Connecting the church to the community and the world; through service, mission, outreach, and the love

of Christ!

FEBRUARY 2014

Bank Street Memorial Baptist Church

7036 Chesapeake Boulevard

Norfolk, VA 23513

Proclaiming, Serving and Giving Thanks ... Since 1840

Streets rich and colorful heritage played a significant role in African Americans struggle for religious freedom in Norfolk, Virginia. NOTE: Norfolk was home to a relatively large group of free men and women of color. According to the second census taken in 1800, Norfolks total population was 6,926, of which 3,076 were Blacks and 352 of those Blacks were free persons, while 2,724 were slaves. During the early part of the 19th century, the Negro people who lived in Norfolk went to church with whites. To prevent insurrection, Virginia enacted laws forbidding the assembly of Negroes without the presence of a white person. In 1839, nearly a quarter of a century before President Lincolns Emancipation Proclamation, a small group of colored worshippers broke away from the First Baptist Church. Many, if not most of them, were free men and women of color who wanted more religious freedom than what was found in their mixed church. This small group of courageous Christians began meeting in a vacated church building on the corner of Charlotte and Catherine Street in the old Borough of Norfolk, Va. Built in 1802, the vacant building was owned by First Presbyterian Church, who had moved to a new location on Church Street in 1836. Within 9 years of moving into First Presbyterian Church, the worshippers raised $2,500.00 to purchase it, the first such purchase by African Americans in Norfolk, Va. The new congregation called itself the First African Baptist Church.

Bank

BANK STREET CHURCH OFFICIALLY HAS BEEN KNOWN BY SEVERAL NAMES Name
Norfolk First Church The First Church, Norfolk First African Baptist Church First African Meeting House First Baptist Church Norfolk 1840 Nameplate erected in 1840 in marble on the front of the Church after recognition by the Virginia Portsmouth Baptist Assoc. Journal and Guide, May 24, 1947
continued on page 2

Date 1840 1840 1840

Source
Minutes of Va. Portsmouth Baptist Assoc. 1840 Minutes of Va. Portsmouth Baptist Assoc. 1840 Tommy Bogger, Free Blacks in Norfolk, Va., 1790-1860, p.179

The Bell Church

1862

www.bankstchurch.org

The Trumpeter

Special EditionOur Church History

757-857-0197

Continued from page 1 BANK STREET CHURCH OFFICIALLY HAS BEEN KNOWN BY SEVERAL NAMES Name Date First Baptist Church, Catherine St 1867 Bank Street Baptist Church Between 1862 & 1872 Bank Street Memorial Baptist 1968 Church Source Virginia Baptist State Convention Minutes 1867 Norfolk City Records Deed to new property on Johnston Rd. & Chesapeake Blvd.

Also in 1840, the Baptist governing body, The Portsmouth Baptist Association, determined ... First Baptist Church Bute Street would no longer be recognized as a constituted church, and, the newly formed congregation worshipping in the old Presbyterian Church would be duly recognized as the First Baptist Church in Norfolk. Immediately after recognition, the new church erected a stone nameplate on the from of their church. The nameplate read, First Baptist Church Norfolk, Constituted A.D. 1800. Today, that original nameplate is prominently displayed in Bank Streets prayer garden. The congregation changed the name to Bank Street Baptist Church when Catherine Street was renamed Bank Street sometime between 1862 and 1872. From the beginning the congregation included many persons of unusual ability. Skilled artisans of all kinds and men of training made up the church. Many of the members were Norfolk Mission College graduates, and they applied their education to the work in the church. Many of the college instructors were also Sunday School teachers at Bank Street. One of the early members of Bank Street, Mr. Earl Lewis, described the church as one of the congregations that led most others in membership and community prominence. He also claimed that the membership consisted of both working-class and elite African Americans. According to the Reverend Dr. Samuel Dewitt Proctor, who grew up in Bank Street, You never had an uneducated pastor there. All the ministers had gone to college in some kind of special theological training since I was a boy. I dont ever remember having an ignorant pastor standing up in front of me Sunday morning ... the members did everything in good order, and leaned toward a more formal approach.

Rear view of old church

Front Door of Old church Front view of old church

www.bankstchurch.org

The Trumpeter

Special EditionOur Church History

757-857-0197

3 Continued from page 2

Bank was a fast growing church in the early 1900s, which resulted in the need for more space; the congregation decided to remodel the building and seek expansion. Two houses on one side of the church and on one the other side were purchased. The additions provided space for a separate Sunday School building in the rear of the main church. The new building was completed in 1915. A new choir stand was built above and, behind the rostrum placing the choir in front of the congregation instead of behind it. Other important improvements were made, including redoing the stained glass windows. The traditional figures of the church fathers were replaced by modern historical character such as Booker T. Washington, Frederick Douglass, and Abraham Lincoln. In 1959, Bank Street Church, under the leadership of the Dr. John B. Henderson, voted to leave its historic site, and in 1962 it decided upon Chesapeake Boulevard and Johnston Road. The old church building was sold to the Norfolk Redevelopment and Housing Authority in 1966, and the final religious service was held there in early 1967. That same year, the original Church was demolished to provide space for the Norfolk Scope and Chrysler Hall complex. At the time of its destruction, it was the 2nd oldest church building and one of the oldest buildings remaining in the city. In 1968, the fellowship hall and part of the educational building at the new church were completed and the church again changed its name to Bank Street Memorial Baptist Church. At a meeting of the church congregation on October 13, 1976, members voted to build the sanctuary. A 90 day financial drive raised $50,000.00; contributed by members, friends and auxiliaries. This amount supplemented the invested funds which over the years had accrued more than $200,000.

July 20, 1967 - Ledger Star

Steeple Still Towers Amid Rubble Norfolk's Bank Street Baptist Church is mostly rubble now, as demolition workers clear the site for the city's new cultural and convention center. But the familiar steeple of the old churchit was built in 1802remains a temporary holdout against progress. In background is Freemason Street Baptist Church.

Groundbreaking for Bank Streets new sanctuary at the corner of Chesapeake Boulevard and Johnston Road was held on Dec. 26, 1976 and participants in the ceremony included Dr. James Griffin, Samuel Swift Jr., Jamean Alexander, Gene Jones Jr., and Trustee Kenneth Davis. The estimated cost of the brick building was half a million dollars On January 29, 1978, the congregation marched into the new sanctuary for the morning services with Dr. Griffin as minister. Bank Street Memorial Baptist Church has always had a great interest in missions and Christian education, and has given substantial sums of money for these causes. The Church sent members to Africa as missionaries, supported a missionary , and built a chapel in Haiti. Educational assistance was provided for two young men from Nigeria, and a young woman from Liberia, at Virginia Union University. Also several churches in Norfolk owe their beginnings to Bank Street including Queen Street Baptist Church, founded during the pastorate of Rev. Richard Spiller around 1886; First Calvary Baptist Church, and First Baptist Berkley.

www.bankstchurch.org

The Trumpeter

Special EditionOur Church History

757-857-0197

PASTORS OF BANK STREET

The chronological development of Bank Street can be summed up in its pastors; all of whom were men of ability, education inspiration, and dedication to their calling. Historical records indicate that prior to 1862 Bank Street had six white pastors, but these same records are not clear or complete on the names of the early ministers. Near the close of the Civil War, the struggle to secure a Negro pastor was brought out in the open, and records indicate that Dr. Richard R. Allen was the last white pastor of Bank Street. The church called its first Negro pastor, the Rev. Thomas Henson, in 1862.
NOTE: Mary Lou Henderson (1911-2001) and R. Elaine Gregory (1915-2005), members of Bank Streets Archives Committee, compiled a listing of the churchs pastors since 1862.

Rev. Henson was an able organizer, who conducted several revivals during his pastorate, and organized the first Sunday School. He served as pastor for 10 years.

In 1873, the church elected Rev. J.F. Lyons to succeed Rev. Henson. However, due to failing health, he served as pastor for only one year; until 1874.

In 1874 Rev. Richard Spiller was called to the pastorate to succeed Rev, Lyons. He was a native or Lynchburg, Va., and had received his theological training at the Richmond Theological Seminary (now the theological school at Virginia Union University). He proved to be a great success as a revivalist, and many people in Norfolk talked about the great Spiller revival, as it was known. Attendance at church meetings became so large and the program so extensive that Rev. Spiller secured another building (the Bank Street Mission House ) where afternoon services were conducted. The Mission House would later become the First Calvary Baptist Church of Norfolk. Rev. Spiller resigned from Bank Street in 1884 to form Queen Street Baptist Church. In 1885 Rev. Mortimer Bowler, who had been assistant to Rev, Spiller, and who had been working in the Mission House, was elected pastor of Bank Street. Rev. Bowler came from a family of great religious leaders. He was an organizer and leader of men. The church purchased an organ under his leadership. He worked hard to complete other improvements at the church and soon after they were finished, he became ill and died. He made such an impression on his fellow ministers and laymen that his funeral was attended by a large number of people. Dr. Joseph E. Jones, professor in Richmond Theological Seminary, was sent by the school to preach the funeral. Rev. J. Madison Young, who was called to Bank Street in 1887, came from Wytheville, Va. His administration was characterized by the establishment and development of church organizations. Mrs. Young was elected president of the Home Missionary Society which raised enough money to stucco the exterior of the church. A new spire was placed on the church and cornices were added to beautify the structure. Under Rev. Youngs administration the men became more active in church work. Deacon Noah Reid organized the men into a club which was known as the Minute Men. The church decided to acquire a parsonage for the pastor and bought the property at 631 Bank Street for that purpose for $1,900. Rev. Young move into the building where he remained until he left the city. Rev. Young was offered the position of State superintendent of Admissions in the Spring of 1896, and he resigned his pastorate to accept the new field of labor.
www.bankstchurch.org The Trumpeter Special EditionOur Church History 757-857-0197

5 Continued from page 4

Rev. H. H. Mitchell, a graduate of Lincoln University and Crozer Seminary was installed as Bank Streets pastor at an impressive ceremony on Sept 13, 1896. He served until 1901 when he was called to a church in Columbus, Ohio

The next pastor of Bank Street, the Rev. William Maurice Moss, was born at Lewis Store, Va., and received his education at Richmond Theological Seminary where he earned his B.D. degree in 1899. He was called to Bank Street in 1900. During his pastorate Rev. Moss was awarded his honorary D.D. degree by Virginia Union University. Rev Moss was a civic, as well as a religious leader. He was the author of two literary works The Ideal Pulpit, and The Value of Scientific Influence. He served until 1907 when he was called to pastor a church in New York. The modern history of Bank Street Baptist Church is sometimes regarded as beginning with the administration of the Rev. Charles S. Morris in 1911. Dr. Morris received his education at Newton Theological Seminary, and before beginning his pastoral work in Norfolk had served as a missionary in Africa and as pastor of Abyssinian Baptist Church in New York City. He was called to Bank Street in the Spring of 1911. Dr. Morris was a preacher of great eloquence and forcefulness. He was a great revivalist and an authority on church policy and Baptist doctrine. He began a revival soon after his acceptance of the pastorate of the church. More than 3,000 persons were converted in his series of services. It was the largest and most successful revivals any minister had held in Norfolk. During Rev. Morris pastorate, Bank Street purchased two adjoining houses, one of which became a separate Sunday School; the interior of the church was remodeled, the walls were redecorated with a base of in-laid marble, the choir stand was moved to above the pulpit, the baptism pool was enlarged and in-laid with grey marble, and ordered the stained glass windows were replaced with modern characters such as B.T. Washington and Abraham Lincoln. Bank Street was well on its way of expanding and increasing its influence in Norfolk, when Rev. Robert J. Langston was called to the church in 1917. Born in Whaleysviille, Va., and educated at Virginia Union University, Rev. Langston was a great orator. His task was to liquidate the debt left by Rev Morris. In an effort to do this, a $16,000.00 rally was conducted. The church was divided into groups under the leadership of lieutenants, captains and generals. Each Sunday one of the generals would make a report. The rally lasted for several months, and proved to be successful. Ultimately, all of the churchs debt was paid off. Rev. Langston resigned in 1920 to assume leadership of the Smallwood Corey Memorial Institute at Claremont, Va. Rev. C.M. Long pastured Bank Street from 1921 to 1926. A graduate of Virginia Union University, he renovated the interior of the church and had it redecorated. He worked well with the young people of the church, and did a great service in organizing them. Om 1926 he resigned to become pastor of a church in Orange, New Jersey, where he would be near several well known Theological schools, and continue to gain training while he ministered.
www.bankstchurch.org The Trumpeter Special EditionOur Church History 757-857-0197

Rev. G.W. Watkins was educated at Shaw University and the University of Chicago. In April 1926, he was called to Bank Street Baptist Church. During his pastorate, the church clubs and auxiliaries were organized to a high degree of efficiency. The Sunday School was one of the most efficient organization of the church, and was very progressive. The church at this time had more than 800 regular contributors

The Rev. D.C. Rice followed Dr. Watkins in 1938 and remained until 1941, when he joined the Army as a chaplain. His leadership, like that of other Bank Street pastors, was progressive and successful. Under Rev. Rices pastorate, a fire in 1940 caused $10,000 in damages, as Bank Street was planning its 100th anniversary. Freemason Baptist Church and Queen Street church allowed Bank Street to hold several services while repairs were made. During Rev. Rices pastorate, new church organizations were begun, including the Willing Workers, The Gleaners, and The Pastors Aids. Rev. Rice joined the U.S. Army as a Chaplain during WWII, and returned as Pastor of Bank Street on March 1, 1942. Bank Street Call Rev. J.B. Henderson in 1943. Rev. Henderson was well trained, having received his undergraduate degree from Virginia Union University, his Masters degree from Hampton Institute, and a Divinity Degree from Oberlin College. Rev. Henderson was active in civic and educational efforts in the community and led in giving to missions, the building of a church in Haiti, the support of students from India and Liberia studying in the United States, and affiliation with the American Baptist Churches (ABC). He was the first African American to serve as President of ABC of the South. In 1969 he led the church into the Fellowship Hall (later named after him), which completed the Bank Streets first phase of development at its new site on the corner of Johnston Rd. and Chesapeake Blvd. Rev. Henderson died on July 13, 1974. Rev. Henderson served longer than any previous Pastor of Bank Street. Rev. Dr. James C. Griffin, a retired Air Force Chaplain, and native son of Bank Street, was called by the congregation, to become the 14th pastor of color on May 28, 1975. Immediately, Dr. Griffin emphasized the continuation of the churchs second phase of physical development. Dr. Griffin led the congregation in the construction of the current sanctuary, and on January 29, 1978, he led Bank Streets congregation as they marched into their new sanctuary for morning services. Upon his retirement as pastor, Dr. Griffin was given the title, Pastor emeritus of Bank Street Memorial Baptist Church. He passed peacefully and gently into eternal life with God, on Dec. 11, 1996, On July 19, 1982, the Bank Street family called as its 15th Pastor of color, the Rev. Albert Paul Brinson, a protg of the late Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and a son of Ebenezer Baptist Church, Atlanta Georgia. Rev. Brinson, former Field Counselor, World Mission Support Staff of American Baptist Churches, USA, provided a ministry which brought more than 200 new members, some 17 new organizations and an exciting new spirit in the fellowship and a greater outreach of Bank Street into many parts of the country through travel and the many visitors who worship with the congregation each Sunday. Under the leadership of Rev. Brinson, Bank Streets mortgage was burned. In 1986 Rev. Brinson proposed a

new concept for the congregation to consider ... a change in the gender make-up of the Diaconate Ministry, and on December 14, 1986, the first women were ordained as Deacons, at Bank Street. Rev Brinson resigned as Bank Streets pastor in 1991 and returned to his hometown of Atlanta, Ga.
www.bankstchurch.org The Trumpeter Special EditionOur Church History 757-857-0197

In 1992, Rev. Cedric Kirkland-Harris became the 16th pastor of color of Bank Street Memorial Baptist Church. While pastor, he received his Doctorate Degree in 1997. In 2001, under his leadership the missions emphasis of the church changed from foreign missions to local missions when the church purchased an existing building and property adjacent to the church. The building was given the name, Bank Street Jubilee Center, and it was home for two new community outreach ministries The Oakmont Community Development Center (OCDC), and the Food Pantry. Due to health concerns, Rev. Harris requested a one year leave of absence as pastor in 2005. Subsequently, he resigned in September, 2006. Rev. Harris passed away in June, 2009 In March, 2008, Bank Street Memorial Baptist Church called its 17th (and current) pastor, Rev. Dr. Joseph P. Lee, Jr. A native of Richmond, Virginia, Dr. Lee earned a Bachelor of Science Degree from the University of Richmond, E. Claiborne Robins, School of Business; a Bachelor of Theology and Master of Divinity from the Richmond Virginia Seminary; a Master of Divinity from Virginia Union University, Samuel DeWitt Proctor School of Theology; and a Doctor in Ministry degree from United Theological Seminary in Dayton, Ohio. Before coming to Bank Street, Dr. Lee pastured the Ebenezer Baptist Church of Lanexa, Virginia for more than 13 years.

Hopefully, this historical summary of Bank Street will give insight into the foundation on which we stand. Our past accomplishments were made by Christian men and women of courage, commitment, faith and love. Through their hard work and humble worship in the church, they found strength that saw them through many crisis. The sacrifices and labors of our forefathers and foremothers enabled them to pass on to us a rich heritage. With such an illustrious past, Bank Street has a solid foundation on which to stand, as it faces the challenges to meet the needs of today and the future. This is Gods church. We love her dearly. With faith in God and Gods help, we will support Bank Street Memorial Baptist Church through loyalty devotion, and devotion, prayers and sacrifice. The History Continues.
References: A. A History of Bank Street Baptist Church, as recorded by Mary Lou Henderson B. Bank Street Memorial Church History, Researched and Compiled by R. Elaine Gregory C. Bogger, Free Blacks in Norfolk, Virginia 1790-1860 D. Various City records & newspaper articles

www.bankstchurch.org

The Trumpeter

Special EditionOur Church History

757-857-0197

The Trumpeter
BANK STREET MEMORIAL BAPTIST CHURCH

Black History Month Special Edition Edition Our History

7036 Chesapeake Blvd., Norfolk, VA 23513 February 2014

www.bankstchurch.org

The Trumpeter

Special EditionOur Church History

757-857-0197