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COVER STORY
Reverend Archibald Roosevelt Killian
On a dreary, rainy day in mid
January, I entered Killian’s Bookstore
and Car Wash, and instantly my world
was bright and clear. That’s the feeling
that one gets when meeting Rev. Ar
chibald Killian. With a beaming
countenance, a firm handshake, he
greeted and invited me into his small, but
very neat office. After some pleasantries,
I started the interview.
Rev. Killian’s father, William H.
Killian, was a native Athenian and his
mother, Ruth Moon Killian, was from
Gainesville, Georgia. Rev. Killian was
the eldest of three sons born to Mr. &
Mrs. Killian. Mr. Killian was the first
black postage carrier in Athens. He was
appointed by the late Pinky Morton
(builder of the Morton Theater), who
was Post Master at Athens General at
that time. So from 1918 to 1990, seventy-
two years, a Killian had been associated
with the Athens United States Post
Office.
Rev. Killian attended Union Baptist,
a private school, but graduated from the
former Athens High & Industrial School.
After high school, Rev. Killian went
to Boston, Massachusetts where he
enrolled in the Cadet School of Business.
Before completing his studies there
however, he enlisted in the United States
Air Force.
He stayed in the Air Force four years
and then went to California where he at
tended Los Angeles City College and
California State. He stayed in California
four years then returned to Boston where
he married his first wife. They had two
children.
In 1961, Rev. Killian returned to
Athens and became one of Athens first
blacks hired on the police force.
In 1966, given forty-four hours to hire
a black postal worker, King, then the
post master at the post office, hired
Killian. Though Killian said he had never
really liked postal work, he remained on
the job until his retirement in 1989.
Rev. Killian said his life before his se
cond marriage to Retta in 1973, was in
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turmoil. He drank heavily and was often
at odds with his first wife. He was a sort
of womanizer who was not always
discreet in his behavior.
In 1975, Rev. Killian was injured by
gunshot and by the doctor’s account he
would not live through the night. In fact,
the doctor told his wife, Retta to gather
the family at the hospital because he was
not going to live. Killian told the doctor
if he were going to die, he did not want
to die in the operating room. He lived
through the night and the next morning,
the doctor was appalled at the way
Killian had bounced back. Killian said he
had survived because God had a job for
him to do, though he did not say what
the job would be.
Rev. Killian continued to drink, but an
uneasiness weighed on his mind. He was
resisting God’s call.
Seven years after the life threatening
injury, Rev. Killian started attending
church again and taught a Sunday school
class. At this point Killian told God,
“Well Lord, I ain’t gonna do no more,
I ain’t going back no more, and I’ve gone
as far as I am going to go with you.”
He stopped drinking everything except
beer! But Killian explained to God that
he wasn’t going to preach - that no one,
because of his past reputation, would
listen to him anyway.
Rev. Killian had earlier separated from
Retta, so he returned to the home and
his family. Still vowing that he would
never preach, he told God that he would
continue to drink beer and if God wanted
him to stop drinking, then he would have
to remove the addiction. God did.
Several years later, Killian was still
wrestling with God. Finally, one day he
said to God, “Lord if my birthday falls
on the second Sunday, I’ll spread your
word, but if it doesn’t, don’t bother me
anymore.” Killian’s birthday fell on the
second Sunday and he succumbed to the
will of God. At fifty years of age, he
began to prepare himself educationally,
to become a minister. He enrolled at the
Christian College of Georgia.
When Rev. Killian brought his books
home from the Christian College, he left
them on the patio. The next day Retta
saw the books and ran into the house
storming. She told Killian that if he
preached, she was leaving. He told her
that she had stayed with him through all
the other stuff so why leave now if he
preached. Retta said “Negro, you aren’t
fixing to do right, you’ve just figured out
another catch.” Killian told Retta that
he had never played with God. He finish
ed the Christian College and Retta and
their four children became his staunchest
supporters.
Rev. Killian went on the become a
minister. He said that the thing about
salvation is that one first has to repent,
but if one has never been a sinner, one
doesn’t need to repent. But everyone has
sinned, either in his heart or directly, so
all must constantly ask for forgiveness.
Rev. Killian said that God opens the
way for each of us, and each of us must
decide the way our soul shall go.
Rev. Archibald Killian, a man who
went full circle now pastor at St. Mark
A.M.E. Church in Athens and Hunters
Chapel A.M.E. Church in Elberton.
Rev. Killian, may you continue to
spread the Word of God.
ZEBRA VOL. 2 ISSUE 7