PENDER CHRONICI.E BURGAW, N.C.

~b ~ JAN 2 5 9 5

7q/ Rev. Sprouse Accepts Pastorate at Friendly Community Church

Rev. Warren Sprouse of Wilm-ington has accepted a call to pas-tor the Friendly Community Bap-tist Church of Burgaw.

Rev. Sprouse graduated from Philadelphia College of Bible and pastored Maranatha Baptist Church of Hazlet, New Jersey for 13 years. He served as Chaplain for the Hazlet Police Department for six years and was a Missionary with Child Evangelism Fellowship for three years.

He has served as Director of a Christian Consulting Firm spe-cializing in Marketing and Man-agement consulting for non-profit organizations, including churches. He has completed a counseling program with the Christian Counseling and Educa-tion Foundation of Laverock, Pa. During the past 15 years he has done extensive individual and fam-ily counseling.

Rev. Sprouse brings a wide range of training and experience

to the ministry, and is convinced the Bible has practical answers for today's problems.

~society is vastly more complex and varied today and The Church is mi~slng Important opportuni-ties of ministry by holding to phi-losophies and programming that were successful in 1960," pastor Sprouse commented. I tis his hope to reach out to the community withrelevantministryratherthan programs. He sees the value of individuality and of empoweri.'1.g and equipping Christians to min-ister to others as God motivates them rather than organizing a group of people to fulfill his. or the church's goals and vision.

The congregation invites all to come and worship with them each Sunday, beginning with Sunday school at 9:45 a.m., followed by morning worship at 11. A Bible Fellowship Houris held each Sun-day at 7 p.m. Mid-week Bible study and prayer service is held each Wednesday night at 7.

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FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH, SILER CITY, NC, ONE HUNDRED YEARS HISTORY: Andrew (276.175659/A23) May 17, 1889-May 17, 1989 by Murray M. Page: 19

Virginia before moving to Auburn, Alabama. The Edwards had one son, James Hudson Edwards, born November 9, 1928, who now lives in San Jose, California. Dr. Edwards accepted a call to the First Baptist Church, Auburn, Alabama in 1926, seiving there until bis death February 23, 1945. The history of Auburn Baptist Church states that under Dr. Edwards' leadership, the cburcb made ils greatest progress in the history of the church. The growing student body of Auburn afforded him a boundless opportunity for the exercise of his rich spiritual gifts, and thousands of young men and women went out from Auburn to places of leadership due to their contact with this great spiritual leader. Dr. J. R. Edwards is remembered as a man, stately and dignified in appearance, scholarly and somewhat formal in bis pulpit, but not without an appropriate sense of humor. This was so evident in Dr. Edwards' dealing with one of the many problems, that manifests itself in many congregations. When Dr. Edwards came to our church, he found the choir engaged in a standing quarrel over where to place the organ. They could not agree on whether the choir members should sit in front or behind the organ. They asked Dr. Edwards to give bis view on the question, each party expecting him to take their side. He complied: be told them that they might put the organ upstairs or downstairs, in the front or back of the church, on the left or right side, its back toward the pulpit or away from pulpit, or in other direction, the choir could sit in front or behind the organ, and it would be all right with him. In any case, it would not interfere with bis sermon no maner where the organ was placed. The humor was contagious and the choir left off quarreling, but someway the organ was nailed down so it could not be moved again.

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Rev. Berder Townsend 1876 - 1938 an

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BerderTownsend was born June 21, 1876and was the son of William Townsend ml Ada Prevatt Townsend. He was educated atBuies Creek Academy and attended Wake Forest College from 1902-1904. He was ordained to the ministry by Ten Mile Church in Robeson County in 1900. After completing bis worlc at Wake Forest College, he went to the Broadway Baptist Church. While there, he married Lenora White Thomas. He then came to the First Baptist Church in Siler City, remaining four years, on to Raeford Baptist Omrch where he spent six years. He ministered at Sehna after Raeford, and then he served as an evangelist with the State Baptist Mission Board for several years. During part of his years of service, he served as a trustee of Buies Creek Academy. Rev. and Mrs. Townsend were the parents of four children: Ora Mae Townsend Hardwick, Carlyle Townsend, Ruth Townsend Morris, and Joyce Townsend Faw. Rev. Berdar Townsend

Rev. George E. Spurill

Rev. George E. Spruill George E. Spruill grew up in eastern North Carolina, attended Wake Forest College, graduating in 1900. He probably served churches in North Carolina after graduating, but by 1902, he was in Williamston, South Carolina. He was ministering the Baptist Church at Williamston, Shady Grove, and the Second Church of Belton. While ministering here, he married Lillie Olivia Moore on March 26, 1902. The wedding took place at her home in Greenville, North Carolina. In 1903 Rev. Spruill was ministering the church at Shady Grove and the Second Church at Pelzar, South Carolina. From 1904 to 1906, be ministered a church at Fairfax and the Baptist Church at Brunsen, South Carolina. He left South Carolina in 1907, but returned to Brunsen in 1908 for two years. Sometime before coming in 1914 to the circuit including our church, Rev. Spruill was ministering churches in West Virginia. In 1905, Rev. and Mrs. Spruill lost their first child at the age of six months. They bad at least one other child, because when they left Siler City, Brownie Moore Spruill moved his membership with his parents.

NAME: Spruill, G. E .

DATA: Photograph

SOURCE: History of Stoney Creek Baptist Church, North Roanoke Baptist Association, p. 16 (NCCF)

According to the Wake Forest College Bulletin, G. E. Spruill

was listed as George Edward Spruill. He received his degree in 1900.

BHC-Staff

OBITUARIES

SPRUILL.--The infant child, aged about six months, of Rev. and Mrs. George E. Spruill, of Brunson, S. C., died at the home of Mr. and Mrs. J. L. Moore, parents of Mrs. Spruill, near Greenville, N. C.

The little one had been sick most of his life. About seven weeks ago Mrs. Spruill brought him here to her mother's in hope that the change would improve his health. The child grew worse, and Mr. Spruill was summoned, and the parents watched in sorrow as the life of their little one passed away.

The remains were interred October 18th at the Moore family burial ground near the home, services being conducted by Revs. J. A. Ayscue and H. H. Moore.

JOHN E. AYSCUE.

BIBLICAL RECORDER, December 6, 1905, p. 15:1

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