48 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH 



then called to the Roanoke-Salem Baptist 

 Church at Garysburg in 1885. In the language 

 of one who was then a member, but has since 

 been called to the same pastorate, ''Dr. Shepard 

 found us in a poor condition as to our house of 

 worship; it was almost completely demolished, 

 held together only by the ceiling ; and he left us 

 in a beautiful and commodious church structure. 

 He i3ut life into the Sunday School. While he 

 was a great builder, his wide knowledge and 

 experience taught him that the prayer meeting 

 and Sunday School lay at the very foundation 

 of a progTessive, prosperous, and successful 

 church." He found the people at Roanoke- 

 Salem Church ready to work; and they found 

 in him a leader untiring in his efforts to build 

 up, to develop, and to go forward. About three 

 hundred persons were added to the church by 

 baptism during the six years of his pastorate. 

 ISTot as in other churches, this church had preach- 

 ing but once a month. In 1891 he left this 

 strong, loving country church to take up work 

 in another section of the State; but like the 

 Apostle to the Gentiles, he never let an oppor- 

 tunity pass to revisit this church, to give and to 

 get inspiration; for this particular church was 

 always an inspiration to him. 



