NEW BALTIMORE—Broad Run Baptist Church, whose members since the Civil War have been almost exclusively white, installed African-American Larry White as pastor on June 24.
Broad Run, the oldest continuously active Baptist church in Virginia, was organized on Dec. 3, 1762. Elder David Thomas and 11 like-minded men and women established Broad Run's first meeting house (Anglican rules, enforced by the state, forbade them from calling it a “church”) near the stream of Broad Run, about two miles from its present location. The day after its founding, 23 members were received by baptism through immersion in the stream.
Despite many hardships, the congregation grew and started over half a dozen other churches. But difficult days came with the Civil War. The church building, nearly 100 years old, was burned by order of General Burnside of the Union Army because it was believed that the church was a refuge for Confederate spies. But nothing could dampen the spirits of the congregation and their desire to worship. For 10 years they held services in the oak grove behind the burned-out site and in member's homes when the weather was poor.
Over the church's 275-year history, it has had many pastors. Just as Broad Run has had an interesting journey of faith and development, likewise has been the journey of faith of their new pastor.
Four years ago, White was interested in the job at Broad Run. He was a pastor in New Orleans at the time, but thought his wife might be relocated due to her job and felt God's calling to minister in Northern Virginia. He never pursued the pulpit opening. And then, a natural disaster of biblical proportions hit New Orleans.
White and his family lost everything. Not only was their home and church destroyed, but there was no employment to be found. Instead of evacuating to an area where others were going, they decided to start over by moving to Northern Virginia.
The past 18 months of White's life have been nothing short of grueling. When he and his family first arrived, he could have given a long laundry list of needs, but he didn't. His first and only request was to have a new pair of dress shoes in order to be presentable at the pulpit when he preached because all he had left was an old pair of tennis shoes.
After submitting résumés to a number of search committees, guest speaking at Broad Run for several months, and preaching all over Washington D.C., Maryland and Virginia, White was asked to settle in New Baltimore and come on staff as full-time pastor of Broad Run.
“Broad Run was very interested in me and was the one church I felt the most comfortable with,” he said. “I knew the Lord was leading me there to accept my calling.”
White was raised by his grandmother in New Orleans, where racial discrimination was common. His grandmother was one of the first African-American educators and she also had a very light complexion; therefore, she was able to buy a house in a neighborhood that was restricted to white people.”
“I grew up amongst white people. I had lots of Anglo friends and I never knew there was a difference between white and black, even in such a segregated area like New Orleans. My grandmother always raised me to believe in treating people as Dr. King said, ‘not by the color of their skin, but the content of their character.' And that's exactly what I felt so strongly and powerfully from the people at Broad Run. They saw me as a man of God and who I was as a person. They developed their relationships with me based on that,” said White.
“When I was asked to be pastor, it was just an extremely strange paradigm to have to contend with because it was an older all-Anglo congregation, and I felt so much love just going to the church and such genuine sincerity from all the people. I really felt like I belonged. They didn't treat my wife any different, they didn't treat my kids any different and being offered the ministry at Broad Run was a great privilege and honor. And then coming to know its history made me realize what a great responsibility it would be from God to be asked to be the pastor at such a historically prominent church.”
“If there ever was a time in my life that there was no question about the will of God in my life as a pastor and as a helper to all people, it's now. I know this is exactly where I'm supposed to be,” said White.