Charles Williams

A national evangelist, Charles was the field representative of the C&MA in charge of Black Ministries (now known as the African-American Pastors’ Association).

Charles Williams was born December 7, 1923, at the little mining town of Logans Ferry, Pennsylvania (now known as Logans Ferry Heights). His father and mother were the late Mr. Jeremiah Henry Williams and the late Mrs. L. K. Cook.

[Jeremiah] Williams was a graduate of Tuskegee Institute, Alabama, and a tailor by trade. He also was a veteran of World War I. Charles was age three when his father died, and it became his mother’s responsibility to raise him, his brother Jeremiah Henry Williams Jr., and his sister Rosa Williams. This was not an easy job, especially during the Great Depression years.

Some years later, Charles’ mother married the late Mr. Colonel Cook. Charles’ sister, Rosa Williams, died at eight years of age.

Time of Growth

Mrs. Cook was a hard-working widow who successfully raised her two sons and taught them how to work even from an early age. In time, the family moved from Logans Ferry, Pennsylvania, to New Kensington, Pennsylvania, and from there to Lincoln Beach, Pennsylvania.

Charles and his brother, Henry, delivered the Pittsburgh Post Gazette during the early mornings of those formative years in sub-zero temperatures, which was good training in teaching them responsibility.

Charles attended the Stewart Grade School along with our late missionary Rev. Edward Thompson of Viet Nam. He attended high school at New Kensington, Pennsylvania, and graduated in 1940. He worked hard and in 1942 entered the Missionary Training Institute at Nyack, New York, and graduated in 1945.

He was converted to Christ at the Community Church at Lincoln Beach, Pennsylvania, around 1937 under the ministry of an Alliance minister named Pastor Peterson and received much spiritual help under the later field representative, the Rev. J. D. Bell. He was a spiritual father to Charles and was used by God in involving him in the Christian ministry.

Rev. Bell founded Lincoln Beach Camp, which was later called the John Davis Bell Camp. It was there that Charles, along with many others, found special help and inspiration through the various evangelists and missionaries.

Evangelistic Ministry

Upon graduating from Nyack, Charles went on to hold pastorates at Twinsburg, Ohio, and Birmingham, Alabama. These were very difficult pastorates with few members in attendance, and Charles had to trust the Lord for his livelihood, but God graciously sustained him.

While at Twinsburg, Ohio, he was ordained into the Christian ministry by the then District Superintendent Allen and the late Pastor Zeimer of the Toledo Gospel Tabernacle. He also journeyed to Birmingham, Alabama, and married Miss Rosalia Bernice Oliver on October 22, 1947.

To this union was added three boys and a girl: Charles H. Williams Jr., Smith E. Williams, John D. Williams, and Lois Williams. The eldest son served in the United States Coast Guard, and the second son attended the Concordia Junior College at Portland, Oregon. Mrs. Williams is the Lutheran sister of the Revs. Douglas and Herbert Oliver who also were students at Nyack along with Charles.

Upon the completion of the Twinsburg and Birmingham pastorates, Charles entered full-time evangelistic ministry and traveled extensively both in and out of the country. He made some 10 evangelistic tours outside of the country which carried him to Liberia, Ghana, England, Haiti, Trinidad, Tobago, Jamaica, Mexico, South America, Canada, and South Africa. Many souls were won to Christ through these various meetings in conjunction with various churches and mission boards.

Charles was the president director of the National Negro Evangelical Association of Oregon, the president of the Evangelical Holiness and Missionary Association, which was an affiliate of the C&MA, and a national evangelist and field representative of the C&MA in charge of Black Ministries (now known as the African-American Pastors’ Association).

He resided in Portland, Oregon, with his wife and family until his death in 2008. Charles’ dear mother died at the age of 76, and Charles was eternally grateful to God for having given him a devoted mother who lived a dedicated Christian life before him and taught him how to be responsible in life and supported him during his years of schooling.

Story provided by The Alliance News

E. B. Nichols

E. B. Nichols graduated in 1896 from the Mission Training Institute (now Nyack College in New York). In God’s providence, he became superintendent of the early African-American ministries of the C&MA.

E. B. traveled extensively holding meetings and overseeing his team in the establishment of many Alliance branches throughout the United States. He reported the following in The Alliance Witness July 13, 1989:

Our Third Annual Convention commenced on Friday morning, June 2, 1898, in the Wylie Avenue A. M. E. Church of which Dr. J. W. Gazaway is pastor. The Convention opened with a meeting for prayer and humiliation before our Father, who graciously showered upon us an “earnest” of what was to follow, praise be to His name! From the very first, the Holy Spirit wonderfully manifested His presence and power in saving, sanctifying, and healing. Many were saved and filled with the Holy Spirit.

On Wednesday, June 8, Dr. G. D. Watson gave very helpful and instructive messages on “Our Blessed Hope, the Lord’s Second Coming.” The Lord wonderfully used our dear brother, Rev. R. H. Shirley of Coxsackie, New York. The noble corps of workers from Ohio, namely Sisters Bowles, Smoot, Brown, Johnson, and others were very effectually used of the Holy Spirit in spreading the joyful message. May the “Lord of the harvest” give us many such Spirit-filled hearts to labor for Him.

Thursday, June 9, was given to the ministry of divine healing—brief messages showing Jesus Christ as not only willing to heal our sicknesses but also to be to us our very life, health, and strength. Bless His name! After the messages many were anointed, after which some wonderful cures were testified to, namely, sight restored, internal ailments of long standing cured, and some were brought back from sick beds and went away healed. Praise God! “He is just the same today.”

Marvelous Light

The interest increased steadily, and we believe there has been a great and effectual work accomplished by our Father through this branch of the C&MA among African Americans, who, because of past oppression, feel somewhat backward, and will not press their way into Conventions where these truths are taught, and learn of Him “more perfectly.” And because of this we are working to obtain and praying that the Lord may give us means and workers to carry this marvelous light of the Fourfold Gospel into some of the much needed localities of the South, and so the close of the Convention we started a side fund apart from our regular missionary offering for the purpose stated above.

Our dear sisters Bowles and Smoots of Cleveland, Ohio, came to us directly from Kentucky to assist in the Convention. They were trying to establish a work but failed owing to the above needs. Therefore, as soon as the dear Lord will enable us to sufficiently increase the said fund we expect to send a party of four or five workers in His name to these very same places. We are sure that after they shall have heard and seen examples of His marvelous work they will readily welcome messengers and support their work. Do pray that God may order our steps.

Sunday afternoon, June 12, we gave especially to the subject of missions which lay so near to the heart of our dear Lord and which He has placed so near to some of our hearts, but owing to that day being a day set apart by that denomination for missionary purposes, etc., we were not allowed to take our usual missionary offering, which is always the chief feature and most joyful time of an Alliance Convention, when we can give Him back part of what He has so freely given us.

Above All

The winding-up was Sunday night, June 12, when the church and neighborhood rang with our late brother Macomber’s “song.” “We’re bound to take the Congo for Jesus.”

Dr. Gazaway did his utmost for us to make the Convention a success. God will bless him for the same. May the dear Lord give us more pastors who are not afraid of the truth.

We are much indebted to many of the liberal merchants of Pittsburg for their hospitality, Messrs. Marvin & Co., Lutz & Co., Dilworth & Co., etc. Last year our late brother Conley gave our workers a luncheon in the Alliance Rooms on Penn Avenue. In his stead the dear Lord has given us a friend and brother in the person of Mr. J. T. Gilbert, of the Hotel Anderson, whom the Lord so wonderfully delivered through the Convention last year. He sent us a whole dinner and a waiter to serve it, besides giving most liberally of his means. May God indeed give us many such people who love Him above all!

The people could not understand how our dear members, who are Methodists, Baptists, Presbyterians, Congregationalists, and converted and sanctified Catholics, could work so peaceably together, but many learned the secret by receiving the Holy Spirit.

Our beloved president, W. P. Robinson, did his best, and now everybody is longing for the next Convention. Pray that our Father may keep us low at His feet.

Story provided by The Alliance News

Carrie Elizabeth Merriweather

The first female African-American missionary to be sent by the C&MA

In 1890, The Christian and Missionary Alliance established a mission post in Sierra Leone hoping that it would provide a gateway into what was known as “French Soudan”—a vast expanse of land stretching from present-day Mali to the eastern highlands of Ethiopia. The French government stonewalled the missionaries’ entrance to the Soudan for nearly 30 years. In that time, our missionaries faced hardship and death from disease and tribal conflict.

When recalling the treacherous conditions that these early workers encountered, R. S. Roseberry, pioneer missionary to French West Africa, wrote in his book The Niger Vision, “It is doubtful if any effort to open a road into the Dark Continent surpasses the heroism of the early pioneers of the Soudan Mission.”

On the trail from Freetown to the highlands, one may find the last resting place of men and women who had a vision and followed on to the end. Some sleep in unmarked graves in the long grass. More than 30 lives were laid down in those years of trial, when the strongest hearts were tried.

At a point of desperation, the field sent out a call in 1912 for more missionaries. Carrie Elizabeth Merriweather, a second-year student at The Missionary Training Institute (now Nyack College, Nyack, N.Y.), heard that call and decided to respond, ultimately forgoing her graduation. She arrived at Freetown, Sierra Leone, in November 1913, becoming the first female African-American missionary to be sent by the C&MA.

Born July 28, 1881, in Carthage, Indiana, Merriweather moved to Cleveland, Ohio, at the age of 17 to attend Friends’ Bible School. While there, she befriended Mrs. B. H. Smoot, ardent supporter of the foreign missionary effort. At Smoot’s encouragement, Merriweather enrolled at Nyack in 1910 with only $50 to cover her expenses. She spent the next two years studying and paying for her tuition by faith and hard work.

At the beginning of her second term in Sierra Leone, Merriweather was forced to leave the field because of illness. Although she continued to suffer from her condition after returning home, Merriweather still managed to travel and invite people to her house when she was too sick to leave. She spent the rest of her life stirring interest for Africa and encouraging others to follow God wherever He might call them.

Carrie Merriweather went to be with the Lord March 20, 1931. She left a tremendous legacy as over the next two decades, seven more African-American missionaries—Eugene M. and Sadie Thornley, Montrose and Ella Mae Waite (and later his second wife, Anna Marie), Mr. R. H. Wilson, and Mrs. A. A. Fitts (neé Bolden)—followed in her footsteps to spread the gospel in Sierra Leone and the regions beyond.

Story provided by The Alliance News