That the pastors of the six largest churches in Elizabeth City are sick and discouraged at the condition of their churches, never before having served a people who put everything before the church as they do in Elizabeth City, was the statement made from the pulpit of First M.E. Church South of this city by Pastor Dr. N.H. D. Wilson Sunday night.
Dr. Wilson spoke dispassionately, having carefully weighed his language before he spoke. He said that only a few days previous he and other ministers had discussed conditions and compared notes, and all were alike discouraged; the condition was not confined to any one church. Nor was it confined to any particular group in the church, said Dr. Wilson. He said it existed thru and thru and from top to bottom.
No pastor can count on any considerable number of his members in any spiritual endeavor, said the pastor. Of 22 members of his Board of Stewards it was rare that more than half of them attended a Board meeting. “There is always something more important that the work of the Lord.” It was the same way in the Sunday School. The Superintendent could not count on his teachers and officers. It is almost impossible to get a meeting of teachers and officers.
With 750 members of the church living within the bounds of the city itself, barely 200 attended the morning service last Sunday, with ideal weather conditions prevailing, Dr. Wilson pointed out.
Dr. Wilson wonders what’s wrong with the town. “We held a simultaneous revival of all the churches last year and asked the school if they would close one hour each day that the children might take part in the services. We were told outright that the schools would not close so much as an hour each day for the revival. But the schools are closed for a circus and closed for a fair.
“We asked the merchants to close an hour each day for the revival. They couldn’t see their way clear to do it; but they close for half a day for a Fair and, during the summer months, close every Friday afternoon to let their help enjoy the baseball games.
“The other pasters are united in saying that nowhere have they had less spiritual response form their congregations than in Elizabeth City. What these pastors say of you others have said.” Dr. Wilson mentioned Rev. Jesse L. Cunningham and Rev. J.L. Ormond, former pastors of First Methodist Church, among those ha had left Elizabeth City discouraged by the lack of zealous, unselfish, sacrificial Christianity in the city.
From the front page of The Independent, Elizabeth City, N.C., Friday, October 19, 1923
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