of praise, testimony, and extemporary pastoral exhorations that would last anywhere from 2 to 3 hours on Sunday morning. ( Lillian recalls that the services were so moving and heartfelt and the music so good, you would hardly notice the time at all.)

People would allow inhibitions to vanish during thie time period and "let the spirit have his way." For Lillian the lesson was clear: the holy spirit would move people to speak and sing and live for the Lord if the people allowed the spirit to dwell within them. Although the church closed during the so called era of "urban renewal" of the 1960's, the powerful lessons learned in that small community in the North End of Portsmouth, in that humble little store front church on Deer Street, have never left Lillian. She and her brother Chester, who sang as a church soloist stirring the hearts of member of People's Baptist Church
( later to become New Hope) for many years, began to sing duets as Lillian grew older and was able to overcome ( by the help of God ) her ongoing battles with a debilitating shyness that frequently inhibited her from speaking or singing in public.