62 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH 



OTlfjite a^ocfe iSaptigt Cljurcf) 



The Baraca Class of the White Eock Baptist 

 Church is the live wire of the church. The late 

 pastor, Rev. Augustus Shepard, D.D., always 

 believed in young men, and he conceived the 

 idea at the very outset of his pastorate in Dur- 

 ham, to enlist the young men in the work of the 

 church. He started the work with a class of six, 

 and from six the class grew to one hundred 

 and five, with an average attendance of sixty- 

 four. It is a remarkable sight to see such a 

 large body of young men anxiously and eagerly 

 engaged in church work, seeking to do some- 

 thing. The motto of the class is, "Young Men 

 Helping Young Men, All Standing by the Bi- 

 ble." The class has a regular business organi- 

 zation which meets weekly. They contribute 

 each week to any sick member of the class ; they 

 seek out the stranger, they help in the general 

 work of the church. From this class ushers 

 are appointed, and they have charge of the 

 penny collection or offering for the sick. The 

 organization of this class has added hundreds 

 of dollars to the church's finances; besides, it 

 has exerted a saving influence upon a large num- 



