In Jackson, Louisiana, the day dawns clear and turns hot and humid, with temperatures soaring into the 90s. Today is Sunday, and it is a time of celebration for the town’s First Baptist Church. The church, founded in 1835, dedicates its third church building (pictured), an edifice that will endure into the twenty-first century.
As is frequently the custom, other pastors in town participate in the event. Two pastors – Thomas Brown of the Methodist Episcopal Church and James Stratton of the Presbyterian Church – take part in the service alongside First Baptist’s pastor, M. W. Stambough. War, although distant, is in the minds of parishioners. The new sanctuary is the last to be built in Jackson before the Civil War directly impacts Louisiana.
Further to the west, Plantersville Baptist Church is organized in Stoneham, Texas by Elders N. T. Byars and George W. Baines. Byars is appointed as the congregation’s first pastor. Baines will become the great-grandfather of the 36th president of the United States, Lyndon Baines Johnson. The war curtails the church’s early growth, as the congregation worships in a school house until they construct their first building in 1872.
In New York, Christian leaders gather for an annual meeting of the African Civilization Society. An address is delivered by Rev. Joseph P. Thompson of the African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church. The ACS had been founded in 1858 to encourage black Americans to immigrate to Africa and become leaders for religion and reform on the continent. Some northern Baptists are involved in the organization, which disbands in 1869 in the face of financial difficulties.
Also on this Sabbath, apart from Fort Sumter, the first notable naval battle of the Civil War concludes today. The Battle of Sewell’s Point in Norfolk, Virginia ends after two days of cannon fire exchanged between the Union gunboat USS Monticello, supported by the USS Thomas Freeborn, and Confederate batteries on Sewell’s Point. Damage is minimal, and neither side can legitimately claim victory.
Sources: First Bapitst Jackson information and picture (link); Plantersville Baptist Church (link); African Civilization Society meeting (link) and more information (link); Battle of Sewell’s Point (link)
