Returning to the preachers, they played a significant role in the history of First Baptist Church of Franklinton.
The Mississippi influence, discussed in Part 1 of this series, on the church continued, as late as 1915 when Rev. J. J. Walker, a native of Westville, Mississippi, was called. Coming to Franklinton from Simpson, Covington, and Lawrence Counties, he had served as pastor at churches in Amite County, Mississippi before arriving here in 1915. Rev. H. E. Pettus, a native of Nashville, Tennessee, who was without a car, was known to walk as far South as Lawrence's Creek and the same distance to the North, to visit his congregation. He was the pastor when the original brick Church building, on the corner of Cleveland and Self, was constructed in 1922.
Rev. J. D. Buck Carroll (1926-1930) was a strong, powerful man who kept the church and parsonage doors open and led many local young men into the ministry. Rev. Willard Wood, Rev. Ronald Alford, Dr. T. J. Delaughter, and Dr. R. H. Whittington were among them. Chairs were needed in the aisles to accommodate the congregation during his tenure.
Rev. John Henry Smith was the first of the pastors to reside in the parsonage to the east of 10th Avenue. And we have him to thank for preserving Half Moon Bluff Baptist Church's history. Rev. William L. Compere (1936-1941) was responsible for having seats from the Tulane Theater installed in the sanctuary. Under his leadership, the Men's Brotherhood was organized at First Baptist Church of Franklinton. Sixty men were enrolled in 1939.
Rev. George A. Nelson (1941-1942) didn't stay long because of the Second World War. Joining the Armed Forces as chaplain, he resigned his role as pastor, notifying church leadership shortly after December 7, 1941 - the attack on Pearl Harbor. Rev. J. E. Albritton (1943-1947), a popular pastor, took over and served during war time. Fortunately so, for it was a very sad time with families receiving notice of casualties. During his service the old bell returned to duty, mounted at the back of the brick church building on a scaffold.
Rev. Thomas G. Ashby's service was short-lived in 1947 with controversy over the sale of the property to the south of the original brick church building, where the parsonage once was. After he resigned, Dr. Theodore W. Gayer, a Franklinton native, became acting pastor until 1949. Having recently retired from an honorable career with the Baptists - as Pastor of the First Baptist Church in Pineville, Superintendent of the Baptist Children's Home in Monroe, and President of the Louisiana Baptist Convention - he was well connected and of great assistance at First Baptist of Franklinton where he advised the pulpit committee, comprised of Daunton Gibbs, Corma Stringfield Warner (Mrs. J. J. Warner, Jr.), N. L. Smith, Griffith Johnson, and Genevieve Newman.
Dr. Albert Wayne "A. W." Robbins, a native of Mt. Hermon and lifelong resident of Washington Parish, would have to be the longest serving pastor at First Baptist of Franklinton. The son of Absalom Washington and Gabe Wilkes Robbins, he married Irma Magee in 1945. A graduate of Louisiana College and the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary with a Master's and Doctorate, he was called in 1949. Serving until 1980, he remained pastor throughout my youth, baptizing me on New Year's Eve 1978. And in January of 1981, he preached my Pa-pa's funeral, together with Rev. Lael Jones.
Dr. Jerry N. Barlow was called in 1981, and he served until 1996. He was a graduate of William Carey College and earned his Master's and Doctorate from the New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. The Barlow family - Dr. Jerry, wife Lynne, and daughter Cathy - was well loved throughout Washington Parish. He left to assume a position on the staff of the New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary and also to become an Associate Professor. A family friend, Dr. Barlow preached my grandmother's funeral in January of 1988 and my mother's, together with Rev. Paul Watts, in 2011. The Barlows were our neighbors in St. Tammany Parish, living not far from us as the crow flies.
Brother Karl D. Tingle, who completed undergraduate studies in Tennessee before graduating from the New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, followed Dr. Barlow in 1997. He arrived at First Baptist from Magee, Mississippi, where he had been pastor at Goodwater Baptist Church. He and wife Shelly and their children were a true blessing to First Baptist of Franklinton. I came to know Brother Tingle during my father's last (and only) illness. A man of God, he preached my father's funeral and provided comfort to our family thereafter.
It was Brother Karl Tingle - in the years since he earned his doctorate - who taught me the true nature of a Baptist preacher. They show up. I don't mean when called. That's a given. They materialize, and know, when you need them most. This was the case with Brother Tingle, when both my father and mother fell ill a year apart, at the turn of the century. He appeared, at just the right time, for Momma and Daddy and saw us through. One couldn't expect any more, and one would not receive any less from Brother Karl Tingle or any preacher at First Baptist of Franklinton.
After Brother Tingle came Rev. Luther Stanford with wife Trinity; Rev. Paul Watts with wife Christina; and Dr. Cody Warren with wife Kendra. The transitional pastor today is Dr. Jake Roudkovski with wife Karen.
A big thank you to Sierra Smith, office manager, and Susan Barber, office assistant, for providing the updates (since my time). First Baptist Church historian is Mrs. Vicki Knight; she has done an outstanding job preserving the church's history.
Source for this column: Booklet written in 1998 by the History Committee for the 125th Anniversary of First Baptist Church of Franklinton. Committee members were Lillie Mae Ford, Eric Fussell, Vicki Knight, Mildred Magee, Charline McElveen, and Carolyn McElveen.
