Speeches & Writings File "The One Hundreth Anniversary of the Asbury Methodist Episcopal Church," Oct. 1935 Written by Mary Church Terrell 1615 S St., N.W. Washington, D.C. [*Oct. 1935*] The One Hundredth Anniversary of Asbury Methodist Episcopal Church. It would be hard to find a church in the National Capital whose historical background is more interesting than that of the Asbury Methodist Episcopal Church which has been celebrating and will continue to observe its one hundredth anniversary throughout the entire year. If you had been passing by that beautiful church on the corner of 11th and K Sts. N.W. a few Sundays age and had entered too late for the opening exercises of the church service you would have seen Representative Caroline O'Day in the pulpit addressing a very large congregation. The program committee for "Woman's Day", which has being observed had selected two speakers, one for the morning service and another for the evening and Representative O'Day had graciously accepted the invitation to talk in the morning. President Roosevelt has extended his hearty felicitations to the pastor, Rev. Robert Moten Williams and to the congregation in the following letter: "The hundred years that have passed since the founding of your church have been marked by outstanding progress in the history of the Negro Race. All this your church has witnessed and, of much of it, has been a part. My earnest hope is, that as a result of this centennial there will be a renewal of the spiritual life of your people under your devoted leadership." No matter how favorable the circumstances may be in which a church or any other organization is launched, the span of one hundred years is a long time for it to survive and flourish. This is particularly true if the founders are handicapped by conditions and circumstances over which they have no control. There can be no question that this was the case with the founders of Asbury. For some of them were still held in slavery and those who were free in name were confronted with difficulties which would naturally face men and women belonging to a race held 2 in bondage. Perhaps the most interesting fact about Asbury is that it is the daughter of the Foundry Methodist Episcopal Church which is located at [16th] Sixteenth and Church Streets, N.W. This church received its name because of a vow made by Henry Foxhall, who like many others of his day dreaded the damage British Troops would do when they entered Washington Wednesday evening August 24th, 1914. If the British troops did not destroy his foundry he said, he would make an offering to the Lord. The British troops did not destroy his foundry and he fulfilled his promise to the Lord by donating the land on which the church was built at the corner of 14th and G Streets, N.W. and named Foundry Station. When Foundry was established in 1814 there were 18 colored members and 20 white. Thirteen years later the number of colored members had increased to 176. For twenty years-from 1814 to 1836-colored people retained their membership in Foundry Church. There is no doubt whatever that the benefits accruing to them both from a spiritual and an educational standpoint were many and large. Then, for what seemed to them good and sufficient reasons, the colored members of Foundry decided it would be better for them and everybody concerned if they withdrew and founded a church of their own. It often has [often] happened that a group of people have withdrawn from one church to establish another. But, under the circumstances, it was a most courageous, not to say daring, thing for the colored members of Foundry to leave it to found a church of their own nearly thirty years before the Emancipation Proclamation was signed, while some of the members were themselves still held as slaves. In looking over the old records one occasionally sees a name which has been dropped from the membership role. Sometimes there is a notation which explains that the man or woman has been sold and taken out of the city. The 75 men and women who founded Asbury decided to locate their church in the suburbs where and was cheap. For that reason they selected 3 a field which was part of a farm at what is now the corner of 11th and K Streets, N.W. [Once upon a time there was a pony across the street which was used by the congregation of the church.] On this field a little frame building was erected in 1836. It was decided to name the Church "Asbury" in honor of Bishop Francis Asbury, an Englishman, who sent missionaries [preachers] to Georgetown when it was only 21 years old and was still in Frederick County, Maryland, to explain the doctrin of Methodism and to make converts four years before the Declaration of Independence was signed. A Sunday School was soon established by Reverend John F. Cook, a colored man, who was the founder of the Fifteenth Street Presbyterian Church now located at 15th and R Streets, N.W. The superintendent of this Sunday School was an educator of some renown for that time and was the principal of a pay school for colored children for a long time. The membership of Asbury which rapidly increased worshipped in the little frame building for nine years and then in 1845 a brick church costing $15,000 was built. The reputation of Asbury's choir soon spread far and wide. After the Civil War visitors to the Capital who had heard of its fine singing used to flock to the church in crowds Sunday evening, and it was no uncommon thing for them to request the choir to repeat some number which they had especially enjoyed. For seventy years the brick church housed the activities of Asbury. Then on Sept 15, 1915, the corner stone of the imposing Gothic structure in which its members now worship was laid [worshippewaslaid] In outward appearance the daughter resembles its spiritual mother very much. Both churches are built of Port Deposit Granite which is dark gray. And the stone used to construct both Foundry and Asbury came from the same quarry. The main auditorium has a seating capacity of 1800. On the lower floor are the lecture room Church School Room, Pastor's Study, Secretary's Office, Board Room, Kitchen, Dining Room and Ladies Choir Room. [Pastors Study] The parsonage is located at 1914 11th Street N.W. The value of the Church and the parsonage 4 is estimated to be $150,000. [on which there is a very small debt] A small debt was incurred a few years ago when the church was remodeled which is being rapid ly paid off. It is generally conceded that the major portion of the credit for planning and building Asbury belongs [mainly] to Rev. Mathew W. Clair who was its pastor for 17 years and has since been elevated to the Bishopric. He was impressed with the necessity of building a church large enough to accommodate its rapidly increasing membership and the visitors who came in large numbers. Moreover, he decided definitely to make Asbury the "National Church of Negro Methodism." His beautiful dream finally came true because he worked with tireless energy and unflagging zeal. The work of the Church is done mainly through the medium of numerous clubs, each of which gas a definie task to perform. The history of these clubs shows how long some of them have been organized and what a prodigious amount of constructive work they have done to promote both the physical and spiritual welfare [welfstar] of the hundreds they have helped. The women of Asbury have been exceedingly active in all kinds of good work. The old and young members who were in need have been fed and clothed. A Soup Kitchen was established in two alleys when a blizzard raged here some years ago. Money has been raised for a variety [for a variety] of objects to benefit the church. Considering that the majority of the members of the average colored church are none too well supplied with this world's goods the amount of money contributed to it is unbelievably large. A drinking fountain costing $225 was bought by one woman's club. A gas range costing $195 was donated by another. The members of the church are deeply interested in their Department of Music. They are proud of their Senior Choir, their Junior Choir, the Choral Club, the Hymnal Club, the Choir Auxiliary and the Male Chorus. Some of the Choir Clubs not only sing but contribute money to buy hymnals and song books for the church as well as furnish other items needed by these groups. Lack of space prevents mention of the great amount of work done by the Missionary Societies, The Pastor's Aid Society and the Men's Club. 5 The Legal Advisory Committee was organised for the purpose of giving free legal advice to those who are too poor to pay for it. There is still living a definite, vital connection between Foundry Church and the colored people once enrolled as members in the person of the sexton, Levi Collins, now rounding out his 33rd year. His father served the church in the same capacity, and his grandfather was an elder. When Rev. Frederick Harris Brown, pastor of Foundry Church, congratulated Asbury on its Centennial he referred to this fact as follows: "In the group which laid the foundation of the present great Asbury Church was a local elder of Old Foundry Church, who was the grandfather of our own honored sexton, Levi Collins." This elder was one of the first colored men ordained to preach. He was [once a slave] born free, because his master emancipated his father when he died. But the elder's wife and two children were slaves. Being free he was able to earn money enough to emancipate them. Through their pastor the members of the Foundry Church have expressed themselves as being deeply interested in Asbury's celebration of its Centennial. "Your Mother Church", wrote Dr. Harris, "thinks of you with pride and sends her blessing. Our members will look forward to sharing with you some of the rich things you have provided on this anniversary table." Bishop Edwin Holt Hughes, D.D. L.L.D, [the] Asbury's Resident Bishop, has written that he is more than happy to greet the Pastor and people as they celebrate the Centennial of their life. Asbury's pastor, Rev. Robert Moten Williams, now serving his fifth year, has been splendidly trained for his work. He is an alumnus of Wiley College and of Gammon Theological Seminary, He has studied at Morning Side College in Sioux City, Iowa and has taken post graduate work at Boston University. There are now more than 2000 members of Asbury Church. There is no doubt that it will continue to grow in [membership] numbers and in usefulness. There is reason to believe it that it will become more and more a power for good, not only to its own members but to the city as a whole. Transcribed and reviewed by contributors participating in the By The People project at crowd.loc.gov.