“Don’t call Shiloh! Shiloh is dead!”
With those words there begins a story which is legendary in the annals of Virginia Baptist history. When the Portsmouth Baptist Association met in 1871, the clerk called the roll of the churches. When he called out “Shiloh,” the moderator cut him off with an abrupt: “Don’t call Shiloh! Shiloh is dead!”
There was every reason to believe that the small church in Prince George County in the open countryside below Petersburg was indeed dead. It had not reported to the district association in 14 years. Its last contribution to the work of the association was $1.50. It perhaps could have last claimed 30 members. Yes, it appeared to be dead.
Fred Anderson
|
William E. Hatcher was pastor in Petersburg at the time, and when he heard the startling news that a member church had died, he sprang to his feet and began a lengthy rebuttal.
“What is that? Shiloh dead? There is something awfully contradicting in talking about the death of Shiloh. When did she die? What was the matter with her? How long was she sick? Where was she buried? Have any flowers been planted around her grave? Any monument built for her?”
The moderator retorted that he would appoint Hatcher a committee-of-one to examine the grave of the dead church.
“No, Sir!,” replied Hatcher. “I would be afraid to go. I am somewhat superstitious and believe in ghosts and if I were to go to the grave of a dead church, I would expect to see the dance of the devils around the tomb.”
Hatcher agreed to call upon the church and hold a religious meeting. He was forewarned that the church indeed was extinct and the building in ruins. Another report let it be known that “the community was too poor to support a protracted meeting.”
Hatcher would not be so easily dissuaded. He said that he would bring his own rations.
Shiloh Baptist Church
|
The meeting was set for late July of 1872. Hatcher arrived alone, finding that the church house was indeed dilapidated. There was a group of men standing outside and Hatcher greeted them: “Good morning, gentlemen. I am a minister of Jesus Christ; I learned that the church at this place is dead and I have come to sound the trumpet of life and resurrection. If any of you have a welcome for me, I would like to grasp your hand.”
The men began to introduce themselves to the visitor. Inside the house there already were women, and as Hatcher entered, he lifted the hymn, “Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing.” He sang the first two stanzas solo and finally he invited the others to stand and sing. “The rusty old shingles on the roof fairly rattled under the power of the song.”
The protracted meeting started, stretched over several days and produced 56 persons desiring to re-constitute the church.
“The fruits of that meeting were rich to a wondrous degree. Not only did the church reorganize but it became strong, united and great-hearted; and from it went out young men and young women who became capable in commerce, education, in the learned professions and in Christian service.”
If Shiloh had died, it had come back to life!
As the church fully revived, the time came to consider a new building. In 1882 the church voted to move about a mile away near the railway line. The new building was erected in 1884 at a cost of $1,000 and J.L.M. Curry, one of the greatest orators of the times, came from Richmond to deliver the dedicatory address.
Shiloh proved that it was alive by entertaining the Portsmouth Association for three days in 1892. There were 90 delegates present from the wide territory which stretched from Petersburg down to Portsmouth. The church was still thriving by the time of its centennial in 1936 and again entertained the Petersburg Association, which had been carved from the old Portsmouth.
At its height in the 20th century, Shiloh probably had over 300 members and 200 in the Sunday school. The church house was enlarged to accommodate a growing Sunday school, a brick parsonage was built and an education building was erected. Syd Stealey, president of Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, was the speaker for the church’s 125th anniversary.
In August 2002 lightning caused a fire which destroyed the educational building. The church moved forward and built a new facility which contains classrooms, a library and a large social hall with modern kitchen.
Last month Shiloh celebrated its 175th anniversary. Former members returned and the old church house was packed once again. It was not a typical Sunday. Shiloh experienced splits in recent years which diminished its membership. Since 2006 the church has been led lovingly by Hugh Mayes, a bi-vocational minister, a graduate of Virginia State University and Southeastern Seminary and a native of nearby Sussex County. He previously served as pastor from 1982-88. Mayes observes that Shiloh “is in harmony and trying to serve the Lord” and adds that he is “proud of them.”
Shiloh is located near the village of Carson, which although it sits alongside busy I-95 still has an undisturbed country landscape. It is not an area expecting growth. But the old church holds on and offers a sense of community to a dedicated few.
Churches — like Shiloh of old and Shiloh even of today — can die. Far too many churches are in the process of dying and for numerous reasons. There are external reasons — demographics, changing communities and economics. There are internal reasons — neglect, divisions, splits and lack of vision.
William E. Hatcher felt that Baptist associations needed to care for dying churches, to visit and to offer assistance. Even with our Baptist principle of local church autonomy, the mutual fellowship within an association should spur member churches to exhibit compassion and concern for a church which is obviously struggling. Like Hatcher, there is a repulsion in visiting “the grave of a dead church” for fear of seeing the delight of demons. Before a church becomes certifiably dead, there should be efforts to resuscitate.
The words of the old hymn — “rescue the perishing, care for the dying” — apply to churches as well as to people. All churches need to hear “the trumpet of life and resurrection” while they yet can hear.
Fred Anderson is executive director of the Virginia Baptist Historical Society and the Center for Baptist Heritage and Studies, located on the campus of the University of Richmond. He may be contacted at [email protected] or at P.O. Box 34, University of Richmond, VA 23173.