E. W. Perry and the Southern Baptist Convention, Part 2
A guest post by Luke Holmes
Segregation in Oklahoma City
In Oklahoma, E. W. Perry became the editor of a paper called the “The Baptist Rival” and pastored across Oklahoma in Woodville, El Reno, and Lawton. His first church in Woodville paid $2.50 a month, but he chose to leave because they did not want to hold services every week. He eventually came to Oklahoma City in 1915 to become the Pastor of Tabernacle Baptist Church. When he came there, the church was struggling under a three thousand dollar debt, but within two years he had led them to pay that off and start on a new building.
Serving the city
In Oklahoma City the congregation grew rapidly and became one of the top churches in the state, regardless of race or denomination. He worked tirelessly and served in many leadership capacities across the Black denominations he was a part of. Perry served the Oklahoma Baptist State Convention of Churches as president for 43 years (1919-1962). For 12 years of those same years (1941-1953) he was also Vice-President of the National Baptist Convention (NBC), U.S.A., Inc. His influence across these associations of churches cannot be overstated. In April 1930, one of the NBC leaders had been murdered, and other church leaders were among the suspects. When the Convention met in Atlanta the following year most anticipated a riotous meeting and a split of the work. That night he preached that
The foundation of our organized work has been shaken. It is now trembling, reeling and rocking as though it were intoxicated. While crown heads and men high in the official ranks of our denomination have come together like angry waves and surging billows under the lash of an angry storm, some seem to have the spirit of the heartless mother in Solomon’s time who would divide the child for revenge. While the masses of us move hurriedly and wildly about the convention with the words of the prophet on our lips, “Is there no balm in Gilead?”, there is confusion, hatred, mudslinging and wicked devices on every hand. It seems that we are living at a time when men seek to ride into popularity and prominence over the carcasses of their brethren.
Perry’s message turned the tide of the meeting, and many credited it with “saving” the work of the Convention.
Perry was not content to lead by himself, though, as he constantly worked to raise up other pastors and leaders around him. In 1937, Perry founded the Oklahoma School of Religion at Langston University and served as its President by virtue of his Presidency of the state convention. The school granted degrees through Langston University, and operated with success until it was decided to close it in 1963 as a result of growing integration across the country.
Dr. Perry was also a pioneer in racial relations in Oklahoma City and was continually working for the benefit of everyone around him. He was a leader in the simultaneous revival movement in Oklahoma City, which was the first of its kind in the nation. With his friend Guy Bellamy, an employee of the SBC Home Mission Board, they began a movement where Native Americans, African Americans, Hispanics, and Anglos worked and worshiped together.
Speaking the truth in love
At a planning meeting for these events in Oklahoma City, black and white Baptists gathered for some inspiration and fellowship among each other at the First Baptist Church, then under the leadership of Herschel Hobbs. The governor of Oklahoma and member of FBC, Robert S. Kerr was there, along with many leading citizens of the city. Kerr served as 2nd Vice President of the SBC the year Perry preached to the Convention’s Annual Meeting. When Perry was asked to say a few words at this breakfast gathering, he told them of his poor upbringing in a cotton patch.
Who would have ever thought of me sitting down to breakfast in this great First Baptist Church with the Governor of Oklahoma and all of these fine pastors? I am making a plea for my people. I am not asking for social equality. I am asking that we might have the same privileges and opportunities of others. When you go out into a great forest you will never see the bodies of the trees touching each other. But the roots are all entwined as well as the boughs overhead. So it is that we are all rooted and grounded in the love of God. When we get "over there" we will all be members of the family of God.
His unparalleled leadership on the state and national level is what led to Guy Bellamy asking him to be the first Black man to preach before the Southern Baptist Convention, held in his hometown of OKC that year. Perry was known as the “Prince of the Pulpit” amongst his peers and in front of the crowd gathered in OKC that morning he proved why. The legendary Pastor R.G. Lee of Bellevue Baptist Memphis was president of the SBC that year and watched as Perry mounted the stage. Before he began Perry asked that Lee “not ring him down” (put a timer on him) as he had been 60-plus years coming from a log cabin to preach that night. The eyewitness account from before continued:
When Perry had finished every eye was wet with tears. All present knew they had heard the voice of a prophet of God. Six thousand people gave a standing ovation. “Then President Lee arose and said, "Dr. Perry, come and stand by me and take my hand. I want this convention to witness a parable in black and white, written in red. Over 60 years ago you were born in a log cabin in Mississippi. I, too, was born in a log cabin in South Carolina. You and I have been placed in the high positions we occupy by the vote of confidence of our people. But the same Christ who saved you is the Christ who saved me—both of us have been washed white in the precious blood of the Lamb. This is the parable in black and white, written in red.
Perry served at Tabernacle Baptist Church for 42 years as Pastor, and served as Pastor Emeritus until his death. Perry finally got to meet the man from his dream face-to-face when he passed away on August 31, 1969.
Read the beginning of E. W. Perry's story in Part 1. Luke Holmes is the pastor at Immanuel Baptist Church in Duncan, OK. Read more of his articles on his website and discover more stories of forgotten Christians in his book The Forgotten Faithful.
Listen to more stories of often-forgotten Christians of history in our podcast Forgotten by Ronnie Brown.