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Brief
Church History
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Distinguished by a rich legacy of outreach and community service, the history of Carver Memorial Presbyterian Church can be traced to a small Sunday School class that met regularly in the home of Mr. & Mrs. Archie B. McEachin (pronounced McCann) of Newport News, VA. Later, as the Sunday School interest and attendance grew, the class moved from the McEachin's home to Clayborne Hall on 23rd Street.
The McEachin's, Mr. & Mrs. George Banks, Mrs. Carrie Fields, Mrs. Ida Parker and Reverend H. H. Boone, a Presbyterian minister from Norfolk, worked conscientiously to give formal structure to the Sunday school class. It was largely through their collective efforts, under Reverend Boone's guidance, that the Sunday school petitioned the Presbytery of Southern Virginia for membership. The Presbytery responded by sending Reverend J. C. Harris to Newport News. He organized the Sunday school into a regular church body that in October 1892 officially became the Antioch Presbyterian Church. Reverend Harris served Antioch as a pulpit supply until 1898.
In 1898, Antioch issued the call to Reverend G. T. Jones to be its first full-time pastor. Under his leadership, Antioch erected its first church building and started its own parochial school. On March 24, 1902, the Antioch Session again petitioned the presbytery---this time to change the church's name to Carver Memorial Presbyterian Church. The name Carver was selected in memory of a Pennsylvanian whose widow had made a sizeable contribution to the church. This gift helped build a church facility in the 600 block of 24th Street. Worship services were held at that site until 1921 when Carver relocated to 24th Street and Marshall Avenue on lots donated by Elders H. R. Ridley and Matt Lewis. That sanctuary was the congregation's place of worship until 1991. Reverend Jones served Carver from 1898 until November 1915.
Reverend C. A. Ward followed Reverend Jones as pastor. He guided the church through the difficult World War I period until 1925 when he was called to the pastorate of Grace Presbyterian Church in Toledo, Ohio.
On December 9, 1925, the Reverend J. Metz Rollins, Sr. came to Carver as a pulpit supply pastor---a position he held for six years before becoming its full-time pastor. Reverend Rollins served Carver for 44 years---longer than any other pastor. During his stewardship, Carver was at the forefront in providing local leadership as Newport News and other cities across the South saw advancements and sweeping changes in civil rights legislation, black participation in local politics, and social and economic developments. Carver's role in these areas is a source of great pride for the church. Under Rev. Rollins' pastorate, Carver became the second largest church in the Southern Virginia Presbytery and he retired the mortgage debt. Rev. Rollins retired in December 1970 when his health no longer permitted him to fulfill his varied responsibilities.
On January 30, 1972, Rev. John B. Linton was installed as Pastor of Carver Church. His ministry focused on programs involving the youth of the church and the full and active participation of Carver in the affairs of the Presbyterian Church at the national and regional levels. In 1978, for example, representatives from Carver participated in the 30th Annual Meeting of the United Presbyterian Men in Indianapolis, IN. That same year, Carver hosted the 5th Annual Moderator’s Workshop at Fort Monroe, the Catawba Youth Rally and the Catawba Unite of United Presbyterian Men, as well as the Eastern Region of the Southern Virginia Presbytery.
Rev. Linton’s ministry reached out into the community. He aspired to move people beyond private piety to public responsibility. He is credited with establishing the Outreach Program that today continues to furnish food and clothing for the needy. He initiated the purchase of the building that was to become "The William E. Rattley Road Ahead Center (TRAC)" from the Scott Rug Company. Initial plans for the 10,000 sq. ft. building, located at 820-24th Street across from the church, were to operate a multi-service community center with a staff of paid professionals and volunteers to attend to the needs of the community. Though all of these dreams did not materialize, through the efforts of Rev. Linton, members of Carver, succeeding pastors, and neighboring churches, this center has for since the late 1970s provided food and clothing needs to the citizens of the Southeastern section of Newport News.
Rev. Linton initiated college tours for the high school students and began discussions of a new church facility. Each year, he would expose high school juniors and seniors to many of the historically black colleges and universities throughout the south by taking them on a bus tour to the colleges. He appointed a Building Commission to conduct a feasibility study on building or purchasing a new facility. As part of this effort, the church acquired a tract of land fronting the church on Marshall Avenue as a potential site. During Rev. Linton's tenure, Carver also held several Carver Lecture Series Programs. One such lecture, held in the late 1970s, led to a discussion and action plan which resulted in the birth of "Help Him Now", a mentorship program for young, at-risk, black boys. Help Him Now, which continues to operate, has several boys who were in the program for over 12 years and are now in college.
After ten years of service, Rev. Linton left Carver in 1980 to accept a pastorate in Houston, TX. Rev. Floyd Chambers, a retired Air Force Chaplain, served as Moderator of the Session of Carver during the next two years as the church searched for a new pastor.
In the spring of 1981, a recent graduate of Princeton Theological Seminary was called as Christian Education Director of Carver. He quickly earned the confidence and respect of the congregation, and on June 27, 1982, was installed as pastor and Teaching Elder. Rev. Blount revitalized many of Carver's older programs and initiated others. Among those that he revitalized were the Tuesday afternoon Bible Class, the Children's Sermon and the Cherub Choir. He introduced Carver to a Tape Ministry Program that served the spiritual needs of the sick and shut ins, and he started the annual summer Service in the Park, the Easter Sunrise Service, a Bible Lecture Series, and a "Friends of the Juvenile Court" Program.
Under Rev. Blount's leadership, Carver was able to acquire property behind the church between 24th and 25th streets. In 1988, a building campaign was begun, and ground was broken for a new sanctuary just months before Rev. Blount resigned to return to Emory University to earn a Doctorate Degree.
During the next two years, as the Pastor's Nominating Committee, again conducted a search for a new pastor, Rev. Floyd Chambers, now a Pastoral Counselor, again served Carver as Moderator and friend. Rev. Walter Kennedy, retired pastor of the First Presbyterian Church in Newport News, also served Carver as Interim Pastor for nearly a year.
In September, 1990, the Rev. Dr. Lawrence Levi Bethel was installed as pastor of Carver. Rev. Bethel came to Carver from the West End Presbyterian Church in Atlanta, GA. Rev. Bethel, who also had a law degree, came to Carver with a reputation as a community activist. He quickly got to know the Carver members and the community leaders. Within months he had become a respected leader and spokesperson for the rights of the downtrodden within the communities of Hampton and Newport News. Within a year, he became the President and spokesperson for the Newport News Chapter of the NAACP. Carver moved into its new church facilities soon after the arrival of Rev. Bethel. During Rev. Bethel's pastorate an 8:30 Service was instituted, an inspirational choir was begun, the Leonard J. Tucker Hand Bell Choir was initiated, TRAC was renovated, close alliance was established with the 100 Black Men of Virginia Peninsula as the Carver Help Him Now program grew and developed. During Rev. Bethel's tenure, Carver also joined with St. Augustine Episcopal Church to sponsor joint youth choirs---The Voices of Unity, and The Angel Choir. During several summers Carver held a summer lunch program for neighborhood children. Boy Scouts programs within Carver were also reinvigorated.
In December, 1997, Rev. Bethel announced to the congregation, that he had recently been diagnosed with lung cancer and had been given a short time to live. Throughout the next nine months, as Rev. Bethel went through his battle for life, he took the congregation with him. His powerful and wrenching sermons were about continuing to live and continuing to serve no matter what life delivers us. Rev. Bethel passed away in early November 1998. The city and many community leaders paid tribute to Rev. Bethel, his leadership, and his works through headline articles, editorials, and personal tributes. The sense of most tributes was: "Bethel was not afraid to confront anyone where he felt there was an injustice. Yet, he could bring all sides to the table to discuss and resolve issues. He was unique in that way."
Again, Carver began a search for a new pastor. Again, Rev. Floyd Chambers, served Carver as Moderator. By this time, Rev. Chambers had regularly attended services at Carver for over 20 years. Also attending services regularly was Rev. Leon Page, another Air Force Chaplain. Rev. Page was asked to serve as Interim Pastor. He filled this position from January 1999 until October 1999 when he was transferred to an overseas assignment.
In November 2000, Rev. Lawrence Lattimer Willis was installed as the seventh pastor of Carver during its 108 year history. Rev. Willis, a recent graduate of Johnson C. Smith Seminary in Atlanta, GA, was entering his first installed pastorate. He had previously served as a recruiter for Ohio State University, Equal Opportunity Officer for a large corporation in Arizona, and a self-employed motivational speaker.
Rev. Willis has continued with many of the programs begun by previous pastors, and he has initiated First Fruits Bible Study Program, a Community Garden, a year-long celebration for the 110th anniversary, an outreach bible study known as "Carver in the Village" and in September 2005, 40 Days of Purpose, a guided program for churchwide renewal and bible study.
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