46 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH 



Augustus Shepard. His life was so chaste and 

 pure, so imposing in his demeanor, his manly 

 face bearing such an expression of the Christ, 

 his very presence in the pulpit meant more to 

 the people who knew and loved him, than many 

 preachers laboring with their might. 



We have already mentioned the fact that 

 while a student at the Baptist Institute, or Shaw 

 University, he was called to the Blount Street 

 Baptist Church to be associated with the pastor, 

 President H. M. Tupper. His services greatly 

 aided the overworked Kev. Dr. Tupper, and 

 through him the church was greatly strength- 

 ened, both in numbers and influence. He was 

 afterward called to Hillsboro, ISTorth Carolina. 

 The church at Hillsboro never enjoyed such 

 prosperity as it did under his pastorate ; having 

 the leadership all to himself, he demonstrated 

 his ability to lead, and gave promise of greater 

 results by far in greater fields of usefulness. 

 The membership was gi^eatly increased, and dig- 

 nity and spiritual force were in evidence. In 

 1875, over the strong protests of church and 

 community, he resigned. 



The year following he was called to the First 

 Baptist Church of Oxford, :N'. C. The greatest 



