In December of 1908, Corinthian Baptist’s minister TL Griffith announced his resignation. His plan was to move to Denver, Colorado, and pastor Zion Church, which was, at the time, the largest Black church in the US. In January, 1909, the Register reported that the congregation passed a resolution (including a letter to Zion Church’s congregation) refusing Griffith’s resignation. Instead, the good people of Corinthian Baptist offered Reverend Griffith two weeks of vacation to visit Denver so that he could un-do his moving preparations.
In corporate speak, we talk a lot about metrics: how do we know we’re doing the right things? How do we define success? I honestly hadn’t thought about how one would measure the success of a church, but here are some facts about Corinthian Baptist Church during TL Griffith’s tenure. I can see why they didn’t want to let him go.
- Church membership grew from 140 to over 500
- The church expanded and moved to a bigger building, purchased from a white Unitarian congregation (the new building was located at 2nd and Linden streets)
- Property ownership amongst church members grew from 9 members owning property in 1901 to 60 property owners in 1908
Sources: Des Moines Register December 29 1908 p 8
Des Moines Register, January 18, 1909, p 5
Research Credit: Evelynn Coffie
