the
Church at Savannah, until the evacuation, did walk as a_ faithful,
well-behaved Christian, and to recommend her to join any church of the
same faith and order. Given under my hand this 21st day of _December_,
in the year of our Lord, 1791.
George Liele.
--_Baptist Annual Register_, 1790-1793, pages 339-344.
ACCOUNT OF THE NEGRO CHURCH AT SAVANNAH, AND OF TWO NEGRO MINISTERS
Savannah, Dec. 22, 1792.
_Dear Brother Rippon_,
By return of Capt. Parrot in the ship Hannah, opportunity offers to
acknowledge receipt of your kind favour with two boxes of books
agreeable to invoice, which were very thankfully acceptable to our
Brother Andrew, as well as to myself, and were delivered agreeable to
your request. Within a month past a few of our Christian friends
providentially collected at my house, when it was thought necessary we
should commence a subscription for the building of a Baptist
Meeting-house in this city, as the corporation has given us a lot for
that purpose. Mr. Ebenezer Hills and myself were appointed trustees, and
we have subscribed L35. 6s. if we can get as much more, we intend to
begin the work, please God to smile on our weak endeavours, and the
place will be made sufficiently large to accommodate the black people:
they have been frowned upon of late by some despisers of religion, who
have endeavoured to suppress their meeting together on Thursday evening
in the week which was their custom, but is now set aside; so that they
only continue worship from the sun rise to sun set on Sabbath days.
I copied brother Andrew's last return of members for brother Silas
Mercer, who was here since the association of Coosawhatchic, which is as
follows: Return made to the Georgia Association,
Supposed to be two or three years past.................. 250
Baptized since (say 80 in this year 1792)............... 159 409
---
Excommunicated.......................................... 8
Dead.................................................... 12 20
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Total remaining Nov. 26, 1792......................... 389
Brother Andrew lately brought me a letter from brother George Liele, of
Jamaica, expressive of the great increase of his church in that island.
Andrew is free only since the death of his old master, and purchased his
freedom of on
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