Wilhite, Rev. J. Q. A., of Selma, was born August 13, 1854, in Louisville, Ky. He was baptized in 1866, and in 1878 was ordained to the office of the gospel ministry in his native city. The presbytery of the occasion was Revs. C. C. Stamm, D. A. Gaddie, W. W. Taylor and others. Shortly after this he entered the gospel work in Alabama, beginning as pastor of the Second Baptist Church, Eufaula. He came to supersede the Rev. Mr. Bassett, who for some reason had returned to Indiana. Under his administration the Eufaula Church rose into success and beauty unequaled by anything that had passed before. Beginning with 1886 he was for several consecutive years financial agent for Selma University. Resigning this work he was for sometime pastor of the church at Uniontown, where he was attended by his usual prosperity, both in gathering the people and in raising finances. This position he resigned in order to assume once more the office of financier for the University. At the present writing he is treasurer of the University.
Mr. Wilhite’s success is largely owing to the following: Self-reliance, industry, tact, perseverance, adaptability of himself and methods to the condition of the people.
He is an ex-student of the Roger Williams University, Nashville.
In 1872 he wedded Miss Kate Talbert, who has presented him with a large family of promising young folks, to whose education he is giving special attention. He is to be commended for that economy, as well as industry, which has enabled him to possess a comfortable home for himself and loved ones. He has not been forgetful of the welfare of them over whom God has made him guardian. Like very few preachers, he is a good business man as well as a good preacher.
P. S.—He has recently built a brick edifice at Uniontown. He is now a successful pastor in Birmingham.
Wilson, Rev. J. E. A., pastor of the First Colored Baptist Church, Pratt City, comes to our denomination from the Methodist Church. He was born January 1, 1861, in Fayette county, Alabama, and was led to submit to Christ as his Savior, September, 1882. He was regularly inducted into the Baptist ministry, September 27, 1887, by the laying on of the hands of a council consisting of Revs. A. C. Jackson, V. Huntington and others. He has served acceptably at Patton, Corona and Jasper. He is unpretending, quiet, brotherly and has a good report from all circles. His school advantages have been rather meagre, but with his youthful vigor and self-control, coupled with the abundant facilities for an increase of knowledge common to these times, he may yet be a man of learning and a leader in letters. Of course no man can hope to attain to knowledge beyond his ability to study forever and without any thought of tiring or despairing.
Notwithstanding he is a man of strong emotions, he has rare executive ability and is hard to equal as a leader.
Wood, Rev. Henry, of Talladega, was born August 15, 1825, in Greenville, S. C. His father was a lawyer in South Carolina. He came to Alabama with his mother when eleven months old, and was settled in Jefferson county, near Elyton.
He was baptized into the white church by Rev. Joseph Bias, who, at the time, gave it as his opinion that “Henry” would be a preacher. Ordained to the work of the gospel ministry just after the war (1867), he was a timely instrument in the special mission of organization. Mr. Wood has been one of the pioneers of our work in Jefferson, Talladega, Calhoun and St. Clair counties. In speaking of his struggle after knowledge in slavery time, he says: “I had been reading for some time and had begun to learn to write fairly well, when the fact came to the notice of the white people. They tied me up and laid 600 lashes on my back; and, I tell you, I lost all my knowledge of writing after this.” Referring to his missionary and pioneer work since freedom, he relates the following: “For the most part the white people have treated me well. Sometimes, however, I have been troubled with drunkards and ‘negro whippers.’ As I was riding on my missionary work in Blount county, I once met a man who gave me such a crack over my shoulders with his horse whip as almost broke the skin; but as I did not so much as look toward my abuser, he let me go with no further harm. I passed on, thanking God that it was no worse with me.”
Brother Wood is a man of excellent spirit—is as jovial as he is earnest. His life has been temperate and chaste, and he is approaching the death shadows and the tomb with triumph and in peace. He has occupied good pastorates and honorable places in the associations. His first wife (Miss Dicey Truss, whom he married in 1844), has preceded him to the goodly land, and both their children have passed before him. He now lives in Talladega with his second wife (the widow of Mr. Thomas Barclay), in very easy circumstances, and still finds plenty of work to do in the cause of the Master. Few men are more widely known and more generally beloved than he. For wrath and malice he is entirely a child. Nothing could more surprise his brethren than to see him in a fit of ugly temper, or to hear from his lips expressions of ill will. Brother Wood speaks in praise of Revs. Messrs. McCain, Mynett and Law (white) as friends to their colored brethren in the time of the latter’s weakness and inexperience in church work.