Far-flung Flock Keeps Faith
* Pastor Joshua A. McClure says the Pleasant Street Baptist Church in Westerly is "bursting at the seams"
as it approaches the 125-year milestone in its history as a spiritual sanctuary.
They arrive by the van load at the Pleasant Street Baptist Church in Westerly on Sunday mornings. One
van fetches worshipers in Providence and northern Rhode Island communities, bringing them to this far
corner of Westerly. Another comes from Connecticut villages and towns.
Mallory Davis, 42, a choir director and associate minister, makes the drive each week from his home in
Rumford. "It's the best church I've known in the state," he explained simply.
Pastor Joshua A. McClure, who is about to celebrate the 15th anniversary of his ordination, said the
Pleasant Street church is "bursting at the seams" as it approaches a major milestone in its history: a century
and a quarter as a spiritual sanctuary.
A week-long series of anniversary events begins Sunday for this congregation that has not only survived
through 125 years, but also a fire in 1964 that destroyed 75 percent of their church. It was 1874 when
some three dozen people gathered at the Westerly house of Henry Champlin and established what they
called the Advent Christian Colored Church. The name remained until 1933, when it became the Pleasant
Street Baptist Church, named after the street where there has been a meeting house since the late 1870s.
Sunday morning service begins at 10:45 a.m., but people arrive earlier, greeted with hugs or handshakes
by fellow members and seated by white-gloved ushers.
"It's going to be a busy two weeks for the Pleasant Street Baptist Church," Dorothy McClure, the pastor's
daughter, told a packed congregation last Sunday, listing choir rehearsals, a Sunday school teachers'
gathering, a breakfast meeting and deadline for the anniversary celebration.
McClure's day started at her East Providence home well before breakfast and ended after dinner, with all
of the hours in between devoted to this congregation.
"You get up and you go to work. You need to give the Lord the same time," she said, adding that her
friends know her "weekends are involved in the church."
It's not just that her father is pastor and that her three siblings and their children attend, said McClure, 38.
"I used to go to church in Providence, but I wasn't finding what I needed. I wasn't getting the fellowship.
We're all one big happy family here," she said. "If I don't come here on Sunday, I'm missing something.
When you walk into this church, it's different."
It was standing-room-only on Sunday, despite one of the vans breaking down and despite some of the
congregation also attending services in Newport, where they were invited to sing later in the afternoon
"I'm not doing it; God's doing it," said Pastor McClure, who estimates that at least 150 attend services at
Pleasant Street Baptist on Sunday, though not all of them are members. "We don't push membership," he
said. "It's a church where people are free to worship. We minister to whoever."
Though "Baptist" is in the church's name, McClure said he doesn't want the congregation to appear
restrictive, denominationally or otherwise. "We're multiracial, mult-iethnic. It's just people, wonderful
people."
When the pastor stepped up before the congregation last Sunday, he said, "I thank God for all of you here
today." A man from the congregation spoke out. "I thank God for you," the man, seated in a front pew,
responded. "Thank you,"answered the pastor.
Some church members credit McClure with attracting greater participation in this congregation. "It's not my
church; it's God's church," McClure noted. "There are some people ... no one wants to minister to them."
"We care what happens to them," injected Margeritta Tucker, of Westerly, who has been a church
member for nearly 40 years.
"All they want to know is, do you care for them," added Pastor McClure. "If someone is hungry, you can't
tell them about Christ until you provide food." The congregation provides medicine, diapers and food
supplies to those who express a need, said McClure. "We find a way."
While the church raises money to assist those in need, it is also three years into a five-year campaign to
enlarge the facility to accommodate the growing congregation. Both McClure and Tucker say they've
witnessed major changes at the Westerly church.
"Right now, we have a lot of younger people," said McClure, recalling how, while preaching one Sunday
morning, he counted seven babies in carriers in the side church hall. "There was a time when there were no
kids here. Now we have a choir with about 30 kids in it." In fact, this church has a men's choir, a senior
choir, a young adult choir and another choir that spans all ages. "It's made great strides from where it
started," said Tucker. "I think it's what God wants, and it's the leadership."
Pastor McClure said parishioners who move away often keep in contact, telling him, "You're still my
pastor." Dion Haynes and his wife, Karima, both former Providence Journal reporters now living in
California, still keep in touch with the Pleasant Street Baptist Church, where they were married in 1987.
"It feels like a family to us," said Dion, 38, who added that the pastor "is almost like a father to me."
The Pleasant Street Baptist community, recalled Haynes, who was just out of college and new to Rhode
Island when he discovered the church, "just took us under their wing." "It's a very special place."
Anniversary events, which began yesterday with Pastor's Appreciation Day, are slated throughout the
week, continuing through Sept. 26 with a 125th anniversary celebration service at 10:45 a.m. For a
complete listing of events, call 596-1923.
REACHING OUT: Delivering a sermon at the Pleasant Street Baptist Church on a recent Sunday is the
Rev. Joshua A. McClure, whose enthusiasm for his work and his passion for his congregation are boosting
attendance at services.
STANDING-ROOM ONLY: The pews are packed and the aisles are crowded. Sunday began a series
of anniversary events for the
congregation.
* * *
Journal photos/WILLIAM K. DABY
BYLINE: ARLINE A. FLEMING Journal Staff Writer
DATE: 09-20-1999
PUBLICATION: Providence Journal Company
EDITION:
SECTION: Newspapers_&_Newswires
PAGE: C-01
KEYWORDS: RELIGION
SECTION: News
* Pastor Joshua A. McClure says the Pleasant Street Baptist Church in Westerly is "bursting at the seams"
as it approaches the 125-year milestone in its history as a spiritual sanctuary.
They arrive by the van load at the Pleasant Street Baptist Church in Westerly on Sunday mornings. One
van fetches worshipers in Providence and northern Rhode Island communities, bringing them to this far
corner of Westerly. Another comes from Connecticut villages and towns.
Mallory Davis, 42, a choir director and associate minister, makes the drive each week from his home in
Rumford. "It's the best church I've known in the state," he explained simply.
Pastor Joshua A. McClure, who is about to celebrate the 15th anniversary of his ordination, said the
Pleasant Street church is "bursting at the seams" as it approaches a major milestone in its history: a century
and a quarter as a spiritual sanctuary.
A week-long series of anniversary events begins Sunday for this congregation that has not only survived
through 125 years, but also a fire in 1964 that destroyed 75 percent of their church. It was 1874 when
some three dozen people gathered at the Westerly house of Henry Champlin and established what they
called the Advent Christian Colored Church. The name remained until 1933, when it became the Pleasant
Street Baptist Church, named after the street where there has been a meeting house since the late 1870s.
Sunday morning service begins at 10:45 a.m., but people arrive earlier, greeted with hugs or handshakes
by fellow members and seated by white-gloved ushers.
"It's going to be a busy two weeks for the Pleasant Street Baptist Church," Dorothy McClure, the pastor's
daughter, told a packed congregation last Sunday, listing choir rehearsals, a Sunday school teachers'
gathering, a breakfast meeting and deadline for the anniversary celebration.
McClure's day started at her East Providence home well before breakfast and ended after dinner, with all
of the hours in between devoted to this congregation.
"You get up and you go to work. You need to give the Lord the same time," she said, adding that her
friends know her "weekends are involved in the church."
It's not just that her father is pastor and that her three siblings and their children attend, said McClure, 38.
"I used to go to church in Providence, but I wasn't finding what I needed. I wasn't getting the fellowship.
We're all one big happy family here," she said. "If I don't come here on Sunday, I'm missing something.
When you walk into this church, it's different."
It was standing-room-only on Sunday, despite one of the vans breaking down and despite some of the
congregation also attending services in Newport, where they were invited to sing later in the afternoon
"I'm not doing it; God's doing it," said Pastor McClure, who estimates that at least 150 attend services at
Pleasant Street Baptist on Sunday, though not all of them are members. "We don't push membership," he
said. "It's a church where people are free to worship. We minister to whoever."
Though "Baptist" is in the church's name, McClure said he doesn't want the congregation to appear
restrictive, denominationally or otherwise. "We're multiracial, mult-iethnic. It's just people, wonderful
people."
When the pastor stepped up before the congregation last Sunday, he said, "I thank God for all of you here
today." A man from the congregation spoke out. "I thank God for you," the man, seated in a front pew,
responded. "Thank you,"answered the pastor.
Some church members credit McClure with attracting greater participation in this congregation. "It's not my
church; it's God's church," McClure noted. "There are some people ... no one wants to minister to them."
"We care what happens to them," injected Margeritta Tucker, of Westerly, who has been a church
member for nearly 40 years.
"All they want to know is, do you care for them," added Pastor McClure. "If someone is hungry, you can't
tell them about Christ until you provide food." The congregation provides medicine, diapers and food
supplies to those who express a need, said McClure. "We find a way."
While the church raises money to assist those in need, it is also three years into a five-year campaign to
enlarge the facility to accommodate the growing congregation. Both McClure and Tucker say they've
witnessed major changes at the Westerly church.
"Right now, we have a lot of younger people," said McClure, recalling how, while preaching one Sunday
morning, he counted seven babies in carriers in the side church hall. "There was a time when there were no
kids here. Now we have a choir with about 30 kids in it." In fact, this church has a men's choir, a senior
choir, a young adult choir and another choir that spans all ages. "It's made great strides from where it
started," said Tucker. "I think it's what God wants, and it's the leadership."
Pastor McClure said parishioners who move away often keep in contact, telling him, "You're still my
pastor." Dion Haynes and his wife, Karima, both former Providence Journal reporters now living in
California, still keep in touch with the Pleasant Street Baptist Church, where they were married in 1987.
"It feels like a family to us," said Dion, 38, who added that the pastor "is almost like a father to me."
The Pleasant Street Baptist community, recalled Haynes, who was just out of college and new to Rhode
Island when he discovered the church, "just took us under their wing." "It's a very special place."
Anniversary events, which began yesterday with Pastor's Appreciation Day, are slated throughout the
week, continuing through Sept. 26 with a 125th anniversary celebration service at 10:45 a.m. For a
complete listing of events, call 596-1923.
REACHING OUT: Delivering a sermon at the Pleasant Street Baptist Church on a recent Sunday is the
Rev. Joshua A. McClure, whose enthusiasm for his work and his passion for his congregation are boosting
attendance at services.
STANDING-ROOM ONLY: The pews are packed and the aisles are crowded. Sunday began a series
of anniversary events for the
congregation.
* * *
Journal photos/WILLIAM K. DABY
BYLINE: ARLINE A. FLEMING Journal Staff Writer
DATE: 09-20-1999
PUBLICATION: Providence Journal Company
EDITION:
SECTION: Newspapers_&_Newswires
PAGE: C-01
KEYWORDS: RELIGION
SECTION: News
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