KEEPING THE FAITH
Black churches have impact , seek more involvement in community
STORY BY TAYLOR WOOTEN • PHOTOS BY BILL HANSON
NEWS AND TRIBUNE
Rev . LeRoy Marshall waltzes around the upstairs sanctuary of Second Baptist Church in New Albany , pointing . His voice echoes as he lists , item by item , what it took to restore the 1852 structure to its former glory .
The stained glass windows , $ 2,500 each . The doors , $ 15,000 . The chandeliers , $ 2,500 each .
Marshall , 71 , lovingly calls Second Baptist a “ money pit .” There is always something to be done . When Marshall took the job at Second Baptist in 2009 , he had no idea the building was nearly condemned .
THE SITE , WITH ITS 150-FEET TALL STEEPLE , SERVED AS A BEACON OF HOPE FOR ENSLAVED AFRICAN AMERICANS AS PART OF THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD .
When the building was constructed it was a predominantly white Presbyterian church with anti-slavery and abolitionist attitudes . Members of the church helped freed and escaped enslaved people on their journey north , which frequently was aimed at reaching a Quaker community in Salem , according to Clark County historian Jeanne Burke .
The historical church was in shambles when Marshall started his job .
“ We had bird poop in the belfry ; $ 13,000 just to get it out and cleaned up ,” Marshall said .
In 2012 , the Friends of Town Clock Church formed to help restore the deteriorating structure . By 2016 , the group had raised enough to replace the iconic steeple that was destroyed by lightning in 1916 . The efforts earned the building the 2018 Cook Cup for Outstanding Restoration .
“ We probably spent about a million dollars on this building , and probably another , maybe another million I guess maybe in-kind work ,” Marshall said .
Descendants of the white parishioners still live in the area , Marshall said . They were important to the raising of over a million dollars for the reconstruction of the church .
Marshall is proud of the extensive work the community has done to restore the church . But , Marshall wants it to be known that the church still hosts an active congregation .
“ Some people think that this is actually a museum ,” Marshall said . “ This is a working , viable church .”
Construction has begun on a museum detached from the church itself will be built next door as part of a development named Town Clock Place . With this addition and much of the restoration complete , Marshall is hoping he can soon shift his focus completely to the church community .
“ Now that we ' ve gotten a lot of work done , we can concentrate on getting the word out that we are here and we would invite the whole community to come out of worship ,” Marshall said .
Despite the generosity of the Friends of Town Clock Church and other community members , the church still has a hard time getting by financially . A small congregation of 25 and a large , decaying building create challenges for the site that once hosted refugees .
Marshall said he keeps a large calculator on his desk for this reason .
“ That ’ s what the Black church is up against ,” Marshall said . “ Not enough finances , a lot of work to do .”
2022 Diversity Magazine 21