REV. WILLIAM THOMAS WALKER

EV. WILLIAM THOMAS WALKER was born in Caswell county, North Carolina, May 4, 1844, and died in Guilford county, May 26, 1895, aged fifty-one years and twenty-two days. He was the only son of Rev. George G. Walker by his first wife, and on his mother's side the great grandson of Rev. James O'Kelly. He seems to have inherited largely the brave and heroic spirit of his illustrious ancestor. He was educated at Graham Institute under those faithful and devoted men Revs. John R. Holt and A. G. Anderson. He entered this institution in 1864. When the civil war began, William T. Walker enlisted from Caswell county, in Company H, 6th North Carolina Regiment, June 25, 1861. He was wounded at Seven Pines near Richmond, and lost his arm May 31, 1863. He showed himself a brave [358] defender of his country. His misfortune he regarded as a means, under God, of turning his mind towards a mightier and more important conflict against sin and for the salvation of the world.

      At the close of the war he married Miss Lessie Rudd of Caswell county, and to them were born five children.

      In 1867, he was licensed by the North Carolina and Virginia Conference at Union chapel in Alamance county, "as a probationer to preach the gospel," at Salem chapel in Forsyth county, in 1868, he was recommended for ordination. The committee on Education reported: "We further recommend that brothers D. A. Long, R. C. Tuck, W. T. Walker and J. W. Hatch be ordained Elders in the Christian Church, they having conformed to all the requirements of the Government of the Church." The ordaining presbytery was composed of Revs. T. J. Fowler, A. Iseley, J. N. Manning, and W. B. Wellons. The ordination sermon was preached by Rev. W. B. Wellons of the Eastern Virginia Conference.

      In 1870, he served on the committee on Temperance at the Conference held at Union in Halifax county, Virginia, and during the year preached at Hines' chapel, Salem chapel, and Mt. Bethel. He was appointed chairman of the committee on temperance for the following year. At the Conference at Mt. Zion in Orange county, North Carolina, he submitted the report on temperance in strong terms, saying in part: "Your committee would therefore urge upon all lovers of social order, cheerful homes, unclouded national councils, and all who would see the church and our holy religion rid of one of the heaviest clogs that ever impeded its progress, to give their entire influence in favor of the great temperance reform, which so many of the good and great are endeavoring to push forward." His ministerial report shows that he had charge of three churches, and had received twenty-eight into fellowship. In 1872, at the [359] Conference at Shallow Well, Moore county, he was present and served on the committee on temperance. His report showed investigation and elicited much discussion, and was unanimously adopted.

      At the Conference at New Providence in Alamance county, in 1873, he preached the annual sermon, "an able and earnest discourse from 2nd chapter and 4th verse of Daniel." He was appointed a fraternal messenger to the M. P. Conference of North Carolina; also a fraternal messenger to the Deep River (Western) Conference. He was present at the Conference at Hanks' chapel, in 1874. This same year, he was invited by the Valley Virginia Conference to take charge of the churches in that field, and in 1875, he preached the annual sermon before that body at Linville church in Rockingham county, Virginia, from Zechariah 4:10, "For who hath despised the day of small things." At this Conference he was made chairman of the committee on Education and of the Executive committee. For the next two years he had charge of the churches of the Conference, and was chosen a delegate, in 1877, to the General Christian Convention. The Convention met at Lebanon in Caswell county, North Carolina, in 1878. He was appointed on the committee of Revision. He preached before the Convention "an excellent sermon" from Proverbs 3. 17, "Her ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace." This year he delivered the annual address before the Valley Virginia Conference at Bethlehem in Rockingham county, his subject being "Christian: the name we wear." He was appointed a fraternal messenger to the Eastern Virginia, and North Carolina and Virginia Conferences, and served on several committees. This year closed his labors in the Valley. He attended the extraordinary session of the General Convention at Suffolk, Virginia, in 1879. At this time he was pastor of the Christian church in [360] Suffolk Just before accepting the pastoral charge of the Suffolk church, he had returned from the Valley of Virginia to his home in North Carolina. By the Virginia Valley Conference at Antioch in Rockingham county, he was granted a letter of transfer from it to the Eastern Virginia Conference at Windsor, Virginia, in 1879, of which he became a member. He was appointed a fraternal messenger to the Virginia Valley Conference, and to the North Carolina and Virginia. In 1880, he attended the Virginia Valley Conference at Linville church, and preached twice before the Conference, and delivered a missionary address at Antioch church in Rockingham county. In 1881, he attended the Valley Conference at Antioch, as fraternal messenger from the Eastern Virginia Conference, and as editor of the Christian Sun, and preached the dedicatory sermon at Antioch on the 1st Sunday in September. He also attended the North Carolina and Virginia Conference at Catawba Springs in Wake county, North Carolina, as fraternal messenger, and preached before the body from Ezek. 1:16, a most, excellent sermon. The committee on Religious Literature recommended "the careful reading of the Christian Sun, published at Suffolk, Va., by Maj. D. B. Dunbar, and edited by Rev. W. T. Walker." He edited the "Annual of the Christian Church for 1881."

      In 1882, he was a delegate from the Eastern Virginia Conference to the General Convention, which met at Morrisville in Wake county, North Carolina. He was endorsed as editor of the Christian Sun.

      At the Eastern Virginia Conference at Bethlehem in Nansemond county, in 1882, he served on the committee on Order of Business. With this Conference he closed his pastorate of the Suffolk church. He attended also the North Carolina and Virginia Conference at Oak Level in Franklin county, as a fraternal messenger. In 1883, he was chosen president of the Conference at [361] Union in Southampton county, Virginia, and elected to deliver the annual address at the next session at Spring Hill in Sussex county. In 1884, he was absent from the Conference. He had charge of Berea in Nansemond county, Virginia, and of New Providence and Shallow Well in the bounds of the North Carolina and Virginia Conference. At this time he was residing in Greensboro, North Carolina. In 1886, he attended the North Carolina and Virginia Conference at New Providence and was invited to a seat as a deliberative member from the Eastern Virginia Conference. Likewise be attended the North Carolina and Virginia Conference at New Elam in Chatham county, in 1887, as a fraternal messenger from the Eastern Virginia Conference. He was now editor of the "North Carolina Prohibitionist," published at Greensboro. In 1888, he received the nomination for Governor on the Prohibition Ticket, and it is generally conceded that he made one of the strongest and most brilliant canvasses the State had known in many years.

      At the North Carolina and Virginia Conference at Youngsville in 1888, he was invited to a seat as a deliberative member. In 1889, he was called to the Christian church at Burlington, which he served one year as pastor. In 1890, he delivered the annual sermon at Graham College, which was well received.

      During the last two or three years of his life he spent the major part of his time on his farm for the purpose of regaining his health. He retired from pastoral work. But before his retirement, he was an active worker, an earnest and eloquent preacher, a strong and ready debater, firm and true to his convictions, and to every obligation he assumed. [362]

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