From the New York Times, May 7, 1900:
“Mount Olivet Baptist Church celebrated yesterday its 22nd anniversary with afternoon and evening meetings. The exercises were held in Carnegie Hall which was crowded not only with the members of the congregation, but with colored Odd Fellows and other societies and colored residents of the different boroughs.
“The meeting was more or less a congratulatory one to the Rev. Dr. C. T. Walker, whose pastorate began seven months ago, when he came here from Augusta Ga. The Trustees’ report showed that the church had had the most prosperous year in its existence, and although covert references were made by the speakers to the troubles of the Rev. Mr. Wisher, the old sores have been healed and everybody was in harmony.
“In April of last year the church was in debt exclusive of a mortgage of $19,500, in the sum of $1,400 with $100.80 in the treasury. Since then there have been paid for running expenses $6,168.88, and there is now a balance on hand of $899.71. Within Dr. Walker’s pastorate, over 800 members have been added.
“The collection yesterday morning brought in $1,269.16. At the evening services this sum was swelled to $1,634.46. To this will be added $1,000 taken in at recent collections. The announcement was made that John D. and William Rockefeller were among the contributors in the past and that the City Mission had borne the ‘white man’s burden’ in helping to raise the big church debt to the amount of $9,000.
“The Rev. Dr. R. S. MacArthur, of Calvary Baptist Church, spoke in complimentary terms of the work of Dr. Walker.
“‘I consider him the most valuable acquisition to the ministry of this great city,’ he said. ‘If you can spare him for some service I want him to come and speak in Calvary. My people want good preaching, and he is a good preacher. And if you will put up with me, I’ll come to you for one service.’ (Laughter and applause followed this remark.)
“Dr. MacArthur then made a plea for general education among the colored people, and said: ‘It has made me boil with indignation when I have seen the door shut in the face of black men and opened to white men with black hearts.’”
From the Augusta (Ga.) Chronicle, March 20, 1900:
“Rev. C. T. Walker, the ‘Black Spurgeon,’ who has lately acquired the sub-name of the ‘Black John the Baptist’ by the big results of the recently held revival in New York, delivered a strong lecture at his former church, Tabernacle Baptist, on Ellis Street, last night to a crowded house.