James Eason
James Henry Eason (born October 24, 1866 in Sumterville, Sumter County; died August 31, 1939 in Jefferson County) was the pastor of Jackson Street Baptist Church and president of the Birmingham Baptist College.
Eason was the son of Jesse and Chaney Bingham Eason and was raised on their farm in Sumter County. After attending the public schools he enrolled at Selma University, finishing a six-year course in four years and graduating as valedictorian of his class in 1885. He then completed a bachelor of divinity at the Richmond Theological Institute in Virginia in 1890. By then he had already begun his career as a school teacher in Gadsden, and spent another year as principal of the Garfield Academy in Auburn. He taught preparatory classes at Richmond, and after graduating he returned to Selma University. He originally taught mathematics and after three years was made chair of logic and mental science, and later chair of the history department. He also served the Home Missionary Society of New York as its missionary for Alabama.
Eason tried farming and briefly studied law before he received his first call to the pulpit in 1891 at Union Baptist Church in Marion, Perry County. From there he was elected moderator of the Cahaba Baptist Association. In 1898 he left to assume leadership of Gallilee Baptist Church in Anniston. He grew its congregation from 85 to more than 700 members and oversaw the erection of a new $25,000 building. He also organized the Excelsior Mercantile & Investment Co., a business which was anticipated to use its profits to provide backing for loans to prospective Black homeowners.
Eason spent 10 years as editor of the Baptist Leader newspaper, managed by his brother Jesse. He also edited and published the Union Leader of Anniston for 5 years.
Eason married the former Phoebe Kigh of Selma and had three children. Two died in childhood and the third, Gladys, became Mrs Edward Trammell.
In 1899 Eason was corresponding secretary of the New Era Progressive State Convention. From 1906 to 1916 he served as president of the Alabama Colored Baptist State Convention. For 7 of those years he was also vice president of the National Baptist Convention. He traveled to Edinburgh, Scotland as a delegate to the 1910 World Missionary Conference, and traveled in England, France and Belgium during that voyage. He joined the board of trustees for Selma University and also served as president of the Anniston Industrial College for a year.
Eason took over the pulpit of Jackson Street Baptist Church in 1913. He was elected president of the Birmingham Baptist College on June 11, 1917 and was succeeded by F. L. Sanders two years later. His departure was precipitated by opposition to his proposal to open the school to students in other denominations. He continued to offer seminary courses through a correspondence school which he had begin while living in Selma. It found a home in Birmingham with C. J. Baker joining the faculty. As an affiliate of the New Era Progressive State Convention and was formally named the Easonian Baptist Seminary in Eason's honor.
Eason was a director of the Alabama Penny Savings Bank and owned his own home in South Woodlawn while also investing in other properties.
Eason died in 1939. The Birmingham Baptist College merged with the Easonian Baptist Seminary in 1994.
Publications
- Eason, James H. (1899) Sanctification versus Fanaticism. Pulpit and Platform Efforts. National Baptist Board
References
- Bowie, Alice A. (1899) "Rev. James Henry Eason." in James H. Eason. Sanctification versus Fanaticism. Pulpit and Platform Efforts. National Baptist Board
- Richardson, Clement, ed. (1919) The National Cyclopedia of the Colored Race. National Publishing Co., p. 27
- Fallin, Wilson Jr (2007) Uplifting the People: Three Centuries of Black Baptists in Alabama. University of Alabama Press. ISBN 9780817315696