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History
The following information has been taken from the Arkansas Historical Records Survey. (Church Additional Sheet 2, Supplementary To From 20, HR No. #79)
"The Mt. Moriah Missionary Baptist Church (land mark) first organized soon after the Civil War, (date not known). The old records are lost or destroyed. The Church was first organized in a little log house, built for school and church. The log house stood about one-fourth mile east of where the present building now stands, The house was built with hewed logs, had one large handmade door in front hung with large strap hinges, one door inside, two plain windows on one side one on the other side, two in front and two in back, The windows had wooden shutters,"
"The joists in the building were small, peeled logs with a white oak board roof. This log house was built in or about the time of the civil war. The church used the log building until about 1874. About the year 1874 a box house was erected, The church had double doors in front, three windows on one side, two windows and one door on the other side, two windows in back, ceiled un-painted, wood heat, small stand pulpit, This building burned about 1900. (date not known) When the church building burned the old records being lost, the church almost went defunct. Some of the members still continued having Sunday School in the "Hawk" School house and occassionaly preaching. The "Hawk" School house was used until 1920 when the present building was erected. In 1909 the members with Elder J. O. Booth, Lofton Arkansas as pastor re-organized the church in the "Hawk" School House. The present site was donated by the A. L. Clark Lumber Company by J. A. Bonner, Power of Attorney. The Members and citizens of the community took donatioons and donated lumber, labor, and cash to build the house. The present building is about one fourth mile west of where the first chruch building stood."
"Some of the Pastors serving the church after the second organization were Elder J. O. Booth, J. A. Shackleford, W. L. Cockerll, J. I. Wright, A. W. Birchfield, J. E. Took, R. A. Tucher, J. C. Patterson, R. A. Featherston, J. L. Hamilton, I. L. Duren and Herman B. Wright."
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More History
The following was partially compiled by Mr. Russell Baker, local historian in August 1984.
In 1880 a new Hot Spring County church named Bethany was admitted to the Caddo River Baptist Assocation which was then Landmark, now Southern Baptist. According to assocaiational minutes, Bethany Church had nine members and was led by pastor D. Bright. Bethany seems to have gone defunct in about 1885 and some of its members went to New Prospect Church. "However, it was the beginning of the Mt. Moriah Church."
In 1888, a new congregation, this time called New Bethany, appears in the minutes of the association. It seemed to have been made up of some of the former members of the Bethany Church, perhaps the same 9 who started that church. Sometime between 1890 and 1892, the name fo this church was changed to "Mt. Moriah". There are no minutes of the association for 1891. The name change may signal the building of a new building or a move to a new location.
In 1892 the Mt. Moriah Church appears in the minutes of the Caddo River Association for the first time. It is clear, however, that it is the same as the New Bethany Church according to the associational minutes. Its largest membership was 81 in 1899, when it hosted the association and gave its first mission offering, $1.15. Its building burned in about 1901 and a few of the members continuted meeting in the Hawk School House. During this time the church nearly went defunct. However, on September 26, 1909, Elder J. O. Booth reorganized the church with 14 members. In 1911 it became a member of the new Pike County Association, the Caddo River Association having become a Southern Baptist Association. From 1913 to 1919, the church was a member of the Caddo River, South or Caddo Valley Association, which does not exist any longer. In 1920 the church returned to the Pike County Association, now the Clark-Pike Association. In that year the church moved to its current location and the present building was built.
NEED TO ADD FELLOWSHIP BUILDING, BAPTISMAL, FB ADDITION, REMODEL, and PRESENT ADDITION.
Our Church Officers
Bro. Donis Smead, Pastor
Bro. Dale Hamilton, Sunday School Superintendent
Bro. Terry Diggs, Music Director
Bro. David Robbins, Church Clerk
Sisters Wilma Potter and Sherry Robbins, Church Secretary/Treasurer
Bro. Kreg Smead, BTC President
Bro. Quinton Buck, Bro. Irvin Massey, Bro. Doyce Robbins, Bro. JD Wacaster, and Bro. Henry Wright, Deacons
E-mail Us
contact@mt.moriah.faithweb.com
Location
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