J. Timothy Boddie to Martin Luther King, Sr.
Author: Boddie, J. (James) Timothy (New Shiloh Baptist Church)
Date: November 3, 1953
Location: Baltimore, Md.
Genre: Letter
Topic: Martin Luther King, Jr. - Career in Ministry
Details
Boddie informs his old friend King, Sr., that King, Jr., will give a guest sermon at Boddie’s New Shiloh Baptist Church in Baltimore.1 Boddie refers to King, Sr.’s absence at the annual meeting of the National Baptist Convention in Miami, where J. H. Jackson was elected president to succeed the retiring D. V. Jemison.
Dr. M. L. King
194 Boulevard N.E.
Atlanta, Georgia
My dear friend, M. L.
You were missed at Miami. But knowing you as I do you would have burned up a lot of energy stating and taking your position according to your convictions. Things worked out as we wanted them anyhow.
I am arranging for M. L. Jr. to preach for me Sunday morning November the 15th. Although I’ll be out of my pulpit the Sunday before I will arrange anything for anybody related to King, my friend.
Remember me kindly to my girl Alberta, the others in your household and all inquiring friends. All on this end send their fondest regards. I am
Your friend and brother,
[signed]
J. Timothy Boddie
JTB:VN
1. James Timothy Boddie (1900–1963) graduated from Virginia Theological Seminary and College in 1926 and received his B.D. from Colgate-Rochester Divinity School in 1929. After serving as pastor of Baptist churches in Virginia, New York, Maryland, and Pennsylvania he became pastor of New Shiloh Baptist Church in Baltimore in 1942, where he remained until his death. He was president of the Maryland Baptist Convention and vice-president of the National Baptist Convention. His wife, Emery Mae Moore, was a close childhood friend of Alberta Williams King. See J. Timothy Boddie, Jr., to King Papers Project, 9 September 1990.
Source: MLKP, MBU, Martin Luther King, Jr., Papers, 1954-1968, Howard Gotlieb Archival Research Center, Boston University, Boston, Mass.