638 Chronicles of the Cape Fear Rwer

W. M. Craig assumed the duties as assistant pastor July 15,
1913, and is at this time the acting pastor of the church. Dr.
Foster’s pastorate, like that of Dr. Hale, was marked by an
unusually large number of additions. During but little more
than four years, 787 members were received into the church,
an average of 186 a year. The present membership is 1,307.

Catvary Baptist CuHuRCH.

The Baptists of Wilmington began mission work in the
northern part of the city, April 3, 1871, when a committee was
appointed by the First Baptist Church to secure a place to hold
services. This committee secured the use of Brooklyn Hall,
the second floor of what is now the J. H. Rehder & Co., depart-
ment store. This work was begun as a branch of the First
Baptist Church, and was carried on for a number of years with
varying and doubtful degrees of success.

On April 4, 1886, the work was organized into an independ-
ent church, with just thirteen members. These charter members
were: Daniel Yates, Mrs. Mary Yates, W. T. Walton, Mrs.
W. T. Walton, Samuel L. Smith, J. W. Taylor, Mrs. J. W.
Taylor, Z. E. Murrell, Nelson Jenkins, Mrs. Nelson Jenkins,
Gaston M. Murrell, Mrs. Octavia Baskins, and Rev. G. M. Tol-
son. It was a small band, but they were of the stock that knew
no failure. They continued to use the hall as a place of wor-

ship for some time, and were known as the “Brooklyn Hall

Baptist Church.”

About 1892, the church purchased a large building on Fourth
and Brunswick Streets, known as “Minnie’s Hall.” The lower
floor was occupied by two stores, and the upper portion was
used for church purposes. During the time of the occupancy
of this place and up to quite recently, the organization was
known as the “Brooklyn Baptist Church.” In August, 1914,
the church, for satisfactory reasons, changed its name to Cal-
vary Baptist Church.

On August 12, 1906, the present building was dedicated.
The dedicatory sermon was preached by Rev. J. L. Vipperman,
a former pastor. The membership at this writing is 450. The

following have served the church during its career: Rev. G. M.
Tolson, Rev. A. A. Scruggs, Rev. R. E. Peele, and Rev. Pie

Jenkins served to March 25, 1894; Rev. R. E. Peele (second
pastorate), 1894; Rev. J. W. Kramer, 1895-1898 ; Rev. J. J.
Payseur, 1899-1902; Rev. J. L: Vipperman, 1902-1904; Rev.

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J. A. McKaughan, 1904-1907; Rev. ©. F. Whitlock, 1907-
1911; Rev. J. A. Sullivan became pastor December 5, 1911,
and remains pastor at this time.

SourTHsIpDE Baptist CHURCH.

Some time prior to 1870, the Baptists in the southern part of
the city began work, and in the latter part of that year they
applied to the First Baptist Church for assistance in the erec-
tion of a church building. The First Church responded gener-
ously by giving the lot and a large sum towards the building,
which was soon erected and known as the Second Baptist
Church. It was situated on Sixth Street, between Church and
Castle. Rev. Joseph P. King was the pastor, but he shortly
embraced the doctrines of the Second Adventists, which neces-
sitated a severance of his connection with the Baptist denomi-
nation. The majority of the members of the new church went
with the pastor and held the property; the remainder united
with the First Baptist Church. They, however, continued the
work begun in the southern part of the city, and established a
Sunday-school at the present location of the Southside Church,
Fifth and Wooster Streets. In 1894 letters were granted to
thirty-five members of the First Church to form a new organi-
zation, and they established the Southside Church.

The first pastor was Rev. J. B. Harrell, who served only a
short time, and was succeeded by Rev. F. H. Farrington. Then
came Rey. R. H. Herring, Rev. C. H. Utley, Rev. W. H. Davis,
Rev. G. A. Martin, and the present pastor, Rev. W. G. Hall,
whose pastorate began April 1, 1911. :

During these years the church has gone steadily forward, and
the present membership is 517. Finding the old building too
small for the congregation, in 1912 the church began prepara-
tions to erect a handsome brick structure, and in the spring of
1913 actual work was in progress. On the 26th of June of the
same year the cornerstone of the new building was laid by Mr.
J. S. Canady, one of the charter members. This new church
edifice cost $20,000.

Sr. Paurt’s LuTHERAN CHURCH.

The Lutheran denomination is represented in Wilmington by
two flourishing churches, St. Paul’s and St. Matthew’s. The
former was organized in the year 1858 and the latter in 1892.