Documentary of Norfolk’s 225-Year-Old First Baptist Church Now Available

By Rosaland Tyler
Associate Editor
New Journal and Guide

Documentary lovers can now watch the 225-year-old history of Norfolk’s historic First Baptist Church-Bute Street.

“If These Walls Could Talk,” guides you through the church’s humble beginning, which began in a small building with White and Black congregants. The tenure of several White pastors is described, as well as the controversial 1866-1848 tenure of the Rev. James Mitchell, an Englishman, whose wife died and he married a Black woman, Lucy, in 1839, at a time when a $250 state fine aimed to discourage ministers from marrying interracial couples.

“But, remember he had young children that needed to be cared for,” said one of the church historians who narrates the documentary. “In 1817 … some of the White members left the congregation to form the Cumberland Street Baptist Church which later claimed the name First Baptist Church of Norfolk.” Mitchell died in 1849 at age 80. Most White members had left by then.

In 1830, Mitchell and more than a dozen interracial church leaders and congregants purchased a new plot of land on E. Bute Street in Norfolk. “Thanks to these men that is the plot of land on which our church now stands,” explains one of the narrators in the documentary.

Members such as Mary Peake left but returned as a teacher. Peake is well-known for teaching Black children to read underneath the oak tree on what became Hampton Institute. She taught thousands to read.

The new church that could comfortably seat at least 1,500 people went on to inspire and train many Blacks, including the Norfolk 17 in 1958.

The new documentary also highlights the church’s organ and ongoing educational efforts.

The documentary traces the church’s early beginning and includes information about Massive Resistance. Then, members educated public school students in the church for almost a year after Massive Resistance closures forced students out of public schools.

“I was also locked out of a public school at age 9,” one narrator explained, pointing to photos of the Norfolk 17, students who were legally locked out of local public schools. “But we persevered with God and the Black church behind us.”

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Norfolk Mayor Kenny Alexander appears in the documentary. “The impact that First Baptist is having on the city of Norfolk – it is tremendous,” he said. “We appreciate it. We could not do it without First Baptist Church … We don’t have a listening ear that a pastor of a church can have. The government would not be able to gather the people and help them to live better lives.”

The documentary examines numerous good deeds attributed to First Baptist and includes other political leaders.

Virginia State Senator Angelia Williams Graves, for example, said First Baptist Church members “went out to the hedges and highways” and formulated local solutions. “As a church they could have said that is not our problem” but they went to hedges and highways and found solutions for local parents and children, Graves said.

The oldest member of First Baptist Church said she started or worked on several ministries that helped many individuals. “Every year we thought of something different.” Trust in God, you cannot beat it,” she said.

“What is so exciting is the church’s evolving youth ministry. You think about the next generation,” the church’s current pastor said.

The current pastor of the Historic First Baptist Church, Bute Street is the Rev. Jerry Holmes. He was appointed as the 19th senior pastor in 2023. He succeeded the Rev. Dr. Robert G. Murray, who served for 38 years.

“We are constantly doing shout outs, town hall meetings and making investments,” Holmes said in the documentary.

To view the documentary, scroll over to https://galleries.vidflow.co/vi98qfzh.