Library: Archives & Special Collections: First Shiloh Baptist Church [1914-1985]

Descriptive Summary

Title: First Shiloh Baptist Church

Date Span: 1914-1985

Acquisition Number: N/A

Creator: First Shiloh Baptist Church

Donor: First Shiloh Baptist Church

Date of Acquisition: 1986

Extent: 6 reels

Format: Microfilm; 16mm filmed with a 34X lens; contents also available on CD

Language: English

Locations: (1) The Monroe Fordham Regional History Center, Archives & Special Collections Department, E. H. Butler Library, SUNY Buffalo State; (2) The Frank E. Merriweather Library and William A. Miles Center for African and African-American Studies

Processed: Organized, indexed, and microfilmed in 1986 by the following Buffalo State College students: Margaret Beiter, Maria Branco, Mary Beth Germain, and Gloria Wallace; reprocessed 2017, Hope Dunbar

Information on Use

Access:
The First Shiloh Baptist Church Papers Collection is open for research. Materials are available on microfilm or CD for access within the department. Appointment required.

Reproduction of Materials:
See Archivist for information on reproducing materials from this collection, including photocopies, digital camera images, or digital scans, as well as copyright restrictions that may pertain to these materials.

Even though all reasonable and customary best-practices have been pursued, this collection may contain materials with confidential information that is protected under federal or state right to privacy laws and regulations. Researchers are advised that the disclosure of certain information pertaining to identifiable living individuals represented in this collection without the consent of those individuals may have legal ramifications (e.g., a cause of action under common law for invasion of privacy may arise if facts are published that would be deemed highly offensive to a reasonable person) for which the SUNY Buffalo State assumes no responsibility.

Preferred Citation:
[Description and dates], Box/Item/Reel number, First Shiloh Baptist Church, The Monroe Fordham Regional History Center, Archives & Special Collections Department, E. H. Butler Library, SUNY Buffalo State.

Biographical Note:
First Shiloh Baptist Church was established in the Ellicott district, known as the Fifth Ward, Ellicott District on October 1, 1916.

The Church grew out of an assembly of 12 persons who met in the home of Mrs. Hattie Causey at 25 Union Street for prayer meetings. The only known names of the group were Rev. Fredrick E. Edmunds, Walter Campbell, August Valentine, Nathan McCullough, Bert Leftwich, William Thompson, Sandy Thomas, Mrs. Minnie Fitzhugh, Mrs. Pearl Campbell and Mrs. Causey. The group chose as its pastor, The Rev. Fredrick Edmunds who was a member of the Michigan Avenue Baptist Church.

Pastor Edmunds succeeded in adding new members to the congregation, unfortunately after serving a mere eight months, dissatisfaction among the 77 members resulted in a split of the church. Pastor Edmunds remained with on faction, which called itself the First Shiloh Baptist Church. The other faction retained the name of Shiloh for a time but soon changed it to the Trinity Baptist Church.

The First Shiloh Baptist Church headed by Pastor Edmunds used as its new home, a storefront at 416 Clinton Street. Sunday school classes were set up and officers selected Nathan McCullough as Superintendent.

During 1917, the membership increased by 50 percent. To help meet the needs of newcomers to Buffalo who were migrating in great numbers from the south, the Willing Workers Club and the Missionary Society were formed. On November 13, 1917, the church was formally incorporated as the First Shiloh Baptist Church.

In November 1918, the congregation ‘called” The Rev. Elijah J. Echols, Sr. of Columbus, Mississippi. Pastor Echols accepted and began his pastorate of the First Shiloh, which would last more than 40 years.

In May 1921, the church congregation moved into the building at 40 Cedar Street. For the next forty-five years, this building was the home of the First Shiloh Baptist Church.

Much of which First Shiloh has become is due to the leadership and foundation provided by Rev. Elijah J. Echols Sr. During the more than four decades of Rev. Echols’ pastorate, many ministers served Shiloh. Sons of Shiloh who were ordained into the ministry under Rev. Elijah Echols, Sr. were the Reverends Elijah J. Echols Jr., Walter M. Echols, George Bell, Ivor Moore, Spurgeon B. Donaldson, Phale D. Hale, M. Samuel Pinkston, William K. Richardson, Thomas J. Woodyard, James Robinson, Leo Murphy and F.D. Reid. All of these ministers serve or have served as successful pastors in churches across this country. On May 16, 1961, after serving for 43 years as pastor of First Shiloh, Rev. Elijah J. Echols Sr. passed away.

Rev. Elijah Echols, Jr. was elected to succeed his father as pastor. His formal installation took place in March 1962.

The groundbreaking ceremonies for the current church building, on the site of the home of the famous abolitionist, William Wells Brown, were held on August 9, 1964. On May 15, 1966, members and friends made the short trip of one block from the old building to the new $700,000 church structure, which was formally dedicated on July 3, 1966.

During the 22 years of Pastor Echols Jr. able and dedicated leadership, First Shiloh remained strong and attained nationwide recognition as an outstanding church. Under Pastor Echols’ leadership First Shiloh continued with 27 boards, clubs and auxiliaries.

Pastor Echols, Jr. was called home on March 30, 1984. During his pastorate, not only did he save souls for Christ; he also made a tremendous impact on the local and regional ecumenical community. He served as President of the Board of directors of the Buffalo Area Council of Churches, and was President of the Empire State Baptist Convention at the time of his death.

Shortly after the death of Pastor Echols, Jr., the church elected the Rev. Timothy Careathers of the First Baptist Church in Milford, Connecticut, to assume the position of pastor. He was installed as the fourth pastor on June 30, 1985. Pastor Careathers served approximately one and half years before resigning February 15, 1987.

On June 17, 1988 the congregation elected The Rev. Leslie D. Braxton as its fifth pastor. Under pastor Braxton’s leadership five persons were ordained and licensed to gospel ministry: John Ross Dixon, Kathi Chavous, Melvin Maxwell, Jannie Redmon and Kimberly Gladden. A total of 13 Deacons were ordained with Earline Oliver being First Shiloh’s first Female Deacon.

During this period, the long awaited First Shiloh Housing Development Corporation came to fruition. In 1998, the First Shiloh Christian High School opened as the first Afro-Centric Comprehensive Christian High School in the Buffalo, New York area. After a total of 13 years of service at First Shiloh, in August 1999, Dr. Braxton accepted the “call” from Mount Zion Baptist Church in Seattle, Washington.

In December 2000, the congregation elected Rev. Artis McKinley Royal as the sixth pastor of the First Shiloh Baptist Church.

Pastor Royal implemented new church Mission and Vision statements, which set the tone for enhancing and creating new ministries.

Building improvement projects were completed, which included remodeling the kitchen, baptistery, and other neglected areas of the edifice. The nursery environment and services were revitalized, and a new van was purchased to meet transportation needs.

Pastor Royal accepted the “call” in August 2003, to shepherd the flock at Pilgrims’ Rest Baptist Church in Memphis, Tennessee.

In October 2006, Rev. Jonathan R. Staples of Palo Alto, CA accepted the congregation’s call to be the seventh pastor. Pastor Staples is the former Senior Pastor of the Jerusalem Baptist Church of Palo Alto, CA. He holds a Bachelors Degree from Stanford University and a Masters of Divinity from Princeton. Additionally, he has completed all of the coursework for a Doctorate of Ministry from San Francisco Theological Seminary. Pastor Staples places high priorities on “discipleship and growing people.” He envisions the church as one that builds relations through preaching, praise, promoting fellowship and proclaiming the Gospel. Under his leadership, new ministries have been initiated, a van has been purchased and several building improvements have been made. Additionally, Victoria Ferguson-Young, Jacquelyn Ross Brown, David Hampton and Rachelle Satchell-Robinson have been ordained to the ministry of Word and Sacrament, 4 new deacons were ordained and 3 deaconesses were added to the board.

Scope and Contents:
Anniversary programs; church legers; church membership; church programs; committee records; conference reports and materials; ephemera; event programs; financial reports and records; funeral programs; guidelines; letters; minutes; newspaper clippings; personal letters; photographs; planning reports; printed programs; and tax records.

Downloadable Finding-Aid and Inventory

First Shiloh Baptist Church Finding-Aid & Inventory

Please see these additional collections:

Echols Family Beginning in 1918, for more than six decades the Echols family was central to the history and development of the First Shiloh Baptist Church of Buffalo, New York. Rev. E.J. Echols, Sr. served as Pastor of First Shiloh for 43 years (1918-1961); and his son Rev. E.J. Echols, Jr. succeeded him and was pastor for 22 years (1962-1984). The Echols Family name is well known and respected in the African American community of Buffalo. Like the Nash family name, the Echols family name is an icon in the 20th century history of the Buffalo African American community.
Hodges Family Papers In church circles “Clem” Hodges was known as “Mr. Layman.” His many years of dedication and hard work earned him a statewide and national reputation as a special Baptist layman. In addition to his church work, Mr. Hodges was a leader and activist in many community organizations, as well as local and statewide boards in his profession--Social work. In 1991, he retired from his position as Director of Social Work Services for the Veterans Hospitals in Batavia and Rochester. Mr. Hodges life was a model of total dedication to helping people and public service. For more than 50 years he was an active and prominent member of First Shiloh Baptist Church, Buffalo. He was a past Chairman of that church’s Christian Education Department; a member of the First Shiloh Board of Trustees; vice president of American Baptist Churches of the Niagara Frontier; past president of the Laymen’s Departments of the Empire Baptist Convention and the National Baptist Convention. He was known as a leader and an innovator in the Baptist Laymen’s movement.

For More Information...

The First Shiloh Baptist Church Website