Historical Articles
Dear Brother Johnson,
Midway Baptist Church, is in its forward step in making progress. On the second Sunday of October, its members voted, with only one opposition, to move the church one mile, from its present site to Millbrook which is seven miles north of Raleigh, and there build a modern house of worship. Permission was given by the school authorities for us to hold services in the new Millbrook High School building until we could build.
Before the change was made, we only had the one organization, a Sunday School with 66 members enrolled. But at once a Sunday School was organized among the Standard Plan, and at present we have enrolled 107 members. Because of not having preaching but one Sunday a month, a prayer meeting has been organized for the other three Sunday nights. On the second Sunday afternoon in November, the young people from the Tabernacle Church in Raleigh came over, and after presenting a demonstrative program, convinced our young people to form a B.Y.P.U. which has been doing active and progressive work. On the following Sunday, Mrs. J.F. Mitchiner came down and organized the Midway Women’s Missionary Society, and also organized for the little folks, a Sunbeam Band. All of these groups have been checked in the last month or two because of influenza epidemic. But all of our people are working and praying for the presence and help of God in this great enterprise we are undertaking for Him in our community.
The committee has secured as a site for our church an acre of land just opposite the school building which is an ideal location. Just now, we are in the midst of the important task of securing pledges and raising the money to construct our building. Our members have the work at heart and our 122 are going to lend their financial support. But since Millbrook is a growing little town only seven miles north of Raleigh and the site of a consolidated state high school, we will have to build a house to meet the congregation of the future and not the present. For that reason, the burden is heavy upon the present membership. Anyone wishing to aid in this very needy cause is asked to send their contribution either to Mr. C.A. Beddingfield, Raleigh, NC Route 1, or Mr. D.R. Green, Raleigh, NC Route 5. Any amount will be appreciated.
Submitted to the Biblical Recorder by Rev. E.S. Elliot Pastor, Midway Baptist Church, Wednesday, January 31, 1923.
Millbrook Meeting
On September 30th, we closed a meeting of a week in length at Millbrook Church. Millbrook is not so large from the standpoint of numbers, but from the standpoint of spiritual quality it is about all one may expect to find here on earth. Yes, the people here go to church in the rain, at night or in the day: they go and go for business. But when you think of the leadership they are following you need not be surprised at any and all of the good things they are doing, not only during the revival period but throughout the year. The pastor of this church is my lifelong friend Rev. J.S. Farmer. His help-meet, the daughter of the late Dr. Livingston Johnston and the former Mrs. C.T. Willingham, for ten years a missionary to Japan. Mrs. Farmer brought back from Japan that missionary zeal which makes her a power indeed for Christ here in her homeland. So under the leadership of two such Christian souls you could expect nothing less of any church than success in a large way.
The Millbrook saints know how to do good things for the Lord – and for the preacher too. The good Marys, Mathas, and Dorcases of Millbrook certainly got this preacher in the most pleasant jam in which he has ever been caught in his long experience in holding meetings when they invited him back into a Sunday School room to view a display of good things, all prepared by their own hands from the fruits of their own orchards – jelly, preserves, apples, and canned fruits of many kinds. For a moment, I lost my speech when Mrs. Farmer informed me, in some kind of Japanese word that the good women had brought it all to me and that I was to take it home with me. Well, I didn’t know what to say, but did the best I could under the pleasant circumstances. I had to telephone home in Durham for help to remove it to my own pantry.
If I were in Jim Farmer’s place, I would stay there as pastor as long as the Lord and the brethren and sisters would let me!
Submitted to the Biblical Recorder by J.T. Riddick, Pastor, Watts Street Baptist Church, Wednesday, October 24, 1934.