Black History Month-

[OneAccord]

Black History Month-

In recognition of Black History Month the contributions of Afro-Americans in American History is in the news a lot this month. Booker T. Washington, Martin Luther King Jr. and scores and scores of others receive the honor they are due. But what about our brethern within Apostolic ranks? Let us give honor to whom honor is due: I’ll begin with two, one we all from Pentecostal History and one I knew on a personal level:


Garfield Thomas Haywood
1880 ~ 1931

Garfield Thomas Haywood was born April 15, 1880, in the small farming community of Green Castle, Indiana. The Fourth of nine children born to Benjamin and Penny Ann Haywood, he was reared in a Christian home. Garfield attended both Baptist and Methodist churches. When he was three years old his parents moved to Indianapolis, Indiana, and settled down permanently in Haughville, a west-side suburb. His father worked in the foundry, and his mother was an outstanding woman who by her own industry and ingenuity managed to bring up her large family on her husband's meager wages.
Garfield attended school in Haughville, including two years at Shortridge High School. His education was relatively meager by todays standards as he had to drop out after his sophmore year and go to work to help support his family. However, it was while in school that he discovered that he had a talent for character sketching. He first sought employment as a cartoonist, and was hired by two of the local negro weekly newspapers, namely the "Freedman" and "The Recorder." On February 11, 1902, he married Ida Howard of Owensboro, Kentucky. They had one daughter who they named Fannie. After quiting his job as a cartoonist, he went to work at an iron foundry where his pay was somewhat better.
In 1907 Garfield was invited to visit a little Apostolic Faith mission by his long time friend and fellow "Knights of Pythias" lodge member, Oddous Barbour. The mission was pastored by a black minister named Henry Prentiss. Oddous Barbour's wife was attending the Apostolic mission known as the "Tin Shop" located on West Michigan, Street. Prentiss had come from the Azusa Street revival where he had received the baptism of the Holy Ghost. At first Garfield was not impressed with the Holy Ghost and speaking in tongues, and thought that Oddous was joking with him. Eventually Garfield conceeded to visit the church, and on a cold snowy night he made the trip by himself to the mission. At the invitation, he found himself walking down the isle under conviction. He raised his arms to repent of his sins when the power of the Holy Ghost hit him like a bolt of lightening. He fell prostrate to the ground speaking in tongues.
Shortly after his conversion, Garfield was called into the ministry. In 1908, Brother Prentiss resigned the church and returned to the East. Brother Haywood was left in charge of the mission with a membership of only 13. At this time the church was still meeting in the "Tin Shop". As his revelation knowledge began to expand, people began to take notice, and the church began to show signs of physical growth. By 1912, the church had grown to several hundred as they moved into their new location on 11th and Senate Avenue.
When Bro. Glenn Cook brought the message of baptism in Jesus' name to Indianapolis in 1915, Elder Haywood's congregation had grown almost 500 members. After he accepted the Apostolic formula of baptism in Jesus' name, 456 members of his congregation followed him into the waters of "Fall Creek" and were rebaptized. Due to the enormity in size of Haywood's church, clearly gave it the distinction of being called the "Mother Church" of the Jesus' name movement. Each year Elder Haywood held a convention at his Apostolic Faith Assembly, where saints and ministers gathered from all over the United States to listen to the Word of God as it was taught by the great champions in the Apostolic movement.

Elder Ellis Barber
Cleveland, Tennessee

Bro. Ellis Barbor was a quiet, unassuming man until he entered the pulpit. There, under the anointing and inspiration of the Holy Ghost, Bro. Barber preached the Jesus’ Name message without fear or favor. Though he was faced with much opposition due to the color of his skin, Bro. Barbor remained humble and faithful to the Gospel he not only preached, but also. Never seeking recognition or glory, Bro. Barber was an example anyone could follow. His life and testimony was without reproach.

I arranged for Bro. Barber to hold a revival at the Kieth Springs Mtn. Church of Jesus near Winchester, Tennessee. He was the first Afro-American to preach at this church. The revival was rocked by a threatening crowd outside, but God used Bro. Barber to reach souls for Christ in spite of, and perhaps, due to, racial prejudice. He was an outstanding servant of God who will remembered by those who knew him as one who served God with diligence and faithfulness.