Senate Resolution 7

(As Adopted by Senate)

A RESOLUTION EXTENDING THE GREETINGS AND CONGRATULATIONS OF THE MISSISSIPPI SENATE TO PASTOR HICKMAN M. JOHNSON AND THE CONGREGATION OF HISTORIC FARISH STREET BAPTIST CHURCH IN JACKSON, MISSISSIPPI, ON THE OCCASION OF ITS 125TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION (1893-2018).

WHEREAS, the history of Farish Street Baptist Church is linked to the history and expansion of Christianity among African-Americans in Mississippi. Organized in 1893, Farish Street Baptist Church has been blessed by the vitality, imagination and inspiration of its leadership; and

WHEREAS, the Reverend Elbert B. Topp served as Pastor of Mt. Helm Baptist Church from 1888-1893, when, according to Patrick Thompson in his book History of Negro Baptists in Mississippi, Reverend Topp with 210 members came out and organized what is now known as the Farish Street Baptist Church. The newly formed church held worship services in the Congregational Church, which was then located at the corner of Capitol and Lamar Streets. White Jacksonians would line the bridge to hear the choir sing, giving generously to the collections. Soon the infant congregation had enough money to purchase the lot at the corner of Farish and Church Streets. It was here that the newly organized congregation built the first place of worship, a frame structure. Lightning destroyed this building and it was replaced by a two-story frame structure. The second story was reserved for worship, with all other activities, including funerals, taking place on the first level. A fire, which began on Oakley Street and spread, destroyed the second building. Determined to minimize this threat in the future, in 1909, Reverend Topp led the membership in constructing a brick building. He pastored Farish Street Baptist Church until 1916; and

WHEREAS, Reverend Topp passed away on October 3, 1925. The October ninth edition of the Advance Dispatch carried a front page announcement of his death. Of Topp, Patrick Thompson wrote, "No member of the convention and state was more conspicuous and popular. Reverend Topp was good-natured and full of life. He was true to his fellow preachers and had only a few equals as a Gospel Minister;" and

WHEREAS, Reverend E.L. Twine, an Alcorn College graduate and Teacher of mathematics, was called to serve the church in 1916, and for three years, he labored faithfully. During that brief tenure, he encouraged the congregation to purchase new pews and to make a substantial payment on the church mortgage, which had been left from previous years. His pastorate was the shortest during the church's first 100 years of existence. Because of his stately nature, Reverend Twine was known by his contemporaries as the "Black Prince of Mississippi"; and

WHEREAS, Reverend W.L. Varnado assumed the pastorate of Farish Street Baptist Church in April 1928. Perhaps Reverend Varnado will be remembered best as the only person to pastor Jackson's three historic black congregations - Mt. Helm, College Hill and Farish Street Baptist Churches. During his term of service, the membership increased and two rooms were added to the parsonage. Reverend Varnado was a great churchman. It was during his pastorate that a young Jackson State College student from the Class of 1927 was ordained to the gospel ministry. His name was Joseph Harrison Jackson; and

WHEREAS, without fanfare, Reverend Chester A. Greer, who had served diligently as the third Pastor, returned in January 1935 to begin his second pastorate. Reverend Greer began a building program, which resulted in the replacement of the forty-year-old structure with a modern building, which still serves the congregation today. The groundbreaking ceremony was a joyous occasion. Mrs. Lillie Bentley and Mr. Turner M. Patterson, two of the original 210 members to leave Mt. Helm Baptist Church in 1893, participated in breaking ground for the new facility. Dr. Jacob L. Reddix, President of Jackson State College, Chairman of the Trustee Board of Farish Street Baptist Church, gave invaluable advice during the construction phase. At the laying of the cornerstone, Jackson State College Band performed to the delight of the congregation. Dedication services for the newly constructed church building were held during the week of March 5-12, 1950. A renewed people joined hands with their sisters and brothers to praise Him Who is the great Builder and without Whom they that build, build in vain; and

WHEREAS, after serving for twenty-three years during his second pastorate, Reverend Greer was successful in retiring the debt and burning the mortgage before his victorious and faithful members. With his health on the decline, Reverend Greer decided to retire from the pulpit in March 1958. Reverend Greer was named "Pastor Emeritus" of the church. Three decades of service to a great congregation had come to an end. The Assistant Pastor, Reverend G.W. Williams, supplied the pulpit until a successor was elected. Reverend Greer passed away on August 13, 1962; and

WHEREAS, during the summer of 1958, a young seminary teacher, Reverend S. Leon Whitney, came to Jackson to teach at the Mississippi Baptist Seminary. Thus began a term of service that lasted ten years; and

WHEREAS, in June 1968, Reverend Hickman M. Johnson, Chaplain of Tougaloo College, was invited to serve as Interim Minister. On July 22, 1968, the church voted to call Reverend Johnson and on August 4, 1968, he preached his first sermon as Pastor. On December 1, 1968, Reverend Johnson was installed as the sixth Pastor of Farish Street Baptist Church; and

WHEREAS, Reverend Johnson brought to the church a strong capacity for effective organization. He recommended that the Church become incorporated and on November 13, 1969, a Charter of Incorporation was issued to Farish Street Baptist Church by the State of Mississippi. He labored for a continuous and consistent building program and established the necessary framework for the most diversified religious education and service-oriented programs in the church's history. While improvements were to be made on the 1969 model, the functions on which this model were based remain unchanged: education, fellowship and administration. In May 1977, the Educational Building was dedicated. This was the first of several major improvements to the physical property completed during Reverend Johnson's years. Dr. Johnson is an administrator with great spirit; an historian who is cognizant of the importance of a people's heritage; a businessman with a vision. He is a theologian and a teacher, who strives daily to build an even stronger congregation at Farish Street Baptist Church, a congregation committed to serve this community; and

WHEREAS, the membership of Farish Street Baptist Church willingly acknowledges that they have come this far not by brick and stone nor by flesh and blood, but by faith leaning on the Lord. As the congregation moves forward, remembering the sacrifices of those who were before, they look to the future. The Lord has truly blessed this church and we recognize that it has been a blessing to the community and to the State of Mississippi:

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI, That we do hereby extend the greetings and congratulations of the Mississippi Senate to Pastor Hickman M. Johnson and the congregation of historic Fairish Street Baptist Church in Jackson, Mississippi, on the occasion of its 125th Anniversary Celebration (1893-2018).

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That this resolution be presented to Pastor Johnson and the Board of Elders of Farish Street Baptist Church, and made available to the Capitol Press Corps.