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.