Nell Collins Thompson had flair. She exuded it. She could have patented it. Her own inimitable style was upon everything she touched. She used her flair in every phase of her life — her home, her classroom, her church work,…
HERITAGE: Faithful teacher in a constant church
Ruth Marsh Dillingham is one of those rare individuals whom the rest of us identify as “a born teacher.” As the oldest in a home of nine children, she likely did lots of practical teaching with her siblings. At about…
HERITAGE: ABCs of Virginia Baptists
Our favorite 5-year-old recently had a rare few minutes alone with his grandparents. He suddenly got very serious and shared that he was having difficulty learning the alphabet. He said that during the school day he goes to a special…
HERITAGE: Turning on the porch light
“ … If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed!” (John 8:36) ‘Negro Adam” — property of Thomas Dodson — was the first black who can be documented in one of the church records at…
HERITAGE: Sounds of celebration
In rural Tidewater Virginia the noises are usually the sound of a crane’s flapping wings or the gentle lapping of the waves. Macedonia Baptist Church in Mathews County recently offered its own sounds of celebration as the congregation celebrated the…
HERITAGE: Big day at two churches
It was a crisp, cool, cloudless day on Oct. 2 for the 125th anniversary celebration at Big Island Baptist Church in Bedford County, Va. The distinctive temple-like church building had been spruced up for the big day. The menfolks had…
HERITAGE: The new humanity
America is obsessed with race. Slavery has been gone for 150 years. Segregation crumbled in the 1960s and ’70s. Relationships have improved between the races yet race remains a defining issue in so many phases of American life. Virginia Baptists…
HERITAGE: The preacher’s assistant
They were the best and most faithful assistant to every preacher in Virginia Baptist life. They likely were his only assistant. Without them, preachers could not have done their work. Indeed most of the churches could not have existed without…
HERITAGE: Re-journey
The theme of the annual meeting of the General Association set for Nov. 8-9 in Richmond is “ReJoice, ReClaim, ReJesus.” It is a repetitive use of the prefix which refers to “back” or “again” or “anew.” Hidden within the three…