Fifth Ave. United Methodist Church celebrates a historic baptism

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — The Fifth Avenue United Methodist Church celebrated a historic baptism this morning.

Michael Feng, the great-grandson of Charlie Jones Soong, was baptized in the same font as his great-grandfather was in 1880.

Soong came to the United States as a young stowaway. He was discovered in Beaufort, NC, and was saved from deportation by the Chadwick family. The Chadwick’s moved to Wilmington, along with Soong, and they all attended Fifth Avenue Church. Charlie Soong was baptized by Rev. T. Page Ricaud in this church.

Under the sponsorship of the church, Soong attended Duke University and Vanderbilt University. He returned to his native China, became a missionary and established a Christian home. One of his daughters became Madame Chiang Kai Shek, wife of the President of Nationalist China until the communist takeover. Another daughter married the Father of the Chinese Republic, Dr. Sun Yet Sen.