ALABAMA.
Revival in the Church and College.
REV. G. W. ANDREWS, TALLADEGA.
On March 2d thirty were received into our church, the fruits, in part, of a revival still in progress. It is the custom in the South to admit converts to the church on the first convenient opportunity, as in apostolic times, according to Acts ii. 47.
Of these thirty, seven were baptized in infancy, mostly by our own missionaries, ten years ago; three were immersed; the rest followed Ezek. xxxvi. 25. The youngest was not quite nine years old; the oldest was between sixty and seventy, and as happy a new-born soul as one often meets. Several were from forty to fifty. Five are heads of families, one of whom I have heard called “king of men,” because of his commanding influence. He says: “I mean to be as faithful in the service of Christ as I have been in that of Satan. I am now ready for any duty the church may impose upon me; be it easy or hard, it makes no difference to me.” His conversion has startled everybody. One little boy scarcely ten years old often prays intelligently and touchingly for a dear uncle and aunt, and asks others to join him.
All but two of the girls at Foster Hall are hopeful Christians; and of the forty-five young men who board at the same place, but four remain without a hope in Christ. Two in the higher normal room still refuse to enter upon the better life, and fourteen in the common school normal, out of the ninety in that department. The community outside of the college, our people say, was never before so awakened since the college was established here.
The meetings have been characterized by a wonderful freedom from excitement; indeed, I was never in a revival before where there was so little. It has pleased God in this instance to magnify preaching in a wonderful manner. Dr. Roy was with us a week lacking one day, and preached every night and on the Sabbath, interesting and profiting every one. One night many hearts were deeply moved by his tender recital of the “Old, old story of Jesus and his love.” We held extra meetings for two or three weeks. During the “week of prayer” and the remainder of January there were no conversions save one, that of “reckless George,” as he used to be called. He was one of our brightest young men, and his conversion made a deep impression. The revival did not commence in earnest until the first week in February, when there were twenty who turned to the Lord from the ways of sin. Since then the work has gone steadily forward.
This whole region seems ripe for a spiritual harvest; but whence are to come the reapers, as there is a limit to strength, and other duties press sorely. We cannot have many more extra meetings, though there are many inquirers; still we do not despair, as God has shown us how easily He can brush away all obstacles to the progress of His kingdom. He has again and again, during the continuance of these meetings, rebuked our want of faith.
The theological students have rendered excellent service by visiting from door to door. Christians have been fully awake. It is a glorious work to be instrumental in starting a soul in the better way; but there remains the work, greater if possible, of development through a wise Christian culture. We constantly remember Paul’s advice, recorded in Acts xx. 28.
I have time only for this hasty word concerning the work of grace here. I hope some one else may furnish you a full account. We all feel grateful for this quickening of our religious life, and this seal of our labors in the Lord, and our prayer is that an army of Christian young men and women may be raised up from this beginning of new life. While we “watch, work and pray,” we want to see the “desert rejoice and blossom as the rose.”
Revival Work—A well-organized Church.
REV. C. B. CURTIS, SELMA.
An interesting work of grace is now in progress in our church. We began by observing the week of prayer, remembering especially the request for a concert of prayer with the officers and workers of the A. M. A., and with great blessing, we felt, to those of us who met together to claim the promises.
As the white churches held union meetings during the week in the afternoon, I attended some of them also, and was cordially received and invited to lead one of the meetings. It chanced to be the day of prayer for nations, and I improved the occasion to set forth as strongly as I was able, not only the obligation, but the necessity that lies upon all Christians and all patriots, state or national, irrespective of denominational or political affiliations, to engage earnestly in the work of Christian education, if we would avert the terrible evils already impending. I was listened to with respect and evident appreciation, and there seems to be a growing spirit of cordiality and co-operation.
After another week of preparatory meetings, we opened the audience-room and began preaching every night, except Saturday, which we have kept up for three weeks with considerable success, having over thirty hopeful conversions and an uncounted number of inquirers; in fact, almost all express a desire, more or less earnest, to become Christians.
I find but few of the difficulties that trouble us so much in the North. There is but little skepticism, or the so prevalent idea of salvation by mere morality, and no Universalism that I have met as yet. The colored people are emphatically a religious people, and the difficulty is not so much in getting them to go forward to the anxious seats, or enter the inquiry-room, or to weep over their sins and cry for mercy, as it is to show them the simplicity of the way of salvation. They have been taught that they must see visions and dream dreams, must be held by the hair of the head over the bottomless pit and then taken to heaven, before they can be soundly converted; and though they are, in many cases, beginning to distrust this old-time teaching, yet it is hard for them to see that all they need to do is to “repent and believe the gospel.” Indeed, it is the universal testimony of the converts that their faith is continually tried by the declarations of their friends, that they haven’t any religion, because they haven’t “been to heaven or hell,” or “come through shouting.” We try to teach them that simple reliance on the word of God is far better and safer than dreams or feelings, and that “by their fruits ye shall know them.”
We are now holding three services during the week, and dislike very much to give up while there are still some who have been seeking ever since the special meetings began, with seemingly great earnestness, and yet cannot see the way clearly. Many of those who have been converted naturally belong to other churches, so that the addition to our membership will not be large, but we feel that the work is genuine, and those who go to other churches will carry a warmer feeling of interest in us which will help our work greatly in the future.
I enjoy this work exceedingly, and have been, from the first, favorably impressed with the condition of things in my field. The church has been thoroughly organized, and has a good record. Its influence is being felt in this community. Temperance and virtue are necessary to church membership, and as much cannot be said of all the colored churches in the South. The church building is commodious and pleasant, with reading-room and lecture-room in basement, cumbered with no debt, and upon its sweet sounding bell (the gift of the Sabbath-school) is engraved the fitting invitation, “Come, and let him that heareth say come.” For a church of its size I have never seen so many ready and efficient workers. Indeed, nearly all the members are workers, not drones, as has been thoroughly demonstrated during this revival.
Neither can too much be said in praise of the work of the teachers of Burrell School, who, though no longer under the commission of your society, and necessarily undenominational in their efforts, do much real missionary work. Such an intelligent, faithful and efficient corps of coadjutors it has never been my fortune to meet before.
I wish to acknowledge through your columns the receipt of a large quantity of second-hand Sunday-school papers, well preserved, and greatly appreciated by our children, as they have been only partially supplied before. The package came, prepaid, by express from Cairo. Our heartiest thanks to the unknown donors, and may other schools be moved to “go and do likewise.”
A Thoughtful Congregation—Personal Work.
REV. F. BASCOM, D. D., MONTGOMERY.
The church has been quickened in its spiritual life and activity, but no pervading revival influence has gone forth into the community. A good proportion of our members seem to be earnest, growing and happy Christians. Our social-religious meetings are very enjoyable. Some who have been delinquent now promise better things. One or two have just begun a new life of faith in Christ, and some others have promised to take the subject of their salvation into serious consideration. By following up such cases, I trust some of them may be won to Christ by personal effort. I learn, on inquiry, that most of our members were brought one by one to the Saviour by persevering and judicious pastoral labor. The colored people are very accessible to such effort; and what a boundless field for it they furnish! But “the laborers are few” that care to gather such a harvest.
I still enjoy my work, and the privilege and importance of it grow in my estimation. Last Sabbath I preached three times: twice for my people, and once for the A. M. E. church. Quite a large congregation.