseling. He organized the Joint Board, Membership Training classes
and Maundy-Thursday service. He was Pastor for the 70th Anniversary and
speaker for the 95th Anniversary. "I have had some of the richest
experiences of my life... your cooperation and love have been terrific,"
he stated.
1965-1968 Rev. H. Beecher
Hicks, 16th minister, a senior at Colgate Divinity School. He organized
the Building Council which was instrumental in remodeling the church
basement. He was Pastor when the church celebrated its 75th or the
Diamond Jubilee Anniversary.
1968-71 Rev. William Larkin,
17th minister, a student at Colgate when he came to Mumford. He is
remembered as the minister being instrumental in remodeling the church
including the basement. Sanctuary, classrooms, and lavatories were some
of the improvements. In conjunction with members of Community Church in
Lakeville, the Princess Bond was implemented to pay for the remodeling.
1971-1973 Rev. Allen Weaver,
18th minister, served as Interim pastor for December, 1971 to June 1971.
He was instrumental in reorganizing the Board of Christian Education.
1974 to the present, Rev. Dr.
Charles A. Thurman, 19th minister leads his flock. He is a graduate of Tougaloo Southern Christian College. Selected by a major
league baseball team, he chose instead to follow the calling he received since
childhood, i.e. to preach the Word of God. He graduated from Colgate Divinity
College and then came to Mumford with his wife, Mattie. Since then, they have
two daughters: Tanya and Kimberly. Rev.
Thurman has been instrumental in initiating the following events: 2nd parsonage
purchased; library built; Diaconate Board organized and Clayton A. Coles
Scholarship Commission appointed; kitchen remodeled; held 90th, 95th, 100th and
110th anniversary celebration; lead the purchased of 78.6 acres of land and
pioneered a New Church building project in Caledonia New York; Instituted the
formation of New Covenant Promise Foundation and Enterprise.
Second Baptist Church has been
blessed with outstanding musicians and fine quality singing from the
congregation and choir, longevity of the Chancel Choir, Men's Choir, and Youth
and Young Adult Choir.
Mrs. Goines was for several years
the church organist. In time her daughter, Mrs. Wilma Steverson, was
taught at home initially by her mother and Wilma became the organist the
church.
Our current Choir Director, Mr.
George Banks, first played for the church at age four while sitting on a stack
of telephone books. His musical career has a national reputation.
Known in many musical circles, he has friends in spiritual, jazz, and popular
music genres. The Assistant Musician is Mr. Dion Johnson, a young man of
many talents and developing his abilities.
Former musicians are: Mrs.
Mamie Poles; Miss Lucy Carpenter; Mrs. Grace Hopkins Goines, mother of Mrs.
Wilma Goines Steverson, who in turn became organist/choir director from
1947-68; Mrs. Ethel Banks, pianist, George Banks and Charles Banks, musicians,
Mrs. Karen Cottom Simms; Mrs. Florence Green; Mrs. Darlene White; Mr. Eli
Wilson; Mr. Philip Salisbury; Mrs. Elizabeth Bundradge; Mrs. Barbara Smith, et
al.
Second Baptist is the home-church of
many descendants of the founding families. Like a magnet, new members
continue to join and enrich the spirit-filled body of the church. The
congregation is a dynamic mix of talents, skills and abilities and included
many business, professional and artistic careers among its members,
that are striving to be filled with knowledge, wisdom and faith in GOD, to
the Glory of The LORD.