Georgia and Georgians - the Digital Library of Georgia

GEORGIA AND GEORGIANS 3109William Heth Whitsitt, afterwards president of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary.When seventeen Hugh Bernard became an assistant teacher in the community high school. At eighteen, at the outbreak of the war, he was musteredinto the service of the Southern army, and served continuously for threeyears, until a serious wound sustained in the Bbttle of Resaca rendered himunfit for further duty.Returning to his old home in Tennessee, he taught for two years afterthe war, and then came to Georgia. In this state on August 22, 1867, he married Miss Mary E. Weatherly, of Athens. She was born im- Athens, a daughterof William and Elizabeth (Nance) Weatherly, her father being a well-to-doplanter. Mrs. Bernard was a graduate of Lucy Co'bb Institute, and practicallyall her life has been spent in the University City of Athens, and that city wasalways regarded by the late Rev. Mr. Bernard as his most cherished home.After his marriage he taught school in Georgia, was in merchandising fora time at Athens, and then took up a railroad career, being appointed stationagent of the Northeastern Railroad of Georgia. He possessed those qualifications which promote a man steadily no matter in what line of duties he maybe engaged, and he rose from station agent to auditor and later to superintendent of the road. He also served for twenty years as county school commissioner for Clarke County, of which Athens is the county seat.He was reared a Presbyterian of the strictest type. While the army wasin winter quarters at Dalton, Georgia, he united with that church. On comingto Athens he took up the study of the scriptures afresh, being dissatisfiedwith his religious position, and eventually he became a Baptist, being baptizedin the fellowship of the Athens Baptist Church, July 7, 1872. He soon beganto preach and was called to the pastorate of the Mars Hill Church in theAppalachee Association, where he succeeded the elder P. H. Mell. His activeministry as pastor extended over a period of more than twenty-five years,most of his work being among the churches in Oconee County. While pastorhe became greatly interested in Mercer University. He delivered an addressbefore the Georgia Baptist Convention at Cedartown on the endowment andenlargement of Mercer, which aroused great enthusiasm and led eventually tohis appointment as financial secretary of the institution. This was in 1896.Soon afterward the board of trustees of Mercer conferred upon him thedegree of Doctor of Divinity. Doctor Bernard was thereafter constantlyengaged in some official capacity in the service of Georgia Baptists. Heentered with enthusiasm into his work for Mercer, and his efforts werecrowned with success.While pastor of country churches Doctor Bernard conceived the idea thatGeorgia Baptists, needed better organization as a means to greater efficiencyin their denominational work. Out of his intense interest in this matter wasborn the Schedule and the Schedule Appeal Plan under which they are nowconducting their work.Previous to 1900 Georgia Baptists had no board of education. When theconvention met at Griffin Doctor Bernard introduced a proposition for organizing such a board. Though he was not immediately successful the agitationthus begun brought about seven years later the creation of the present BaptistBoard of Education.Besides his duties as pastor Doctor Bernard founded and conducted forfour years a monthly magazine, The Southern Advance, which wSs devotedto the discussion of methods in denominational work. He also aided in conducting and editing The Religious Forum, which for a year was publishedas a weekly paper in Atlanta, and subsequently gave place to The Golden Age,with which Doctor Bernard was also connected for a brief time.Retiring from newspaper work in 1907 he accepted the position of auditorof the Mission Board of the Georgia Baptist Convention. Thereafter until