History of the American Negro: West Virginia Edition

Lloyd A. Perkins

west virginia edition 187 Society and of the N. A. A. C. P. His favorite reading is history. He believes that the only way to insure the progress of the race is to raise the general education of the masses to a higher level. Lloyd A. Perkins Rev. Lloyd Alexander Perkins, B.A., B.D., now (1922) pastor of the First Baptist Church of Williamson, W. Va., is a versatile energetic man who has made a place for himself in the religious life of the state. He is a Native of the Old Dominion. He was born in Louisa County, Va., son of Marshall L. Perkins, who was a farmer, a merchant and carpenter. Marshall Perkins was the son of Rev. Fountain M. and Esther W. Perkins. Rev. Fountain Perkins was active in both church and politics. He was a member of the Virginia Legislature and of the Convention which formed the Reconstruction Constitution of Virginia. The mother of our subject, before her marriage, was Mina Thompson, daughter of Lewis and Matilda Thompson. Growing up in Louisa County, young Perkins there laid the founda­ tion of his education in the public and private schools of that time. In 1887 he entered the College Preparatory Department of the V. N. and C. I. at Petersburg. He completed the preparatory course and the freshman year, college. The financial situation was such that he could not proceed with his course, but he did not whine about it. He began teaching, and taught in the rural schools of Virginia for nine years, and then returned and completed his course, winning the A.B. degree with highest honors in 1902. Nor was this all. He was popular with the student body, which honored him with the presidency of the Y. M. C. A. Kappa Gamma Chi Greek letter fraternity and the Athletic Association. After completing his course at college he passed the Civil Service examination and was appointed to a position in the Government Printing Office, Washington, D. C., which he held from 1903 to 1910. lloyd alexander perkins west virginia edition 189 His religious experience began with his conversion in Louisa County,Va.,when he became a member of Bright Hope Baptist church, of which Dr. D. N. Vassar was pastor; later he joined the 19th Street Baptist Church of which Dr. Walter H. Brooks was the pastor. Here he came into an atmosphere that was conducive to spiritual growth and development and was soon teaching a class of high school girls in the Sunday School and became president of the Y. P. S. of C. E. It was while thus employed that he felt called to preach the Gospel. He was not disobedient to the heavenly vision, but realized that efficient work in the kingdom called for adequate preparation. Accordingly he entered the theological department at Howard University and was graduated at the head of his class with the B.D. degree in 1910, and in the same year ordained to the full work of the ministry. He was made Field Secretary of the Virginia Baptist State Sunday School Convention and during his incumbency was awarded the Normal Diploma and special seals given by the Sunday School Board of the Southern Baptist Convention (white) for special work in institutes. In 1912 Mr. Perkins was called to the pastorate of the First Baptist Church of Charlottesville, Va., which he served for fifteen months when he again took the field for another year. Then he was called back to the Charlottesville church for the year 1916, resigning to accept the pastorate of the First Baptist Church of Mt. Hope, W. Va., where a modern house of worship was erected at a cost of ten thousand dollars. He resigned that work in 1922 to become pastor to the First Baptist Church of Williamson, which has already responded to his splendid leadership. Mr. Perkins stands high in the work of the denomination. He has for several years been a trustee of the West Virginia Seminary and college at Hill Top, is Statistician of his association, clerk of the Ministers and Deacon’s Union of the Tug River Association. Mr. Perkins has been married twice, first to Miss Addie R. Webster, who passed away in 1906. Subsequently he married Miss Nannie B. 190 history american negro Jones, of Richmond,Va., daughter of Stephen D. and Pattie Jones. They have an adopted daughter, Louise Mickie Perkins. In...