REV. ROBERT ANTHONY RICKS.

EV. ROBERT ANTHONY RICKS was born in Southampton county, Virginia, November 11, 1854, and died April 26, 1891. His parents were Collin and Louisa Ricks. He was reared on the farm and was given the advantages afforded by the best schools in his community. Before his decision to enter the Christian ministry, he was engaged in teaching. In the year 1878, he attended the Eastern Virginia Christian Conference at Barrett's church, and on motion of a good brother he was invited to a seat in the body as a deliberative member. The young man was a member of the church at Union, and this consideration and recognition on the part of the Conference opened up anew field for his aspirations. He was already actively engaged in the Sunday school at his church. At the Conference held in 1879, at Windsor, Isle of Wight county, Virginia, he was elected Assistant Secretary, and also received as a member of the Biblical class. The committee in its report [385] says, "Bro. R. A. Ricks, of Union, Southampton county, is a young man of much promise. He is teaching at present, but will enter school next spring. Bro. Ricks will pay his own way for a year or more." Soon afterwards he entered the Suffolk Collegiate Institute, where he pursued diligently his studies and made rapid progress for a number of years. He appeared before the Educational committee the following year, 1880, at the Conference at Bethany and the committee states that it had examined R. A. Ricks and others, and that they had made satisfactory progress. These were licensed. During the year Rev. R. A. Ricks preached at Union church in Surry county, Virginia. This was his first pastoral charge. At the Conference at Liberty Spring, in 1881, he was appointed by the committee on religious exercises to preach; he took for his text: "Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you: But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings; that, when this glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy." 1 Pet. 4:12, 13. Here also he appeared before the committee for examination, and was recommended for ordination. Revs. M. B. Barrett, J. T. Kitchen, J. P. Barrett and C. J. Ralston were appointed the ordaining presbytery, and R. A. Ricks was solemnly ordained to the gospel ministry. For ten years he was actively engaged in preaching the gospel, and during that time he developed rare gifts as a sermonizer and writer. At this Conference he was appointed corresponding secretary of the Home Mission committee.

      In 1882, at Bethlehem in Nansemond county, Virginia, Rev. R. A. Ricks was elected standing secretary of the Conference, which position he filled acceptably. This Conference continued "Rev. R. A. Ricks as Home Mission secretary to push the work in every laudable way, [386] giving his entire time, except so much as may be necessary to serve the church at Union, Southampton county, Virginia," but during the year his work was interrupted by necessary duties at home, occasioned by the death of his father. However, he gave general directions and superintended the work, and in 1884, he was continued as Home Mission secretary by the Conference at Spring Hill, Sussex county. At the Conference at Antioch in isle of Wight county, in 1885, he was chosen a delegate to the General (Southern) Christian Convention, which met at Mt. Auburn in Warren county, North Carolina, April 30 to May 4, 1886, and he was elected its assistant secretary. At this time he met and formed the acquaintance of Miss Sallie Haskins of Mecklenburg county, Virginia, whom he married November 18, 1886. He located in Franklin, Virginia, where he was the pastor of the Christian church.

      The Eastern Virginia Conference met at Damascus church in Gates county, North Carolina, November 1, 1887. By this Conference Rev. R. A. Ricks was appointed on the Advisory committee to the Eastern Virginia Colored Conference. He was also appointed on the committee to revise the form of church reports. Conference adopted the following resolutions: 1. "That a committee of three, representing the upper, middle, and lower sections of this Conference, be appointed by the chair to act with the secretary of Conference in rearranging the districts of this body for District Meeting work, inasmuch as many new churches have come into the Conference since the original plan was made."

      2. "That Rev. R. A. Ricks be appointed and requested to write a brief history of the work and results of our Home Mission efforts for the last ten years, not to exceed fifteen pages of foolscap paper, and that the same be submitted to the Executive committee, and on approval of that committee 2,000 copies be printed for [387] gratuitous distribution in this Conference, and that the same be paid for from the publication fund." The work and the history were so satisfactory that the committee on religious literature reported: "We recommend that this Conference appoint a general agent for this Conference, to look after this department of our work, who shall be chairman of the committee on Religious Literature, and that he shall be requested to report to each District Meeting and our Annual Conference the work done." In accordance with this recommendation, Rev. R. A. Ricks was appointed general agent for religious literature for this Conference for the ensuing year, and to act also in the capacity of chairman of the committee on religious literature.

      At the Conference at Holy Neck, in 1880, he was chosen to deliver the annual sermon at the next meeting of the Conference to be held at Providence church in Norfolk county; he was also elected a delegate to the General (Southern) Christian Convention to meet in Suffolk, on May 2, 1890. At this Convention which met with the Christian church in Suffolk, May 2, 1890, he was appointed on the Home Mission committee, and was chairman of the committee of the Whole to consider the advisability of sending delegates to the American Christian Convention. In November of this year he was called to the pastoral charge of the Christian church at Burlington, North Carolina. In connection with this work, he did missionary work at Reidsville. The congregation at Burlington had not yet erected a house of worship, but through the efforts of the pastor the work was rapidly advancing. The Methodist house of worship had been tendered the pastor and congregation on Sunday, April 26, 1891, and the Rev. R. A. Ricks having ascended the pulpit and the people assembling, he fell dead without a moment's warning of the approach of the Death Angel. He did in a few months the finest work [388] of his life. He thus died in the beginning of his prime and went to his reward, lamented by the brotherhood and a large circle of personal admirers.

      Elder Ricks was a good sermonizer. Quite a number of his sermons have been published, and if collected together would make a handsome volume of sound religious literature.

[LCM 385-389]