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fcfeT1A GRAND MEMORIAL.1The Member* et the Pleasant Green llap-llot Church Pay Tribute to the Memoryat tiie Founder of Hie Church*Sunday aftemoii Pleasant Green Baptist ehucrh was crowded with the 111011113015 and old acquaintances of the late Iter. Butler Harper* to hold a memorial service in honor of the founder of Pleasant Green. Rev. Harper, the founder, and the gospel father of many of her members, was born a slave in Madison county, • Virginia, June 15ch, IS 13 and ordained a minister of the gospel at the age of twenty-five. He was. imprisoned five times for preaching the gospel to his fellow slaves; bat, like the Apostles Peter and Paul, and many of his contemporaries, the law of man and the enemies of the labors of Christ may prohibit them from preaching, but no law of man was potent enough to crush the germ of spiritual life which gave rise to thathidden fire in their breast. In his actions he declared that “They may keep me from preaching, but all powers on earth and the infernal region combined could not prevent me from, praying. ’' In his case, ■ as in the case of many others, prayer was not only the key that unlocks the gate of heaven, but aslo opens the prison doors and sets the prisoners free.Realizing that “No man can serve rvo masters, “ in 1859 he purchased his freedom, and in ’G3 he came to this state, then known as the “Home of the Free,” where ho labored earuesty and fairlifnlly, organizing and building ohnicbes. In ’Si he moved to Kansas, and there he labored as a missionary. Twelve churches in that state wil tell to generations yet unborn the estimable value of this man of God, No monument can be erected by those who love him that will stand as that monument he labored so earnestly to build. He, like Price, Payne, Sturm and Douglass, builded his own monummentum while on earth, and it shall stand more endurable than brass.After sixty-nine years of ministerial service ill the vineyard of his Master, he died in a good old age and was gathered as the “Father of the Faithful’1 unto his people, being 84 years, 9 mouths of age.He leaves a brother, Mr. Frank Washington, of Union street, and a sister, a son and daughter, a beloved wife and a host of warm friends to mourn his departure. He was a faithful husband, a loving father, a true friend and an humble servant of God. He is gone, bat shall nerve be forgotten. He rests from InS* labor, but his works shall live after him. The church was nicely decorated with potted plants and cut flowers, the pulpit neatly draped. On the wall, in the rear of the rostrum, was his picture framed with black silk and his name over that in letters of the same material- The young people won much credit for the decorations.Revs. N. Haley and C. S. Gee delivered the memorial addresses. Rev. D. S. Oraer oendueted the devotional exercises. Miss Lauar H. Haley presided at the organ, and the choir rendered choice selections. A liberal collection was raised for Mrs. Harper, who is engaged in missionary work.
Newspaper Details
Portsmouth Daily Times
Portsmouth, Ohio, US
Tue, May 19, 1896
Page 3
Full Page
Clipped by
Scioto C.
OH, USA 17 Nov 2021
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