Stories250 with guest Dr. Mary Marshall Shares the Springfield Baptist Church

Thank you Bill Moore, Jim the Historian, Jennifer Jones, Monica Ryser, Marci KR, Tim McGlue, Susanna Minton Graham, Lisa Maguire, Daniel Loftus, Diane Burley, MamaCarole, Jess Tobey, Marlana, Jeff W, Thomas Tigani, Krystal, Nubia Lateefa, floydwebb, Dee Batiste, Mason/She/Her🩷💜💙, Jane B In NC🌼, Lynette, Ms.Yuse and many others for tuning into my live video with your generous comments for Dr. Mary M. Marshall. Whether you’re joining by app or by web, live or in comments, it’s lovely to have your insights as part of this community.If Projectkin is new to you, we’re thrilled to have you. Subscribe to get these free posts delivered to your inbox. More Projectkin.org/about.Your generous ❤️ s, restacks, and shares have helped turn this publication into the supportive community we all want to see. Thanks for all you do to be so kind, curious, and creative!Today’s very special program brought us together to hear from Mary Marshall, an adored member of our community. It was an opportunity to hear her share personal reflections on the story she’d included in her post last week about the Springfield Baptist Church in Augusta, Georgia. The tie to the American Revolution isn’t obvious at first. Yet, as Mary explains, it is as connected to our American story as religious conviction and the institution of slavery. She described the congregation’s history from gatherings on plantations to its place in history today. As Mary shares the story of the congregation's founding in 1773, she mentions its first leader, Jessie Peter Galphin, and the line of leaders, their long tenures. In the early days of the congregation, the community would hold baptisms at the river’s edge as captured in this historic photograph. She also shared a reference to an earlier post of hers about her ancestors’ marriages at the sanctuary. Mary described further personal ties to the church when she noted that Dr. Nabrit was president at Howard University while she was there from 1964 to 1968. It wasn’t until later that she realized he had pastored Springfield from 1912 to 1921. After Howard, Mary considered entering the ministry, studying at Drew Seminary, and earning a Master of Philosophy (MPhil) post-graduate degree. Rev. E. T. Martin, SBC’s 24th minister and a good friend, had encouraged Mary to pursue the ministry. When Mary was given an opportunity to give her first “trial” sermon, naturally, it was at SBC. Mrs. Marion McCann, Mary’s grandaunt, accompanied her to that first sermon at SBC in 1978. Her second appearance for a trial sermon was again at SBC.From these posts and Mary’s stories, you’ll see the deep ways in which a community church was foundational to both American history and Mary’s personal history.In previous posts for this Stories250 series, you’ve heard terrifying tales of how both Loyalist and Continental Army soldiers would quarter in churches and homes during the war. Mary shares a story that describes both community bravery and the special vulnerability of this church: During the Revolutionary War, most churches in Augusta served as hospitals, all except Springfield Baptist Church. Thesoldiers who approached the church from the stories that I got from my grandmother and others, the men of some men from Springfield locked arms together and walked two or three blocks from the church to form a barrier to keep the soldiers from coming.In a conflict where the freedom of the enslaved was bargained away to secure advantages, the bravery of this community is remarkable. There’s so much more to this story. I look forward to hearing more from Mary. Subscribe to her publication: A large portion of Mary’s collection of photographs, letters, and other documents can be found in a special repository at the Archives at Emory University. Mary noted that many of the photographs in her collection are also by Robert E. Williams, whom she believes may also be a family member. Our Stories250 SeriesThis series has allowed us to explore our stories of this remarkable historical period together. Each contributor adds their own context of time and place, and the stories are presented together on a shared page, timeline, and map. All of our speaking slots are now filled through June 2026, with a special program planned for July. Please stay tuned for more. In March, our special guest Linda Stufflebean. Finally, free to share this post with your genealogy friends and family. While you’re there, invite them to join this thriving and generous long-form family history storytelling community on Substack, WordPress, Blogger, and dozens of other blogging platforms. Get full access to Projectkin at projectkin.substack.com/subscribe