A Senate Resolution

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 A SENATE RESOLUTION 10 11 TO HONOR AND RECOGNIZE THE LIFE AND WORK OF 12 REVEREND JAMES FOSTER MARSHALL AND TO 13 COMMEMORATE THE CELEBRATION AT BETHANY 14 MISSIONARY BAPTIST CHURCH. 15 16 Whereas, Bethany Missionary Baptist Church in McCormick, 17 South Carolina will hold a Reverend James Foster Marshall 18 Celebration on Sunday, April 28, 2013; and 19 20 Whereas, Reverend James Foster Marshall was born in the 21 Bordeaux Section of McCormick County as a slave in 1851; and 22 23 Whereas, after the Civil War ended in 1865, James Foster Marshall 24 chose to become a preacher to help lead, guide, and free slaves; 25 and 26 27 Whereas, during this time he became a member of Mt. Moriah 28 Baptist Church in McCormick. From there he helped organize the 29 Holy Spring Baptist Church in McCormick and he was one of the 30 church’s first pastors; and 31 32 Whereas, he soon organized the New Hope Missionary Baptist 33 Church in Plum Branch and ably served as pastor for fifty-seven 34 years; and 35 36 Whereas, he also organized the Bethany Missionary Baptist 37 Church in McCormick where he served as pastor for fifty-four 38 years; and 39 40 Whereas, while at Bethany, he organized the Bethany Industrial 41 Graded School, which became a Boarding School. During this 42 time Reverend Marshall was also Pastor of Old Mount Zion

[555] 1 1 Baptist Church in Epworth, S.C. for forty-nine years. This is the 2 church where Dr. Benjamin E. Mays (a Morehouse College 3 President, Advisor to Presidents, Teacher to Dr. Martin Luther 4 King, Jr. about non-violence, and Eulogist at Dr. King’s funeral) 5 grew up. Dr. Mays was a student at Bethany School for two years; 6 and 7 8 Whereas, Reverend Marshall also helped to organize the Bethany 9 Masonic Lodge in McCormick and at the time of his death, he was 10 a pastor of four different churches: Hope, Bethany, Old Mt. Zion, 11 and Young Mount Zion Baptist Church in Chappells, South 12 Carolina where he served for eighteen years; and 13 14 Whereas, this former slave served as a minister and educator for 15 over sixty years until his death on February 8, 1936. He is buried 16 in the New Hope Missionary Baptist Church Cemetery in Plum 17 Branch, South Carolina; and 18 19 Whereas, it is fitting and proper for the members of the South 20 Carolina Senate to pause in their deliberations to remember the 21 significant contributions of this son of South Carolina. Now, 22 therefore, 23 24 Be it resolved by the Senate: 25 26 That the members of the Senate, by this resolution, honor and 27 recognize the life and work of Reverend James Foster Marshall 28 and commemorate the celebration at Bethany Missionary Baptist 29 Church on April 28, 2013. 30 31 Be it further resolved that a copy of this resolution be forwarded to 32 Bethany Missionary Baptist Church. 33 XX 34

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