▁wealth , ▁Church ▁fund ed ▁the ▁development ▁of ▁high - quality ▁facilities ▁for ▁black ▁Mem phi ans , ▁who ▁were ▁ex cluded ▁by ▁the ▁state ▁law ▁of ▁ra cial ▁seg reg ation ▁from ▁many ▁white ▁institutions ▁at ▁the ▁time . ▁He ▁developed ▁a ▁public ▁park , ▁a ▁play ground , ▁a ▁concert ▁hall , ▁and ▁an ▁aud itor ium . ▁Church ▁used ▁the ▁properties ▁for ▁related ▁phil anth ropy : ▁he ▁helped ▁spons or ▁gradu ation ▁cer emon ies , ▁political ▁r al lies , ▁and ▁shows ▁in ▁the ▁par ks ▁for ▁the ▁city ' s ▁African ▁Americans . ▁He ▁also ▁hosted ▁and ▁fund ed ▁a ▁free ▁annual ▁Thanks g iving ▁me al ▁for ▁the ▁black ▁poor . ▁In ▁ 1 9 0 6 , ▁Church , ▁Jos iah ▁T . ▁S ett le , ▁M . ▁L . ▁Clay , ▁and ▁T . ▁H . ▁Hay es ▁established ▁the ▁Sol vent ▁Sav ings ▁Bank , ▁M emph is ' s ▁first ▁black ▁bank , ▁and ▁Church ▁served ▁as ▁found ing ▁president . ▁He ▁ens ured ▁that ▁black s ▁could ▁gain ▁access ▁to ▁lo ans ▁for ▁business es ▁and ▁homes , ▁to ▁advance ▁their ▁lives . ▁ ▁Personal ▁life ▁ ▁Not ▁much ▁is ▁known ▁about ▁Church ' s ▁personal ▁life . ▁He ▁rarely , ▁if ▁ever , ▁wrote ▁personal ▁correspond ence , ▁and ▁never ▁made ▁a ▁public ▁speech , ▁despite ▁his ▁wide ▁popular ity ▁and ▁influence ▁in ▁M emph is . ▁ ▁Church ▁married ▁three ▁times . ▁His ▁first ▁wife , ▁Louis a