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" PEOPLE’S CHURCH” IN KNOXVILLE
George W. Perryman was the next pastor. The
Church had a remarkable growth during his pastor
ate. The Sunday School grew to an average attend
ance of more than five hundred; the membership to
more than nine hundred; the congregations were
very large, necessitating another large addition to
the building, giving it the largest seating capacity of
any church in Knoxville.
Helped Bring Prohibition.
During this pastorate the Church became not
ed for its stand on civic righteousness and
moral reform, being one of the leading factors
in bringing prohibition to the city. The name
was changed during Rev. Mr. Perryman’s pas
torate from “Centennial Baptist Church” to
Deaderick Avenue Baptist Church.
Dr. Perryman resigned in March, last year,
to accept a call to the First Church of Norfolk,
Va., and Rev. C. B. Waller, who had been doing
such a great work at the Tabernacle church of
Chattanooga, became pastor. Rev. Mr. Waller
is a young man, having spent some years teach
ing before entering the pastorate about ten
years ago. He was pastor at Elizabethton,
Tenn., before going to the Tabernacle Church
at Chattanooga.
Waller a Wonderful Worker.
Since Mr. Waller came, the work has contin
ued to grow steadily. The Sunday School in
creased within a few months, from an enroll
ment of more than seven hundred to more than
thirteen hundred. The “Rally Record” was
broken when the aim was set for one thousand
on Rally Day and the count reached one thou
sand two hundred twenty. The congregations
continued to grow, filling a building with a seat
ing capacity of about two thousand. Mr. Waller
is a pastor-evangelist, has not planned a series
of meetings in his churches for years, but leads
them into great revival efforts in the regular
services. His evangelistic work has been espe
cially successful in Knoxville.
Swept by the Flames.
Right in the midst of such remarkable growth
a disastrous fire came on the night of Novem
ber 17, and completely swept away the splendid
house of worship, including the entire library of Pas
tor C. B. Waller. The Church about SIO,OOO in
insurance with a debt of SIO,OOO on the old building.
This was a crushing blow; but this heroic people
were not to be discouraged. While the fire was rag
ing, the deacons and trustees met in a residence
across the street and began plans for re-building and
made arrangements for going on with the regular
work. The Board of Public Works tendered the
city hall for the regular services. The Board of Edu
cation tendered the Moses School building for Sun
day School purposes. Without a break or even loss,
the work goes right on; the congregations
are large, filling the city hall. The Sunday
School average keeps up, notwithstanding
the fact that the school building is eight or
ten blocks from the place of preaching.
Will Build Without Frills.
Plans are being pushed for re-building.
Nearly $28,000 has already been pledged.
There are no rich men in this congregation,
the great bulk of it coming from the masses
—clerks, barbers, stenographers, sales la
dies, giving as much as S2OO and S3OO each.
Not one dollar is to be spent on needless ar
chitecture, but the plan is to have one of
the largest and best equipped buildings in
the South. The seating capacity will be
about three thousand, with provisions for a
Sunday School of two thousand, and the
building equipped for doing all kinds of in
stitutional work. As Pastor Waller puts it,
“We want to save the whole man—soul and
body.”
Hooper’s Christmas Gift—Church Establishes Or
phanage.
Hon. Ben. W. Hooper, of Newport, Tenn., know
ing of the practical plans of this Church and desiring
to aid in some such work, on Christmas day, gave
SIO,OOO for the establishment of a Home for Desti
tute Children, under direction of the peadericK Ave
The Golden Age for February 24, 1910.
nue Church, with the following conditions:
“1. That a like sum be raised in East Tennessee
for the same purpose.
2. That the institution when established shall not
be local in any sense, except that of its manage
ment, but shall always be open to destitute children
from all of East Tennessee.
3. That any destitute child may be admitted to the
REV. C. B. WALLER.
Pastor Deaderick Avenue Church, Knoxville, Tenn.
institution, whether an orphan or not, and whether
of a Baptist family or not.”
Pastor Waller says:
“As can be seen from these conditions, this Or
phanage is to be established along broad lines. It
shall in no sense, except the management, be a local
church, or even city enterprise, but for all of East
Tennessee.
It shall not be for “Baptist orphans” simply, but
for all destitute children of East Tennessee. It is
the earnest hope and expectation of the Church that
in a few years this movement launched along these
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broad lines will develop into an industrial home, and
school in the largest sense. It is to be located out
side the city on a farm, where the childi’en can have
the advantage of healthful surroundings, with ample
opportunities for industrial growth and training.
The Church accepts this gift and undertakes this
enterprise with no other ambition than to glorify
DEADERICK AVENUE CHURCH.
AFTER T HE FIRE.
God, and serve unfortunate humanity.
It need not be argued that there is a great need
for such a work, and that it will pay—financially, so
cially, and morally.”
“Mr. Hooper said in a speech recently in Knox
ville: ‘There are thousands of children in East Ten
nessee going to the bad for lack of a chance —chil-
dren, who deserve an equal chance with any child in
the best homes of this city. One of these boys
saved from a life of crime, and started on the
road of usefulness may save the state thou
sands of dollars, and make him a blessing
rather than a curse, an asset rather than a lia
bility. The business men of Knoxville, and in
East Tennessee ought to join Mr. Waller, and
his church in this unselfish enterprise, and con
tribute to it as a business, philanthropic, and
moral investment. I would rather have stock
in this Orphanage, than in the safest bank on
Gay street.’
When it is remembered that thirty years ago,
an Orphans’ Home took Mr. Hooper off the
streets of Knoxville, a destitute orphan, and
gave him a chance in life, the truth and power
of every word of his utterance will be seen,
and felt.”
The committee of the church says:
“Certainly after having lost our house of wor
ship by fire, November, and now being engaged
in raising $40,000 with which to rebuild a great
plant for the needs of our own growing work,
we can not expect it all from our own people;
and since we are launching this “orphanage
plan,” not for ourselves, but for the destitute
children of all of East Tennessee, we feel that
our friends throughout this entire section will
be interested with us, and will want to contrib
ute to this noble cause Avhicn appeals to all
men everywhere alike.
We trust you may be led to make us a libefal
contribution to this Orphanage Fund. Sub
scriptions are taken, payable in one, two, and
three years.”
Address all communications to Rev. C. B.
Waller, 311 Deaderick Avenue, Knoxville, Tenn.
Yours for destitute children,
C. B. Waller, Pastor,
John M. Leek, Chairman,
E. E. Weaver, Secretary,
J. T. Moore, Treasurer.
Showing the general confidence in the future of
the Deaderick Avenue Church, its possible place of
usefulness, in all the mountain sections of East Ten
nessee and the interest that is being taken in it out
side of Knoxville, Editor E. E. Folk said in The
Baptist and Reflector a few weeks ago:
“We call special attention to the appeal from the
Deaderick Avenue Baptist Church published this
week. As stated, the indebtedness on the
old building took up all the insurance mon
ey upon it and left the church with only a
lot. The members of the church have al
ready subscribed about $25,000 for a new
building. This is certainly doing remarka
bly well, but they will need about $15,000
more in order to erect the kind of structure
they need. They do not propose to build
simply for their own people, but to have an
equipment for general institutional work,
including homes for the orphans, the poor,
the sick, etc. In a letter to us Pastor Wal
ler says. ‘We intend to build a plant here
that will be a joy and blessing to all this
East Tennesse country.’ ”
It affords The Golden Age genuine pleas
ure to heartily commend the wonderful work
for practical Christianity that is being done
by Pastor Waller and his great “People’s
Church” in Knoxville and hopes that many
who read this story will immediately send an “in
vestment” in this spiritual and philanthropic Light-
House in the commercial capital of the East Tennes
see mountains.
Book of George Stuart’s Sermons and The Golden
Age one year all for $2.25,
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