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Union Chapel Missionary Baptist Church
History of an African American Church
| A big thank you goes to Ms.
Wanell House-Simmons for sending in this wonderful information. Union Chapel Missionary Baptist Church is located one and one-fourth miles east of the city and was organized in the month of August in 1868 by the Reverend John Waskom (White), John Jones of Shreveport, La., Godfrey Terry, George Parson, and WIlliam Freeman, Sr., after a series of Prayer Meetings in the Flournoy quarters in the dark days of slavery. Rev. George Parson, a Bondsman, along with his group were not allowed by their Masters and Mistresses to pray and sing praises to our Heavenly Father. The members of this unit would announce when and where the Meeting would be by singing. "There will be Meeting tonight on "The Old Camp Ground". This Construction begins with first brush harbor, then log cabin, frame building, and present structure. They would take the wash pots, place them between the Master's mansion with the mouth of the pot upon the ground to keep the sound of their voices from reaching the ears of their Masters and Patrolmen. When the bondsmen were liberated, after General R.E. Lee's surrender, Rev. G. Parson conducted Worship Service in a brush harbor. He immersed eighty souls after liberation. In the week embracing the third Lord's Day in August, 1868, this Church was the birthplace of the Texas and Louisiana District Missionary Baptist Association. The records show an unbroken chain of cooperation, loyalty, and consecrated service. Many men and women of this church ranked as outstanding. Some of them are: Prof. M. J. Jones, Belle Choyce, S. S. Choyce, Penela Cash, Willie Epps. Lottie Dudley, Ophelia Cooper Mills, E.C. and L.A. Cooper, Sarah Watson Smith, Prof. C.A. Dudley, Roberta Powell Ragland, May Coffie Powell, Sarah Griffin, and Sarah Moore. The first deacons were: Brother Dan Hillhouse, Wylie Robinson, Edward Williams, J. Wyatt, Julis Wilson, and Sam Thompson. Other devoted deacons that served well are: Brother John Marshall, Robert Williams, Sye Green, M.S. Walton, Robert Progue, Abe Butler, Peter Brooks, Calon Cornelius, James Davis, Henry Long, Azzie Hubbard, Kelly Thompson, J.B. Williams, Colonel Cash, W.E. Powell, and Melvin Bayliss. The ordained ministers were: George Brashears, Henderson Cooper, Julius Wilson, Wylie Robinson, Isiah Copeland, Bacchus Hubbard, S.A. Abercombia, W.M. Epps, T.C. Clay, U.S. Cornelius and Solomon Washington. |
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