By 1925 the nation’s economy had somewhat regained its strength, and the Edgewood Baptist Church was ready for a second launching. The recession had eased and more people could afford to build in Shades Valley. There were now enough Baptists in Edgewood, according to the survey by the Baptist Woman’s Band, to sustain a church. Almost without exception, their main motivation for moving into the Valley was to rear their children in a smoke-free environment in the wideness of the countryside.

April 5, 1925, has always been considered a significant day in the history of Dawson Memorial Baptist Church. At 3:00 o’clock that afternoon a group of Baptists met at the J. A. Coker home on Knob Circle to “reorganize” or organize a Baptist church. After the singing of two hymns, Rev. L. L. Hearn, pastor of Wylam Baptist Church, led in prayer. Dr. M. M. Wood, pastor of Acipco Baptist Church, who was elected temporary chairman, read from a Bible one hundred years old and told of the organization of the first Baptist church in Jefferson County.

The organizing council was composed of Rev. J. W. Partridge, pastor of Pratt City Baptist Church, moderator; Rev. Hearn, secretary; Dr. Wood; Rev. C. H. Bolton; Rev. W. R. Weaver; and the following visiting deacons:  J. T. Meadows, W. G. Perkinson, John Pool, P. C. Ratliff, S. E. Schole, and J. W. Watson.

After the thirty people, listed below, presented themselves for membership, Dr. Wood read the church covenant and the Articles of Faith adopted by the Birmingham Baptist Association; these were unanimously approved by the newly-accepted members. Wood then delivered an address on the principles of a Baptist church, followed by Bolton’s talk on the importance of the young people’s work.

The name Edgewood Baptist Church was retained by the following members:  Dr. and Mrs. John T. Callaway, Mr. and Mrs. John A. Coker, Sr., Hannah Coker, John Alexander Coker, Jr., Sarah Pugh Coker, Walton Coker, Mr. and Mrs. David Ferguson (Hazel), Mr. and Mrs. J. H. Holmes, Mr. and Mrs. John Marcason, Sr. (Hilda), John Marcason, Jr., Mr. and Mrs. George B. Miller (Virginia Holmes), Mr. and Mrs. William I. Pittman (Renah Lanz), Mr. and Mrs. Clarence B. Stamps (Josephine), Dorothy Hagood Stamps, Robert Boxley Stamps, Mr. and Mrs. T. Marshall Steen, Hugh P. Walthall, Mr. and Mrs. James Mayfield Ward (Norvia Faucett), and Mr. and Mrs. Larkin Talmadge Wyers (Eunice Crow).

Twelve families formed the nucleus of the group that joined the church on April 5, 1925, half of whom had moved to Edgewood in 1924. They belonged to the upper middle strata of society and included professional people and management-level employees in the business world. Eight of the families had been members of Southside Baptist Church, Birmingham. The W. I. Pittmans and the David Fergusons came from the First Baptist Church of Birmingham, the T. M. Steens from West End Baptist Church of Birmingham, and the J. M. Wards from Bibb County churches.

They designated themselves as charter members. Since additions were made almost weekly, they later voted that anyone who joined them by September 6, 1925, would also be listed as charter members. The following accepted this invitation, bringing the total membership during those first few months to ninety-five:  Mr. and Mrs. D. P. Allman, Mr. and Mrs. J. C. Brasher, Mrs. Will Campbell (Maude), Mr. and Mrs. L. H. Cullen, Mrs. A. J. Dawson, Andrew Lewis Dawson, Eugene Reese Dawson, Dr. and Mrs. Lemuel Orah Dawson (Margaret), Mr. and Mrs. J. B. Dismukes, Raymond B. Doe, Mr. and Mrs. L. J. Epperson, Mrs. J. E. French, G. W. Garner, Lester Glenn, A. W. Hannah, Wilbur G. Holmes, Charles Horsley, Elizabeth Horsley, Joe Horsley, Mr. and Mrs. W. J. Horsley, Mrs. E. C. Jenkins, Mr. L. E. Jenkins, Mr. and Mrs. E. L. Lloyd, Mrs. Emma J. Lloyd, Mrs. M. C. McDermott, Mrs. George B. McVay, Mr. and Mrs. B. E. Mims, Mrs. A. S. Outland, Mrs. L. C. Owens, Mrs. H. T. Parrish, Mrs. Ermine K. Rawson, Sue R. Reese, Mrs. J. E. Rucks, Mr. and Mrs. A. F. Scogin, Mrs. Fred Smith, Britton Stamps, Helen Stamps, James D. Steen, Louise H. Steen, Gary M. Steen, Roberta Sterrett, Sarah Sterrett, Mr. and Mrs. William Cleveland Sterrett, Mr. and Mrs. W. C. Taylor, Mr. and Mrs. E. J. Tindall, Mrs. B. C. Waller, Inice Waller, Mrs. Wallace Ward, Mrs. Edith Widdifield, Mr. and Mrs. George L. Williams, Sr., and George L. Williams, Jr.
T. M. Steen was elected clerk, W. C. Sterrett treasurer, and J. A. Coker, W. I. Pittman, and T. M. Steen deacons. Dr. L. O. Dawson was extended a call as pastor.

Lemuel Orah Dawson, 1925-1938

Extending the pastoral invitation to Dr. Dawson could not have been more appropriate in its timing. He had retired in May 1924 from a lengthy pastorate at the First Baptist Church, Tuscaloosa, to become a teacher of Bible, Church Administration, and Pastoral Relations at Howard College.  However, the role of pastor was so ingrained in him that he had no desire to make a complete break from his former calling. If a small church needed him, he indicated that he would be ready. The availability of Dawson for a new assignment was made known to Dr. J. T. Callaway one day when he and Dr. J. E. Dillard, pastor of Southside Baptist Church, were dining together.

Dr. Dawson had accumulated a vast storehouse of knowledge that would prove to be most useful to this young church. He was born on April 24, 1865, in Chambers County, Alabama, the son of Andrew Jackson and Marie Antoinette Bailey Dawson. He received the A.B. degree from Howard College in 1886 and in 1897 was awarded a D.D. degree by his alma mater.  He received further training at the Southern Seminary in Louisville and later accomplished additional studies in Germany and at Columbia University, George Washington University, and the University of Alabama. In 1888 he served as pastor of Mt. Vernon Church in Woodford County, Kentucky. On October 30, 1890, he married Margaret Samuel Lewis. Two sons, Andrew Lewis and Eugene Reese, were born to this couple.

Facilities

At the church’s beginning regular worship services were held each Wednesday evening at the residence of the Cokers until September 6, 1925, when the Sunday School and worship services were begun on Sundays at the Shades Cahaba High School. Thereafter prayer meeting on Wednesday nights and business meetings were conducted at the Cokers’ home.

On Friday night following reorganization of the church, the members met again at the home of the Cokers to make plans for the location of a church building. Mrs. J. T. Callaway (chairman), W. C. Sterrett, and Hugh P. Walthall were appointed as a location committee.

Dr. Dawson led the members in a short devotional at his first meeting with them on April 16, 1925. Then the church was called into conference and heard a report of the location committee requesting further time for study. It was suggested to this committee that it investigate purchasing Lots 3 and 4 to the west of Lots 5 and 6 in Block J, which the 1920 group had purchased. The congregation immediately set in motion plans for building an educational unit and later to add a sanctuary. J. A. Coker (committee chairman), J. T. Callaway, Mrs. J. E. French, Mrs. C. B. Stamps, and W. C. Sterrett were selected to draft plans for a new church building.

The church members were anxious to proceed with building plans and frequently met to hear committee reports and take action. The building committee reported that it had conferred with J. E. Green, architect, and had secured a number of plans and photos which were exhibited to the assembled members. By July 29th bids were being accepted.

In November 1925 the trustees, Dr. J. T. Callaway (who was also a trustee of the 1920 group), J. A. Coker, G. W. Garner, C. B. Stamps, and Hugh P. Walthall, were authorized to borrow $11,000.00 at 7% interest from Dr. A. B. Harris. This amount and the $3,500.00 from the Edgewood Baptist members of 1920, plus other contributions, gave a total of $20,000.00 to pay for construction of the Fieldstone Building on Lots 5 and 6, Block J, Edgewood Land Company survey, across the street from the Cokers’ home. The first services were held in the new building on Sunday morning December 6, 1925.  The church’s report to the Bir-mingham Baptist Association listed the Fieldstone Building with eleven classrooms and an auditorium with a seating capacity of three hundred.

Despite its newness, the Fieldstone Building was not problem free. At one time water collected in the basement. At a deacons’ meeting in February 1928 it was reported that nothing had been done to remedy this situation since a neighbor would not permit the installation of drain pipes across her vacant lot. However, at the next meeting it was reported that the basement had been drained. Also, the heating system was only sporadically effective. Mrs. W. C. Taylor, in charge of the cradle roll department, threatened to resign in December 1930 stating that the church had made no effort to make it comfortable for the babies and three-year olds. Thereupon the deacons voted to authorize the Sunday School superintendent to provide any equipment necessary to alleviate this problem.

A major problem developed in 1934 amidst the Great Depression when a portion of the church property was scheduled for sale by the city of Homewood for non-payment of municipal assessments. However, W. I. Pittman worked out a plan with the city clerk whereby one-twentieth of the amount due would be paid every six months. The rigors of the Depression did not keep the church from making some changes that required a minimum of financing. Some of the rooms, for example, were divided and a small study was added for the pastor.

The church continued to acquire adjoining property in Block J. In December 1929, Lot 7, immediately to the rear of the Fieldstone Build-ing, was purchased. A special church conference was called on Wednesday evening, June 18, 1930, to ratify the Woman’s Missionary Society’s purchase of Lot 4, South Highlands Land Company survey. This vacant lot immediately adjacent and to the east of Lot 5 had been obtained from Emma Eugenia DeLettre for $973.02. Lot 8 on Highland Road was bought in July 1936.

Finances

It is a truism that financial giving is a basic necessity for successful church growth. Edgewood Baptist Church experienced a commendable start financially. The deacons adopted a 1-2-3 plan —that is, 1/6 for missions; 2/6 for operating expenses, including salaries; and 3/6 for the building fund—as illustrated in the following budget for 1926:  missions and benevolence, $1,200.00; current expenses, $2,400.00; and building fund, $3,600.00. Total: $7,200.00.

However, the financial pace was slowed considerably during the Great Depression of 1929-1939. A budget of $9,000.00 in 1930 dropped to $3,900.00 in 1933. Various methods were experimented with in raising funds, keeping the records, and issuing disbursements. The pastor did not plead for funds from the pulpit, nor did the church leaders in the various assemblies. One policy found workable was sending subscription cards to members and to new members when they joined the church. There were then follow-ups through letters and personal visits by the deacons. Even this system was not wholly satisfactory during the Depression. The mortgage indebtedness was heavy; moreover, the church had difficulty paying its other bills. At times it was difficult to pay even the interest on the mortgage.

Two plans may be related to illustrate how the Lord worked through human instrumentality to sustain His cause during these difficult years. First, when the WMS discovered that Lot 4 next to the Fieldstone Building could be purchased for about $1,000.00, the women determined that if each member contributed $20.00 and helped raise money in other ways, they could attain their goal. In these early years the WMS raised money by methods that were later abandoned. They sponsored teas, suppers, cooking schools, and bazaars to help pay off the indebtedness on the building. Second, the pastor originated in March 1934 a Penny Building Fund and appointed Jacob Lanz, Mrs. W. I. Pittman’s father, the treasurer. This experimental approach called for the distribution of a small glass jar to each family with the expectation that pennies would be saved and delivered at the end of each month to the treasurer. For his diligence in administering this fund and a strong support for all other church activities, Jacob Lanz (affectionately called “Dad Lanz”) was elected Deacon Emeritus. This title of honor has not been bestowed upon any other deacon.

In explaining the plan, Dr. Dawson’s essay in an issue of Now and Then, his newsletter to the church members, carried this title:  “We Will Kill The Giant With Little Stones.” In 1936 the deacons voted to add $50.00 a month to the Penny Building Fund from the regular church funds. Apparently this was not done with consistency because when it was closed in January 1943 there was $2,700.00 in the fund.

Maintaining a separate fund for the Sunday School and taking up special collections were disconcerting to some deacons. In September 1931 T. M. Steen, Sunday School superintendent, objected to lifting funds from the Sunday School’s reserves to pay church debts. The Sunday School, he maintained, would not be able to afford new equipment as long as its funds were being depleted. An even stronger stance was projected by W. C. Sterrett in October 1933. He wrote a letter to W. I. Pittman, chairman of the finance committee, stating that special collections were being taken for causes beyond the budget. Regular collections were frequently applied to these commitments rather than to budgeted obligations. No payments had been made on the note at the Southern Bank and Trust Company. Therefore, if the church did not start taking care of its indebtedness first, he would resign his position as treasurer. Apparently this altercation was resolved because Sterrett continued to hold this position until his death in January 1964.

Dr. Dawson’s deep concern for mission causes carried over into his pastorate at Edgewood Baptist. While pastor at First Baptist Church, Tuscaloosa, he had displayed a great missionary zeal. According to Quentin Porch:

“He presented the various phases of the denominational program in such a way as to over-subscribe to mission objects, even when behind with current expenses. At times it almost seemed that Dr. Dawson was unconscious of the monetary needs of the local church. The deacons would meet to discuss the financial needs. Nearly always they were behind. They would decide to make an effort to collect from the members of the church, or they would decide to meet at the office of the chairman the next day to arrange a loan from the bank. Then the pastor, seemingly unconscious of the preceding discussion, would present his plans. Usually these included mission offerings, expense at some mission, etc., and these would be approved.”

Keeping the financial records was no easy task for Sterrett; however, the church paid Amelia Walker Porter, an employee of his at the bank where he worked, $10.00 per month from 1926 through 1935 to keep the books. She prepared a list of disbursements each month which the deacons attached to their minutes.

At the deacons’ meeting in August 1927 T. L. Bond of the ways and means committee reported “the need of a church secretary who can make reports to all concerned regularly or any time when called upon.... The delay in the reports of the present secretary [A.W. Porter] is accounted for by her being employed by the bank which takes most of her time.” This problem was discussed but no action was taken since the church treasurer was not present. A similar proposal was made the following month, but again no action was taken.

In 1932 Mrs. Callaway asked if she might keep these records without charge in order to save the church money. The deacons rejected this offer because it did not seem feasible to have the work accomplished other than at the treasurer’s place of employment. Finally, in December 1935 the deacons passed a motion to appoint a financial secretary, and W. E. Teel was elected. Thereafter, payments to Amelia Porter ceased. Written financial reports did not appear with the deacons’ minutes again until June 1939. When Teel resigned in 1937, L.T. Hatcher took his place.

Staff

During the years 1925-1937 the family concept of each person assuming responsibility became an essential basic principle since there were only a few paid workers other than the pastor. As an exception, Amelia Porter was paid $10.00 per month for her services as bookkeeper to the church treasurer. The church in conference in March 1926 voted to employ a helper to look after the children during the morning services with expenses to be paid by the Sunday School.

Juliet Weeks (later Mrs. Porter Landrum, Jr.) was paid $22.00 per month from August 1937 until April 1938 to work with the young people. She drove from her home in East Lake to Edgewood to assist on Sundays primarily with the BYPU in the evenings. She directed a Candlelight Service at Christmas 1937 despite some misgivings by members, especially Dr. Dawson, that such a service, though meaning-ful, might set fire to the building.

Dr. Dawson’s initial salary of $100.00 per month was raised to $125.00 by May 1. In March of 1930 it was increased to $150.00 monthly. During the depression years he offered to have his salary reduced though the church refused this offer. But at times payments were late and at others he was paid in two installments.

When Dr. Dawson retired from the First Baptist Church in Tusca-loosa, its members voted to build the Dawsons a home there; but since he had started teaching at Howard College the money was given to them to apply on a home they built in Birmingham at 800 South Thirty-Ninth Street in the Avondale section. This was a convenient location between his two places of service, Howard College in East Lake and Edgewood. Therefore, there was no need at that time for Edgewood Baptist Church to provide a pastorium. In 1929 the church paid off the debt on Dr. Dawson’s car and supplied the difference on a trade-in. The deacons voted in July 1930 to give the pastor a one-month vacation with pay.

The first janitors, originally paid $5.00 a week and later $7.50, were sons of the church members, including at various times John Coker, Jr., T. Murphy Wyers, George L. Williams, Jr., Alvan Outland, Gary Steen, and the Smith brothers, Clem and Herb. They worked under the supervision of the grounds committee until June 1929 when the WMS volunteered to assume this responsibility.  When Mrs. W. F. Mims resigned in January 1931 from the task of directing the janitors, the grounds committee again took charge. In May 1935 the responsibility again was assumed by the WMS, Mrs. J. E. French directing, and a Negro man was hired as janitor. The quality of janitorial services was at times throughout these early years a problem often discussed at deacons’ meetings.

Of necessity, the church relied heavily on the unpaid leadership of the deacons, church officers, committee members, and ladies of the WMS. Services were performed without expectation of praise or pay.

Originally there were only three deacons:  J. A. Coker, W. I. Pitt-man, and T. M. Steen, but the number was increased to twelve in 1927 and fifteen by the end of the Dawson tenure. Some of the standing committees, consisting of as many as twelve members, during this time were these:  baptism, floral and visitation, Lord’s Supper, mid-week service, music, new comers, property, Sunday School, ushers, ways and means, welcome, and young people’s work.

Raymond B. Doe, Mrs. H. M. Odom, and Mrs. J. E. Ruffin (Rosalie) served at various times as the church pianist.  In August 1925 the pastor appointed C. B. Stamps “postmaster” with the duty of seeing that all letters, circulars, and posters were properly distributed. On Sundays when W. E. Teel became the financial secretary he, Robert Page, Russell Graham, and W. W. Palmer would count the collection after the 11 o’clock worship service and Teel would take it home, hide it in his house or the trunk of his car, and then deposit it the next day in a downtown bank. He would then give the deposit slip to Mr. Sterrett.

Sunday School

W. I. Pittman was elected superintendent of the Sunday School in April 1925; but it was decided that no attempt to organize would be made until a suitable building properly equipped could be secured and a trained teaching staff made available. These hurdles were overcome four months later when worship services were moved from the Cokers’ home to Shades Cahaba High School.  The first Sunday School, with 108 in attendance, began on September 6, 1925. A full corps of workers had been enlisted: T. M. Steen, assistant superintendent; L. T. Wyers, treasurer; A. F. Scogin, secretary; Mrs. G. B. Miller, pianist; W. J. Horsley, attendance superintendent; J. M. Ward, superintendent, senior department; E. L. Lloyd, superintendent, intermediate department; Mrs. J. E. Rucks, superintendent, junior department; Mrs. George Williams, superintendent, beginners department; Mrs. W. J. Horsley, superintendent, home department; Mrs. C. B. Stamps, teacher, T.E.L. Class; Mrs. E. J. Tindall, teacher, Fidelis Class; and J. Chandler Burton, teacher, men’s Bible class.

Sunday School classes were conducted only three months at Shades Cahaba High School, for on December 6, 1925, the Fieldstone Building was ready for occupancy. The Sunday School launched a training program and was active in winning the lost to Christ. In 1928, to cite one year, there were twenty-eight baptisms through the Sunday School. In 1930 the teachers earned twenty-two diplomas. During the Dawson pastorate there were only two superintendents, W. I. Pittman for the first six years and T. M. Steen thereafter. The enrollment increased from 124 to 395. The Sunday School received collections each Sunday, at times maintained a separate account, made regular reports to the deacons, and was self supporting. There were frequent needs for additional space and many challenges were met. A home department was included from the beginning, a forerunner of the later extension department. The first Vacation Bible School (VBS) in 1930 enrolled 106 with an average attendance of 88.

Woman’s Missionary Union (WMU)

The WMU not only played an important role in the earliest days of the church’s history, but also these women’s influence has been pervasive throughout the succeeding years. Some of the most outstanding accomplishments of the church may be attributed to their vision, encour-agement, and example.

On April 20, 1925, the Baptist Woman’s Band, which had been active since 1921, organized the WMU of the Edgewood Baptist Church at the home of Mrs. J. A. Coker. (A list of the first members is given in Chapter I.) The following officers were elected:  Mrs. J. A. Coker, president; Mrs. T. M. Steen, first vice president; Mrs. George B. Miller, secretary; and Mrs. J. T. Callaway, treasurer. 

At a meeting one week later, these additional officers were elected:  Mrs. J. M. Ward, corresponding secretary; Mrs. W. C. Taylor, second vice president; Mrs. W. J. Horsley, third vice president; Mrs. J. H. Holmes, personal service; Mrs. L. T. Wyers, devotional leader; Mrs. David Ferguson, literary chairman; and Mrs. W. F. Mims, mission study leader.

Pictured are Herbert Browne, Burt Stanford, James Pittman,
Martha Ann Taylor, Hofford Todd, Jr., Earl Erwin, Claire French,
Dick Averyt, and Ruth Todd. Several others are unidentified.

Soon after the church had moved into the Fieldstone Building, the WMU had grown into a full organization giving missionary education through the Sunbeam Band, Girl’s Auxiliary (GA’s), Royal Ambassadors (RA’s), and in 1927 added the Young Woman’s Auxiliary (YWA’s). The young people rapidly developed in leadership skills. Mrs. A. S. Outland (Lillian), at one time personal service chairman, and Mrs. L. E. Jenkins recorded some of the group’s ministries:  visiting the Good Will Center in Ensley and the Jimmie Hale Mission in Birmingham; clothing an orphan at the Baptist Orphanage in Troy; keeping in touch with missionary children in Alabama through the Margaret Fund; maintaining personal correspondence; giving $25.00 worth of linen each year to the new West End Baptist Hospital (later Princeton Medical Center); and contributing to a fund for aged preachers.

The first churchwide entertainment was a party sponsored by the WMS for the benefit of Howard College and held at the residence of the Cokers on an evening in June 1925. A writer for the Birmingham News described the success of the gathering and commented on some of the benefits of attending small churches in contrast to larger ones:

“People leaving large churches that have the enthusiasm of crowds, splendid choirs, and brilliant pastors to form new and smaller centers of worship are to be much commended for the sacrifice they make, but they are largely compensated in the homey, family-like atmosphere of the smaller church. Certainly this is true of the new Baptist church over at Edgewood. It would be hard to find a happier, more enthusiastic congregation anywhere. They have already begun to make themselves felt in the social and religious life of the community.”

The group was entertained by solos and readings. Guests were Professor and Mrs. Paul DeLaunay and Mrs. Lucille M. Vandiver of the Howard College faculty. Dr. Dawson informed those present about activities at Howard College and encouraged them to become interested in the proposed campus improvements.

The deacons voted to help the women buy a stove for the kitchen. Mrs. L. E. Jenkins has given a vivid insight into the role of the WMS in the use of the kitchen:

“Volumes could be written on the first kitchen. It was a room adjoining the furnace room; there was no way to keep it locked.  Furnishings were sadly missing, but the women would prepare the hot dishes at home and dash in with them at serving time. Each member of the WMU circle responsible for the meal would bring a few dish towels, but they had a way of getting misplaced. What a joy a dishwasher would have been, but each woman took her turn at the chore, too. Gradually the WMS bought necessary equipment.”

In 1935 the WMS redecorated the church auditorium and purchased new curtains for the baptistry.

Unlike the Sunday School, which had only two superintendents dur-ing the years 1925-1937, the WMS had nine presidents:  Mrs. J. A. Coker, Mrs. L. T. Wyers, Mrs. T. L. Bond, Mrs. W. I. Pittman, Mrs. W. O. McMahon, Mrs. J. M. Ward, Mrs. A. M. Averyt, Mrs. W. E. Teel, and Mrs. G. H. Houze.

Baptist Young People’s Union (BYPU)

When the BYPU was organized at Edgewood Baptist Church on Sunday March 7, 1926, by Carl McCool of the Birmingham Baptist Association, it joined a well-established and viable organization. The “Young People’s Movement” was first endorsed by the Alabama Baptist State Convention in 1891. A few BYPU’s appeared in Baptist churches in America before an official launching in Atlanta in 1895 with head-quarter offices in Birmingham. Dr. Dawson was one of the founders and for ten years president of the BYPU of the Southern Baptist Convention.  By 1906 nearly one-half of the churches in the BBA listed active BYPU’s.

At Edgewood Baptist Church, Mrs. J. L. Guyton was elected director for the first year. The report to the association that year listed two unions with nineteen seniors (young people) and fourteen juniors enrolled. Fifteen had taken a study course, and nineteen were systematic givers. At various times during the first two years unions were provided for juniors and intermediates, but adults were not active. Since it was difficult to secure volunteer directors, Juliet Weeks was employed in 1937 to help primarily with the BYPU.

The Depression had a strong impact upon attendance, if one may judge by reports to the association. In 1929 there were forty-three enrolled; the next year the number had dropped to sixteen and never reached over twenty-three until after 1934 when BYPU became Baptist Training Union (BTU). Interest was then rekindled and the enrollment increased the next two years to fifty-four and sixty.

Boy Scouts

When the Scouting movement attracted the attention of the church leaders, Burt Stanford and W. I. Pittman explored possibilities of fostering a group. In November 1934 the deacons decided to sponsor Edgewood Scout Troop #83. Lewis Dawson, son of the pastor, consented to be the first Scout master. An open meeting was held in Scout Hall in March 1935.

This building deserves more than a passing mention since it had served as the town hall for Edgewood before Homewood was formed in 1926 with a merger of Edgewood, Grove Park, and Rosedale. One of the last acts of the Edgewood Town Council was to bequeath its town hall to the Boy Scouts as a meeting place. A small frame structure, it had only thin outer walls, an open fireplace, and an addition at the back. It was in such a state of disrepair that it merely “filtered the wind.” Later purchased by the church, it was located on the west side of the site now occupied by the sanctuary of Dawson Memorial Baptist Church. It was used not only by the Scouts but also for Sunday School classes when space became a premium.

Worship and Special Events

Three evenings of celebration (December 7-9, 1925) followed the first Sunday worship service in the Fieldstone Building. There were special guests in attendance, music by a quartet from Tuscaloosa, and sermons by Dr. J. E. Dillard of Southside Baptist Church and Dr. John R. Sampey from the Southern Seminary. On Wednesday evening the WMS was hostess to a churchwide social with a program featuring the Howard College Glee Club.

Worshiping in the new building brought modest pride and unbridled joy to its members. They always began their services on Sunday mornings by singing the first verse of “Blest Be the Tie That Binds” and ended with the last stanza, beginning “When we asunder part. . . ” “This little ritual meant so much to us,” wrote Mrs. A. S. Outland. “It seemed to bring us close together.” In front of the church was erected a sign which beckoned all passers-by:

Mrs. Outland has related an episode which gives a vivid insight into the closeness of the congregation in the early years of the church:

“One Sunday in November 1926 Dr. Dawson remarked from the pulpit that there were two things every Baptist church should have. One was a pulpit Bible and the other was a baptistry, and we did not have either one. That day at dinner Mr. Outland and I were talking it over and decided we would give the Bible to Edgewood Baptist Church at Christmas. I purchased the Bible with an appropriate card and placed it in front of the Bible. Christmas 1926 came on Sunday, so when Mr. Outland went to the church to start the furnace on Saturday, Christmas Eve Night, he carried the Bible and placed it on the pulpit stand. The card read ‘To Edgewood Baptist Church from Santa Claus.’ The next morning when Dr. Dawson entered the pulpit he was all aglow and as he saw the Bible he said, ‘I think I know who Santa is’ and looked straight at us. ‘Am I right?’ Of course we nodded our heads.”

Since the worship area could accommodate three hundred, from time to time other groups were invited to worship. On a Sunday morning in October 1927 the Edgewood Baptists joined members from Trinity Methodist in a ground breaking ceremony for Trinity’s new building. Worshipers assembled in the Fieldstone Building with Bishop Hoyt Dobbs preaching the sermon. According to an article in The Methodist News Reporter, “At the close of the sermon all went over to the lot where the new church was to be built and with appropriate ceremony various leaders of the several denominations shoveled dirt and briefly spoke of their pledged support and cooperation in the new enterprise.”

A month later, on Thursday November 24, the first Union Thanksgiving Service of the churches in the Valley was conducted in the Fieldstone Building and thus began a long-standing tradition. In addition to Edgewood Baptist, members from these churches were present:  Community Presbyterian, L. F. Goodwin, pastor; Trinity Methodist, R. E. Tyler, pastor; and Union Hill Methodist, W. A. Murphy, pastor. Rev. Goodwin preached the sermon. In later years the churches in Edgewood met each Thanksgiving in a different church on a rotating basis.

Even though Sunday night worship services were not scheduled on a regular basis, the deacons voted to hold joint evening services with other Edgewood churches in the summer of 1930. The Fieldstone Building was also the setting of a number of other “first” events in the history of Edgewood Baptist Church. Dr. Dawson conducted the first revival services; thereafter visiting preachers were engaged for revivals, begin-ning with L. B. Warren from Atlanta. In 1926 Mother’s Day exercises were inaugurated. The first wedding, Ernest Deadman and Ellette Shurbert, was performed in 1929; and in 1936 Robert Cooke was the first minister to be ordained. Only one funeral was ever conducted in the Fieldstone Building because it was constructed as an educational unit, and the narrow winding stairs leading to the second floor room used for the auditorium prevented easy access. This funeral was for Mrs. J. B. Dismukes, a charter member of the 1920 group.

Dr. Dawson’s Philosophy of Edgewood Baptist Church

Dr. Dawson began his pastorate at Edgewood Baptist with a great deal of optimism. He held cherished beliefs about the role and destiny of this emerging church; these he disseminated in his sermons and as he moved among the members. He found especially useful the medium of a little newsletter which he edited and distributed periodically. Appropriately named Now and Then, its first issue appeared in September 1925.

Dawson’s concept of a church’s role in a community was somewhat Wordsworthian. A lover of nature, he envisioned a rural church as a spiritual family enjoying the countryside and keeping in harmony with God’s creation while attempting to win the lost to Christ. “Family life is emphasized in our church,” he wrote. “The Lord made the family and the church, the only two organizations he ever made.” When the Fieldstone Building was completed he took great pride in its rustic exterior. “We are in the country, yet near the city,” he stated, “and we, with our children, enjoy the great open spaces where we have room for baseball without danger of being run over by flivvers.”

Dr. Dawson’s intense love of nature was aptly illustrated in his plan to plant four sycamore trees, one in each corner on the lot behind the church. When the bark peeled off, the trees would reveal white pillars and the leaves would form a canopy, a picturesque setting for weddings.  However, only one wedding was ever performed in this beautiful area. Louise Ward, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. James Mayfield Ward, and Guy LaMar Hubbs were married there in September 1946 by Dr. Dawson’s successor, J. Ivey Edwards. The area fell a victim to progress. In later years expansion of the church’s facilities necessitated the removal of the sycamore trees.

Dr. Dawson’s vision of the church was for everyone in the Valley, from Hollywood to Sunset Rock; but he was desirous not to draw a person away from another church which needed that person’s services. In a burst of enthusiasm and hyperbole he exclaimed that Edgewood Baptist was swinging wide its doors to the “whole world,” but it would not want “unwilling Souls, none who come to us leaving their hearts elsewhere.”
In reality, Dr. Dawson did not think of Edgewood Baptist Church as becoming large. He thought of it as great, not big. He further commented: “We have no idea of making a big church out of our little family, at least not until the passing years have brought more people into our community.” In the second issue of Now and Then he suggested that when a church reached 1,000 in membership it should “swarm like bees” and send forth people to organize other churches. The church during Dr. Dawson’s pastorate did not reach the swarming stage. In 1925 the associational minutes listed a membership of l00, and in 1937 it was 407.

In attempting to lead the congregation in right thinking and admirable actions Dr. Dawson touched upon and wrote about a wide range of ethical and moral problems in Now and Then. The following two excerpts illustrate his perceptiveness and delightful style of writing:

Let Us Be Intelligent
The kind of literature you have in your home not only forms the character of your family, but it reveals what sort of character you already have. Books, papers, magazines, music, pictures; indeed, the entire contents of your home are windows through which wise people look into your soul to see what manner of folks you are.

Manufacturing Trouble
If you have no trouble and really want a real nice batch of it, or if you have a pretty good supply already and are hungry for more, try drinking a little liquor now and then. It is guaranteed to make misery grow where there is none, and is a sure shot when it comes to fertilizing, increasing the size, and multiplying the number of whatever troubles you now have.

In an interview with Dolly Dalrymple for the Birmingham News (1929), Dr. Dawson explained the church’s character as being much in the manner of a church in the wildwood, reminiscent of a popular song. Dalrymple stated: “Dr. Dawson believes the prayer meeting one of the most essential functions of church life, basing his belief upon the promise of the Master who said, ‘Where two or three are gathered in my name, there I am in the midst of them’.”

Dr. Dawson was characterized as “a crying, pleading, ‘love of God’ preacher. He wept in his sermons, so full of God’s love and anxious for others to accept His love. He was gentle, the complete Christian Southern gentleman.”

The Close of an Era

The church experienced deep grief on January 14, 1938, with the passing of Dr. Dawson. His death, at the age of seventy-two, resulted from an illness of influenza and pneumonia. Mrs. Dawson, who was ill and unable to attend her husband’s funeral at the First Baptist Church in Tuscaloosa, followed him in death only five days later. She had been a strong supporter of the Edgewood Baptist Church and its ministries. She was a graduate of Judson College; and her work especially in the WMU and the Howard College Auxiliary had been commendable.

In a descriptive characterization of Dr. Dawson, W. I. Pittman stated that on December 29, 1937, just one week before Dr. Dawson was stricken by his last illness and while in apparently good health, he wrote detailed instructions for his funeral. He asked that it be “simple and inexpensive as consistent with decency.” He explained, “I would like to have a plain slab placed over my grave, and if my friends approve and if they believe it to be true, these words placed on the slab: ‘He Loved Us’.” In Evergreen Cemetery at Tuscaloosa where Dr. Dawson and his wife were buried one can view the white slab inscribed just as he wished.

In his thirteen years as pastor at Edgewood Baptist Dr. Dawson had become so esteemed that the church voted unanimously to change its name to the L. O. Dawson Memorial Baptist Church. A plaque in his memory was placed in the foyer of the church in 1958. It also bears the brief but powerful inscription: “He Loved Us.” In 1940 his friends erected a monument to him on Queen City Avenue in Tuscaloosa.
See photos of these two tributes Click

On April 24, 1938, Dr. Dawson’s birthday, the church held a memorial service for Dr. and Mrs. Dawson. Participants on the program were Robinson Brown, “A Tribute from Tuscaloosa”; Dean P. P. Burns, “A Tribute from Howard College”; J. H. Chapman, “A Tribute from Home and Church”; and Mildred Wyers, “A Tribute from Youth.” Mrs. W. I. Pittman sang “A Wonderful Shepherd” and Elizabeth Carter read a poem, “The Open Gate.” The Mother’s Day service that year was dedicated to the memory of Mrs. Dawson.

Not only the Edgewood Baptist Church, but also Alabama Baptists and the Southern Baptist Convention lost a major leader with the passing of Dr. Dawson. He had been elected to many responsible positions and received numerous awards. He had written frequently for the religious and secular press. He had served as associate editor of the Alabama Baptist, was founder and editor of the Franklin Advocate of Howard College, and one of the founders and editor of the seminary magazine, later titled The Review and Expositor. Further, he had served as presi-dent of the Alabama Baptist State Convention three terms and as a trustee of Southern Seminary. He was named Man of the Year in Tuscaloosa (1922); and elected president of Rotary International.

A Brief Summary of Accomplishments, 1925-1938

No yardstick has yet been devised to measure the spiritual growth of church members during the tenure of any pastor. Christians have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, and their degree of maturity at any given time is known only to the Savior.

However, there are some tangibles that reveal whether a church is much alive or static, upward going or on the decline.  In assessing the accomplishments of the Dawson era these positive tangibles are evident:

• The church was blessed with a core of faithful workers who never lost heart despite the inroads that the Great Depression had made in the budget and attendance at BYPU.
• The Sunday School grew to an enrollment of 395.
• Church Membership grew to 407.
• There were 179 baptisms.
• The Fieldstone Building was erected.
• The church extended its boundaries by adding in Block J Lots 4,7, and 8 by purchase or gift to Lots 5 and 6, which the 1920 group had purchased.
• All organizations of the WMU were active with an enrollment of 173.

The passing of Dr. Dawson brought sorrow to his family and many friends, but none perhaps felt the loss more deeply than the congregation at Edgewood Baptist Church. He had steered its passage through some of its earliest difficult days and had witnessed the loyalty of its member-ship. After the departure of a spiritual leader, either by death or by transfer to another field of service, the challenging task then falls upon a pulpit committee to find and then recommend the person that God has been preparing to take the fallen or departed leader’s place. And so the little church set about finding a new pastor by first appointing a committee composed of W. I. Pittman, J. M. Ward, and L. T. Wyers.

Meanwhile, the church looked to Howard College for assistance and invited Professor James H. Chapman to become the acting pastor at a salary of $75.00 per month.  During a period of six months, he kept the church on an even keel with “wise counsel, comforting words, and tender guidance,” wrote T. M. Steen.

Chapman was ably suited to guide the church during its time of grief and adjustment. Born November 5, 1881, at Grove Hill, Alabama, he had earned the A.B. and M.A. degrees from the University of Alabama and the Th.M. degree from Southern Seminary. He had held pastorates at Tuscumbia, Florence, and Acipco in Birmingham. At the time of his call to Dawson he was in the midst of a distinguished and lengthy career as head of the Religion Department at Howard College.

Pressing needs of the church called its members into responsibility. In carrying on the regular items of business the deacons first determined that vacancies needed to be filled on the roster of trustees. Of the original five only C. B. Stamps was still active. W. I. Pittman and T. M. Steen were elected to join him.

During the interim only a few other changes were made in personnel. In March, J. F. Hardegree was elected church clerk to replace Burt Stanford, who had moved from the vicinity. In that month, W. E. Teel was appointed assistant to L. T. Hatcher, the financial secretary. In April, the church accepted the resignation of Juliet Weeks, youth worker.

At the February deacons’ meeting a letter was read from Mrs. J. T. Callaway recommending that a fund be created for the purpose of “extinguishing” the present church indebtedness of $1,750.00. She volunteered to pay $5.00 a week until the fund reached $500.00. At the church conference that month W. I. Pittman stated that it had been activated and named the J. T. Callaway, J. A. Coker, and L. O. Dawson Fund. It was a befitting memorial to three outstanding charter members. He invited all church members to become contributors.

Upon recommendation of the WMS, and approved first by the deacons and then the church in conference, the name of the church was changed February 20, 1938, from Edgewood Baptist Church to the L. O. Dawson Memorial Baptist Church.

At other times from February through July the members voted to secure the services of a competent yard man; purchase concrete retaining posts for the parking lot; bind the church’s records in a permanent form; make repairs in the cradle roll and beginner departments; contact Baptist families in the area to interest them in joining the church; and accept municipal assessments for paving the section of Oxmoor Road in front of the church property. Also, they voted favorably in response to a letter from Mayor E. C. Bloom to subscribe to the Homewood Relief Fund.

Since Dr. Dawson had immensely enjoyed the annual churchwide Sunday School summer picnics, the members decided not to abandon this tradition. A newsletter was distributed announcing the forthcoming attraction in June at East Lake Park and listing the committees. In enticing terms the letter stated that once at the site “…the different committees [would] go further into action with the lemonade making, entertainment, games, swimming, and all join in for an afternoon of good time, with plenty of lemonade to drink and plenty of good things to eat.”

In June a new pastor was called. In early July the church staged an appreciation party for Professor and Mrs. Chapman prior to his last sermon at the end of the month.