What did elder lightfoot Solomon michaux do?

Answer 1

Elder Lightfoot Solomon Michaux was from my hometown, Newport News, Va. His early church,The Church God is located there. He is buried in HollyGrove Cemetary near my father who was one of his early and staunch followers (On Shellroad in Newport News). Each year he hired a fleet of Greyhound buses from NN to take the people (sometimes me and my father) to Washington D.C. where he held his grand baptizings in the Griffith Stadium Ballpark (of the Washington Redskins Football Team).

The use of this Ballpark was donated to the Elder by Mr. Griffith who was an honorary Deacon in the Elders' Church Of God across the street from the ballpark. Sometimes the Elder imported water in barrells from the river of Jordan in the Middle east to use in his epic baptisings in the ballpark. A pool was erected on the ballfield right before your eyes at this event.

The platform guests at these occasions were usually high officials in the Government. President Dwight Eisenhower was also an honorary Deacon at this church. "Ike" donated a 3000 dollar murial which is the backdrop on the podium of this church. The Elder WA a frequent guest of the white house under three Presidents and the visitors logs can attest to that.

Th relationships of which I speak can be confirmed from audio tapes by the Elder which are available from his churches. These tapes are from radio broadcasts held at radio station WTOP in Washington D. C. The Elder also had broadcast on CBS radio.

Men and women were separated in the church so as to keep them focused on worship. Any attempts at "rowdy" behavior in worship was discouraged and immediately defused usually by Mrs. Mary Michaux from the podium, who was extremely conservative and influenced the Elder (a former Baptist) in that vein. This included the shuffling of feet when shouting which was a no-no. The "speaking of unknown tongues" was ridiculed and not allowed.

I was a witness at one of his summer tent revivals in Newport News when he said: "I guess you're wondering why sometimes I close my eyes when I look at you. Its because I don't want to get "trash" in my eyes! Until you become free of sin you are nothing but the "trash" of this world!"

On one of his visits to the White House, he asked President Eisenhower if he believed a man could live free from sin. The president said no! The Elder said "In that case you set all of the prisoners free"! LOL

The Elder also had an amusement park near Newport News, Virginia. I thin it was called Treasure island. (I could be corrected on that name).

Mrs. Mary Eliza Pauline Michaux was buried in the same cemetery using a huge double headstone (she died first) that originally contained oval-shaped color photos of her and the Elder. Later the photos were removed because young vandals had used them for target practice using BB guns.

They had no biological children but did adopt a female child.

Elder Michaux was the brother of Lewis Michaux, who was the owner of the militant Bookstore in Harlem New York City. (THis store can be seen in the backdrop of the street scene where Malcolm X is delivering a speech in the movie "Malcol X".