Famous Preachers of Carolina
While Mr. Lawrence admits that he prob¬
ably has left out many names that rightfully
belong in this list, we believe you will agree
that those he mentions really belong there.
North Carolina bos pro¬
duced so many distinguished
mini -tors of every denomination
that it is impossible within the limits
of available space to even refer to all
of them. The most I can hope to do is
to refer to a few as types. All the men
whom I will mention were not only
eminent preachers, but what is more
they Were great men and lived great
lives. The order in which they are
named means nothing. Shift them
around, put the first last, and it will
mean the same thing. As Tit»: State
is published at Raleigh, we might as
well begin there, for Raleigh has had
some big preachers of her own.
DRURY LACY served eighteen
years as pastor of the First Presby¬
terian Church at Raleigh. Then he be¬
came president of Davidson College
in 1855. Served as Chaplain in the
Confederate army. One of the fore¬
most preachers of his day. His son,
Benjamin R. Lacy was Commissioner
of Labor ami Printing, and for many
years State Treasurer. When I was
я
boy two men were designated by the
sobriquet "Honest.” One was “Honest
doe,” who was Mr. Justice Joseph J.
Davis of the Supreme Court ; "Honest
Ben,” who was Benjamin R. Lacy.
BENJAMIN IL LACY, JIL. served
as Chaplain of the 1 13th Field Artil¬
lery during the World War; he was
pastor of the First Presbyterian
Church at Raleigh; and lie has been
lor a number of years, and still is,
President of Union Theological Sem¬
inary at Richmond.
HALBERT G. HILL was born in
Raleigh 1831. An uncle was Secretary
of State nearly fifty years, lie became
Chaplain in the Confederate Army.
Pastor at Hillsboro and Fayetteville.
In 1SSC ho became pastor at Maxton
and Center, and served here until his
death in 1922, in his ninety-second
year. Never served a big church, but
was one of the biggest preachers I ever
heard. Moderator of Fayetteville
Presbytery and nf the Synod of North
Carolina. Seven times Commissioner
to the Presbyterian General Assembly.
Moderator of that body in 1889— high¬
est honor his church can bestow.
JOSEPH BLOUNT CHESHIRE,
first of that name, was rector of Cal-
Ry It. C. LAWRENCE
vary Episcopal Church at Tarboro
nearly fifty years. Must have been a
great preacher, a great pastor, or a
great man, or they would not have
kept him that long. His son, JOSEPH
BLOUNT CHESHIRE was born at
Tarboro, and was educated as a law¬
yer, but left the law for the ministry
and was ordained Priest in 1880.
Served as Rector at Chapel Hill and
Charlotte. Elected as Bishop Coad¬
jutor to Bishop Lyman, upon whose
death he was elected as Bishop in
1S93 and so continued until his deaih
nearly forty year* later. Author of
History of the Episcopal Church in
the Confederate States; and of his
own delightful reminiscences. Charm¬
ing gentleman of the old school and
great church builder. The present
Joseph Blount Cheshire is not a
preacher, hut, alas, a lawyer.
JUNIUS M. HORNER was a son
of the founder of the famous Horner
School at Oxford and was himself pre¬
pared for college in that school. Edu¬
cated at Johns Hopkins, ho was or¬
dained Priest in 1891. Ho served until
1898 as principal of the Horner
School, when he was elected as first
Bishop of the Missionary Jurisdiction
of Asheville. Laid the foundation of
the Episcopal cause in Western Caro¬
lina.
CLARENCE DIXON of Cleveland
County, was the son of a Baptist
preacher. Clarence was the foremost
Baptist preacher of the nation in his
day. Educated at Wake Forest, his
important Carolina pastorate was at
Asheville, but his real life’s work was
done in Baltimore and he also sup¬
plied the pulpit in Spurgeon’s great
tabernacle in London. Great orator.
His brother Thomas was famous as a
Baptist preacher, serving pastorates
at the Tabernacle iu Raleigh and an
important pastorate In Boston; but
lie is bettor known as an eminent
author, lecturer and playwright.
JOHN E. WHITE of Johnston
County, was educated at Wake Forest,
where ho played football with Mr.
Justice Devin of the Supreme Court,
and Dr. Hubert A. Royster, prominent
Raleigh surgeon. He became Corre¬
sponding Secretary of the Baptist State
Convention — leader of Carolina Bap¬
tists. Crusaded, with Senator Josiah
W. Bailey, then editor of the Biblical
Recorder in behalf of the public
schools. Served lending church in
Atlanta for many years. Then became
President of Anderson College, at
Anderson, S. C\, and so continued un¬
til his death. Groat orator; right in
the class with Bishop Kilgo.
While the career of GEORGE W.
TRUETT has !*vn |>assed in Texas,
be was born in Clay County, here in
Carolina. He is the foremost Baptist
preacher of the world. He has been
president of the Southern Baptist
Convention, and of t ho Baptist Worlds
Alliance. Great preacher; great man.
PLATO DURHAM was the Son of
Captain Plato Durham of the Con¬
federate army, and was Itorn in Cleve¬
land County. His father was a leader
of the Conservative minority in the
Constitutional Convention of 1868.
and was one of the outstanding law¬
yers of reconstruction Carolina. His
distinguished son PLATO the
younger, became a distinguished
Methodist preacher, lie graduated
from Trinity College and served an
important pastorate in Charlotte.
Then he was elected as professor at
Trinity College and Inter became a
Professor at Emory University, at
Atlanta. One of the greatest pulpit
orators I ever heard. He was a near
kinsman of COLUMBUS DURHAM,
who also came out of Cleveland
County and became Corresponding
Secretary of the Baptist State Con¬
vention.
WILLIAM WALTER PEELE
was born iu Scotland County and is
also a product of Trinity College. He
served as Headmaster of Trinity Park
High School and for a number of
years was professor of Biblical Litera¬
ture at Trinity. He filled the largest
Methodist pastorate* in the State, in¬
cluding Edenton Street at Raleigh,
Trinity at Durham, the First Method¬
ist at Charlotte. He is a trustee of
the Methodist Orphanage, of Louis-
