The Second Baptist Church of St. Louis, Missouri is the host of the 33rd anniversary meeting of the American Baptist Home Mission Society. Those gathered celebrate the end of the war. In his opening address, host pastor Galusha Anderson rejoices that “as an evidence of the new era on which we have entered, a convention…
While officially over, the war continues winding down in many respects. In the North, the United States government is in the midst of a military commission trial of the conspirators in Lincoln‘s assassination, while President Andrew Johnson and Congress are engaged in the beginning stages of the difficult task of reforming Southern state governments, the…
With the war over, Baptist churches of the South that survive the great conflict strive to return to some sense of normalcy. Many churches face a generational future of far fewer white male members than prior to the war. In addition, black members, if they have not already, are certain to leave within weeks, months…