Zachariah Dearborn Lewis (November 25, 1859 – March 15, 1926) was an influential

Baptist Baptists form a major branch of Protestantism distinguished by baptizing professing Christian believers only (believer's baptism), and doing so by complete immersion. Baptist churches also generally subscribe to the doctrines of soul compete ...

church leader and the first president of the Southern Aid and Insurance Company based in

Richmond, Virginia (Thus do we reach the stars) , image_map = , mapsize = 250 px , map_caption = Location within Virginia , pushpin_map = Virginia#USA , pushpin_label = Richmond , pushpin_m ...

Early life

Zachariah Dearborn Lewis was born on November 25, 1859, in Perrowville, Virginia, to Maria (née Walker) and Reazin Lewis. His father was a local

preacher. At a young age, his family moved to Lynchburg and he worked in a tobacco factory. He attended elementary and high school in Lynchburg. He graduated from the

Richmond Theological Institute Richmond Theological Seminary (RTS) was a higher education institution in Richmond, Virginia, serving former slaves after the American Civil War. It had its beginnings in November 1865 when the American Baptist Home Mission Society (ABHMS) sponsor ...

(later the

Virginia Union University Virginia Union University is a private historically black Baptist university in Richmond, Virginia. It is affiliated with the American Baptist Churches USA. History The American Baptist Home Mission Society (ABHMS) founded the school as Richm ...

Career

At the age of 20, Lewis converted to Baptism. In 1883, he was licensed to preach by the First Baptist Church of Lynchburg. In 1884, he was ordained. He was pastor of Shady Grove Baptist Church in

Orange County Orange County most commonly refers to: *Orange County, California, part of the Los Angeles metropolitan area Orange County may also refer to: U.S. counties *Orange County, Florida, containing Orlando *Orange County, Indiana *Orange County, New ...

for four years. Lewis was organizer and the first president of the Southern Aid and Insurance Company based in

Richmond, Virginia (Thus do we reach the stars) , image_map = , mapsize = 250 px , map_caption = Location within Virginia , pushpin_map = Virginia#USA , pushpin_label = Richmond , pushpin_m ...

. It was the oldest African American owned insurance company in the U.S. when it was acquired by another agency in 1977. The company wrote insurance for industrial life, accident and sick benefits insurance and was licensed in New Jersey, Virginia and District of Columbia, and had offices in Alexandria, Bristol, Charlottesville, Danville, Farmville, Fredericksburg, Lynchburg, Newport News, Norfolk, Petersburg, Portsmouth, Richmond, Roanoke, Saluda, Suffolk, Winchester, Virginia; and Washington, D.C. Lewis was politically influential and became involved in leadership disputes within the African American Baptist community of Richmond. Lewis was pastor of the Second Baptist Church of Richmond for 37 years. By 1921, he had grown the membership from 800 to more than 2,000. He was chosen by organizers of the insurance company to lead it. In 1898, he delivered what Lucy Coles would describe as a fiery speech opposing her attempt to collect funds for a mission building in Liberia. Coles was a prominent American missionary and the mother of

Elizabeth Coles Bouey Elizabeth Coles Bouey (November 14, 1891 – February 5, 1957) was a Liberian-born American missionary and church worker. She founded the National Association of Ministers' Wives in 1939. Early life Elizabeth A. Coles was born in Liberia, the d ...

. Lewis was at the time moderator of the Richmond Minister's Conference. He was president of the Baptist General Association of Virginia for seven years. He was a member of the board of trustees of the Virginia Union University and director of the St. Luke Bank and Trust Company. He was vice president of the St. Luke Penny Savings Bank. He was grand lecturer of the Love and Charity Organization and served as the editor of the ''Love and Charity Messenger'' journal. He was a member of the executive board of the Lott Carey Baptist Foreign Mission Convention. He was secretary of the Shiloh Association for 20 years.

Personal life

Lewis married Ada McKinney of Richmond on July 2, 1889. They had two children, Zachariah D. Jr. and Hattie. He died on March 15, 1926, at his home at 202 East Leigh Street in Richmond. He was buried at Evergreen Cemetery in Richmond.

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Lewis, Z. D. 1859 births 1926 deaths People from Bedford County, Virginia People from Lynchburg, Virginia Virginia Union University alumni Baptists from Virginia Religious leaders from Richmond, Virginia 19th-century Baptists