Many churches of the South that found themselves in the war’s path shut their doors for the duration of the great conflict. Some churches closed to never reopen after the war, but others are re-assembling and trying to return to normal. Among the later is Maloney’s Spring Baptist Church of Syrmna, Georgia. The Maloney’s Spring…
John Henry Yates (1828-1897) was born into slavery in Virginia. Although Virginia law forbade the teaching of slaves to read or write, the children of Yates’ master taught a young Yates how to read. The Bible was his favorite book. As a young man he “married” (marriage being informal for slaves, due to state laws)…
The First Baptist Church of Nashville, Tennessee, has experienced ups and downs during the past four years. When Nashville came under Union occupation in 1862, the church’s pastor and other ministers in the city refused to take the oath of allegiance to the United States, and were accordingly arrested. For several months during the year…