He became a Christian in 1875, was licensed to preach in 1876, and fully ordained to the gospel ministry in 1877.
In September of the same year, he entered the Richmond Institute, now the Richmond Theological Seminary.
Here by dilligent study and Christian deportment, he won the implicit confidence and universal respect of students and teachers. He graduated from this school in 1883.
He belongs to the Baptist denomination and has, more than once, been appointed to address the national assemblies of white Baptists in their annual meetings.
The church at Coal Valley of which he has been pastor six years is one of the most nourishing in the State of W. Va,
In 1885, he established the West Virginia Enterprise, at that time the only weekly negro journal in the state.
While editor of this paper, he did much toward creating a sentiment in favor of negro equality before the law and in arousing in many an ambition to buy land, build homes and educate themselves.
He had been correspondent to the Virginia Star, the Richmond Planet and to several other negro as well as to white journals.
In 1884, he was alternate to the national republical convention that met at Chicago, and in 1888, he represented the Third Congressional District of West Va. in the convention that nominated Hon, Benjamin Harrison for President of the United States,
He has been tendered the nomination for the state legislature and has been a member of the congressional committee for six years.
He exerted such an influence in the politics of W. Va. in 1888, that Gen. Goff and other leading men in the state, credit him largely with success of the republican party in that year.
