Temple Baptist pastor celebrates 50 years in pulpit
CHESTER » The congregants of Temple Baptist Church have reason to celebrate Sunday when they honor a rare occasion at the 10:30 a.m. service, the 50th pastoral anniversary of the Rev. Jeremiah W. Witherspoon and first lady Ruby T. Witherspoon.
“Fifty years is a milestone for pastors. That’s normally never heard of,” said Larry Freeman, chairman of the church’s Board of Deacons. “The congregation is blessed and we’re celebrating.”
“I’m very flattered because they’re doing it out of courtesy. There’s nothing in the bylaws and constitution that say we have to have an anniversary,” said the Rev. Witherspoon. “They’re doing for me what they think they should, and I really appreciate that.”
As Delaware County’s longest tenured pastor and Chester’s Senior Baptist Minister, the Rev. Witherspoon has held executive positions with Baptist associations and nondenominational ministerium in the city, county and greater Philadelphia region. His work has been recognized with awards from both religion and secular organizations.
Belying his stature around the region, when Witherspoon, 86, spoke at his office – adorned with photos of family, former churches and pastors who mentored him – it wasn’t the major events of his 50 years at Temple Baptist and 68 years in the ministry he recalled, but small encounters with congregants, what shaped him as a young minster in the South, and what it takes to keep a church moving forward. “The church motto is ‘we specialize in spiritual growth,’ and he has been the main person behind that,” said Freeman.
Witherspoon, a native South Carolinian, has balanced staying true to the traditions he grew up in while expanding Temple Baptist’s programs and worship services to bring young people into the fold.
“Temple is probably one of the last traditionally Baptist churches in this city,” said Freeman. “We still come in suits. It’s been a strong point of Pastor Witherspoon’s leadership – the traditional church. But it’s flexible; we have to change to keep our young people.”
While his church growing up in Manning, S.C., had electricity, Witherspoon had the opportunity to see a traditional rural method of timing a pastor’s sermon during his youth.
“The churches away from electrical lines had lanterns,” he said. “The lantern was good for 45 minutes, so if they filled the lantern up while he was preaching, he went over 45 minutes.”
His first pastoral appointment at Ridgewood Baptist Church in Columbia, S.C., included building a new church to replace the original structure built in another rural church tradition – the congregation building the structure themselves.”
“Everything was done on the barter system,” Witherspoon said. “All that was paid for was the material. While they built the churches, the wives would be there preparing food for the people who were working. Everything was done without money being exchanged.” Often built whenever land was available without disrupting farms, the buildings were not subject to code enforcement.
The experience at Ridgewood was valuable when confronted with Temple Baptist outgrowing its old location at Sixth and Parker streets by the mid-1970s. The church was surrounded by residences with no way to modify existing structures.
The church didn’t have to look far as St. George Greek Orthodox Church around the corner on Seventh Street was moving out of the city.
“In the South, you can build a monumental church. There’s a lot of land; here, everything’s established. It’s easier to buy a structure than build one.” By chance, the church’s new home came with a personal meaning for Witherspoon. “The building was built in 1949; I started preaching in October of 1949.”
The 1976 move to the block-long property on Seventh between Kerlin and Butler streets gave the congregation a larger church, along with room for future expansion. An annex was constructed in the mid-1990s for the growing number of extracurricular programs at the church.
“A deacon here told me years ago here the reason they have a lot of problems in churches is because you don’t keep them busy enough,” Witherspoon said. “You can’t be busy and mischievous, too.”
During his time at Temple Baptist, the number of church auxiliaries has grown from about eight to 26. The auxiliaries and extra-curricular programs have a dual purpose of keeping congregations active in the church, and bring in members of the community in need of direction.
“We don’t say ‘this program is for drug dealers,’ but when you invite someone going off the deep end, they know that someone outside of their circle is interested in what they’re doing. We want you here, not to condemn you, but so as time goes on you will get a different outlook on life.”
“In order to keep people’s interest, you have to keep them involved,” said Witherspoon. “When you leave the service, you feel you were a part of it. You weren’t a spectacular, you were a participator.” Young people have been a focal point of this outlook, with ushers, choirs, and praise dancers now a regular part of worship.
“We have a children’s church where they go and have lectures – something that they can digest,” Witherspoon said. “Once in the Black Protestant church, the young people would just sit with their parents and go. We now have what’s called children’s church. This is your church, as a child – not in the future.”
Witherspoon’s work to ensure new generations continue the church’s work extends up to upcoming ministers citywide. “He’s mentored most of the young pastors of this city,” said Freeman. “To be invited to be in his pulpit – you’ve made the grade.”
The church hopes to celebrate the Rev. Witherspoon’s anniversary with those he has impacted with his years of leadership in the city and region. “He’s been a spiritual motivator and a friend as well as our pastor. We continue to pray for him and his family,” said Freeman.