Len G. Broughton
Encyclopedia
Leonard Gaston Broughton (December 5, 1865 – February 22, 1936) was a fundamentalist
Baptist
minister, medical doctor, founder of Tabernacle Baptist Church in Atlanta, Georgia
and of Tabernacle Infirmary, which later became Georgia Baptist Hospital.
, about 12 miles outside of Raleigh, North Carolina
. He was the second son of Gaston H. Broughton and Louisa Hawkins Franks. His father was a poor farmer who fought in the American Civil War
in the 26th North Carolina Regiment
, was captured by Union
troops at the Battle of Gettysburg
, and was held prisoner until the end of the war. After his return (and on Louisa's urging) the family moved to Raleigh where the children (including Len) were schooled via the aid of a wealthy relative.
At the age of fourteen, Broughton was baptized into his faith at what was later known as Tabernacle Baptist Church in Raleigh.
Broughton attended Wake Forest College
with his brother Charlie though he did not graduate due to illness. (Wake Forest granted him a D.D.
later). Broughton went on to attend the Kentucky School of Medicine at Louisville
and achieved an M.D.
.
to practice medicine and it was there that he met his wife Roxana Barnes. He later also practiced medicine in Reidsville, North Carolina
for four years. It was there that he contracted Typhoid fever
. A long period of recovery helped him make the decision to become a minister.
In March 1891 he became the pastor of a small church in Winston, North Carolina. In the year and a half he was there, the church gained one hundred members. He became known for this and other churches sought his services. He accepted such an offer in November, 1893 at Calvary Church in Roanoke, Virginia
.
In March 1898 he became pastor of Third Baptist Church in Atlanta. He had been in Atlanta only a short while when he started a project to build a much larger facility for the congregation, nearer to the center of town, to be known as the Tabernacle. Many of the older members of the church opposed Broughton's plan, and when it passed by a vote of 542 to 240, the church was split into two. Those opposed remained to form Jones Avenue Baptist Church in the existing facility, and the rest went with Broughton to form Tabernacle Baptist Church nearby. On March 5, 1899 a church structure was dedicated but rapid growth quickly rendered it obsolete. On March 9, 1910 the cornerstone was laid on a huge new four-story structure to house the church. (This structure still stands, it is now used as the music venue The Tabernacle
). Broughton had a long and successful tenure as pastor of this church, creating many new programs including Tabernacle Infirmary in 1901 (which would later become Georgia Baptist Hospital) and the largest Bible Conference in the South
at the time.
Broughton again was receiving many requests to leave his church for posts elsewhere. In 1912 he accepted such an offer of a position at Christ Church
in London
, England
, a church famous among Baptists of the time because of the work of F.B. Meyer
. He remained there for over 2 years, but the outbreak of World War I
and his own declining health took its toll. He left in 1915 and took a post at First Baptist in Knoxville, Tennessee
.
Broughton returned to Tabernacle Baptist Church in Atlanta from 1929 to 1931. He died in 1936 and was buried in Knoxville.
Fundamentalism
Fundamentalism is strict adherence to specific theological doctrines usually understood as a reaction against Modernist theology. The term "fundamentalism" was originally coined by its supporters to describe a specific package of theological beliefs that developed into a movement within the...
Baptist
Baptist
Baptists comprise a group of Christian denominations and churches that subscribe to a doctrine that baptism should be performed only for professing believers , and that it must be done by immersion...
minister, medical doctor, founder of Tabernacle Baptist Church in Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia. According to the 2010 census, Atlanta's population is 420,003. Atlanta is the cultural and economic center of the Atlanta metropolitan area, which is home to 5,268,860 people and is the ninth largest metropolitan area in...
and of Tabernacle Infirmary, which later became Georgia Baptist Hospital.
Early life
Broughton was born in 1865 on a farm in Wake County, North CarolinaWake County, North Carolina
Wake County is a county located in the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of the 2010 census, the population was 900,993 making it North Carolina's second most populated county...
, about 12 miles outside of Raleigh, North Carolina
Raleigh, North Carolina
Raleigh is the capital and the second largest city in the state of North Carolina as well as the seat of Wake County. Raleigh is known as the "City of Oaks" for its many oak trees. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the city's 2010 population was 403,892, over an area of , making Raleigh...
. He was the second son of Gaston H. Broughton and Louisa Hawkins Franks. His father was a poor farmer who fought in the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
in the 26th North Carolina Regiment
26th North Carolina Regiment
The 26th North Carolina Regiment was a Confederate States Army regiment during the American Civil War and is famous for being the regiment with the largest number of casualties on both sides during the war.-History:...
, was captured by Union
Union (American Civil War)
During the American Civil War, the Union was a name used to refer to the federal government of the United States, which was supported by the twenty free states and five border slave states. It was opposed by 11 southern slave states that had declared a secession to join together to form the...
troops at the Battle of Gettysburg
Battle of Gettysburg
The Battle of Gettysburg , was fought July 1–3, 1863, in and around the town of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. The battle with the largest number of casualties in the American Civil War, it is often described as the war's turning point. Union Maj. Gen. George Gordon Meade's Army of the Potomac...
, and was held prisoner until the end of the war. After his return (and on Louisa's urging) the family moved to Raleigh where the children (including Len) were schooled via the aid of a wealthy relative.
At the age of fourteen, Broughton was baptized into his faith at what was later known as Tabernacle Baptist Church in Raleigh.
Broughton attended Wake Forest College
Wake Forest University
Wake Forest University is a private, coeducational university in the U.S. state of North Carolina, founded in 1834. The university received its name from its original location in Wake Forest, north of Raleigh, North Carolina, the state capital. The Reynolda Campus, the university's main campus, is...
with his brother Charlie though he did not graduate due to illness. (Wake Forest granted him a D.D.
Doctor of Divinity
Doctor of Divinity is an advanced academic degree in divinity. Historically, it identified one who had been licensed by a university to teach Christian theology or related religious subjects....
later). Broughton went on to attend the Kentucky School of Medicine at Louisville
Louisville, Kentucky
Louisville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kentucky, and the county seat of Jefferson County. Since 2003, the city's borders have been coterminous with those of the county because of a city-county merger. The city's population at the 2010 census was 741,096...
and achieved an M.D.
Doctor of Medicine
Doctor of Medicine is a doctoral degree for physicians. The degree is granted by medical schools...
.
Career
He moved to Wilson County, North CarolinaWilson County, North Carolina
-Demographics:As of the census of 2006, there 73,814 people, 28,613 households, and 19,771 families residing in the county. The population density was 199 people per square mile . There were 30,729 housing units at an average density of 83 per square mile...
to practice medicine and it was there that he met his wife Roxana Barnes. He later also practiced medicine in Reidsville, North Carolina
Reidsville, North Carolina
Reidsville is a city located in Rockingham County, North Carolina. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 14,485.Originally established in the early 19th century as an outpost and stop on the stage line that ran between Salisbury, NC and Danville, VA called Wrights Crossroads,...
for four years. It was there that he contracted Typhoid fever
Typhoid fever
Typhoid fever, also known as Typhoid, is a common worldwide bacterial disease, transmitted by the ingestion of food or water contaminated with the feces of an infected person, which contain the bacterium Salmonella enterica, serovar Typhi...
. A long period of recovery helped him make the decision to become a minister.
In March 1891 he became the pastor of a small church in Winston, North Carolina. In the year and a half he was there, the church gained one hundred members. He became known for this and other churches sought his services. He accepted such an offer in November, 1893 at Calvary Church in Roanoke, Virginia
Roanoke, Virginia
Roanoke is an independent city in the Mid-Atlantic U.S. state of Virginia and is the tenth-largest city in the Commonwealth. It is located in the Roanoke Valley of the Roanoke Region of Virginia. The population within the city limits was 97,032 as of 2010...
.
In March 1898 he became pastor of Third Baptist Church in Atlanta. He had been in Atlanta only a short while when he started a project to build a much larger facility for the congregation, nearer to the center of town, to be known as the Tabernacle. Many of the older members of the church opposed Broughton's plan, and when it passed by a vote of 542 to 240, the church was split into two. Those opposed remained to form Jones Avenue Baptist Church in the existing facility, and the rest went with Broughton to form Tabernacle Baptist Church nearby. On March 5, 1899 a church structure was dedicated but rapid growth quickly rendered it obsolete. On March 9, 1910 the cornerstone was laid on a huge new four-story structure to house the church. (This structure still stands, it is now used as the music venue The Tabernacle
The Tabernacle
The Tabernacle, informally known as The Tabby, is a mid-size concert hall, in the U.S. city of Atlanta, currently managed by concert promoter Live Nation...
). Broughton had a long and successful tenure as pastor of this church, creating many new programs including Tabernacle Infirmary in 1901 (which would later become Georgia Baptist Hospital) and the largest Bible Conference in the South
Southern United States
The Southern United States—commonly referred to as the American South, Dixie, or simply the South—constitutes a large distinctive area in the southeastern and south-central United States...
at the time.
Broughton again was receiving many requests to leave his church for posts elsewhere. In 1912 he accepted such an offer of a position at Christ Church
Christ Church, Lambeth
Christ Church, Lambeth, was founded by the Rev Dr Christopher Newman Hall in the 1870s as a Congregational chapel forming part of a complex of new mission buildings, including the Lincoln Tower and a new premises for Hawkstone Hall...
in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, a church famous among Baptists of the time because of the work of F.B. Meyer
Frederick Brotherton Meyer
Frederick Brotherton Meyer , a contemporary and friend of D. L. Moody and A. C. Dixon, was a Baptist pastor and evangelist in England involved in ministry and inner city mission work on both sides of the Atlantic...
. He remained there for over 2 years, but the outbreak of World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
and his own declining health took its toll. He left in 1915 and took a post at First Baptist in Knoxville, Tennessee
Knoxville, Tennessee
Founded in 1786, Knoxville is the third-largest city in the U.S. state of Tennessee, U.S.A., behind Memphis and Nashville, and is the county seat of Knox County. It is the largest city in East Tennessee, and the second-largest city in the Appalachia region...
.
Broughton returned to Tabernacle Baptist Church in Atlanta from 1929 to 1931. He died in 1936 and was buried in Knoxville.