Missionary Union Baptist Church
The Missionary Union Baptist Church, organized in 1833, is the
oldest African-American church in Northeast Mississippi. Organized
during the days of slavery, services were held in the afternoons on
Sundays and Wednesdays in the basement of the First Baptist
Church.
Some of the first deacons and pastors of this church after it
was organized and before it was charted were: Brothers Caesar Barry
and Peter Evans, deacons; and Reverends Jack Hinton, George Powell,
and P. Eckford, pastors.
After emancipation and during the Reconstruction Period, the
Missionary Union Baptist Church was charted in 1867 during the
pastorate of Rev. Jesse F. Boulden, but continued to hold their
meetings in the basement of the White Baptist Church. The charter
officers were: Brother R. Gregory, R. Baker, Digg Bluett, Simon
Mitchell, Sr., Auston Jones, Wiley Johnson, deacons, Brothers S. F.
Evans, H. Baker, and Benjamin Farnandis, trustees.
In 1871, the church purchased and moved to its present site
where a small building stood to which they added and set it apart
as a house of worship.
Since 1867 this church has had many qualified and brilliant
leaders who were both preachers and pastors, builders of
membership, stately churches and organizers of Christian
organizations, ministers like T. L. Jordan, who served as moderator
and secretary of the General Missionary Baptist Association of
Mississippi, moderator and corresponding secretary of United
Baptist Convention of the State and organized the first Sunday
School Convention of the state and was its president for ten years.
Rev. J. F. Boulden organized the Mount Olivet Association in 1869
and later the General Baptist Association of Mississippi, served as
a representative in the Lower House of Representative in the state
of Mississippi, founded the Republication Party in Northeast
Mississippi, and spear-headed the effort to make Hiram Reveals the
first black elected to the Senate.
From 1833 through 1995, the pulpit of our church has been filled
respectively by the following ministers, other than those already
mentioned: Reverends M. Rice, H.W. Bownes, A. C. Skinner, Boyd, S.
M. Dukes, C. T. Stamps, A. Bell, James Mitchell, E. J. Echols,
Tutt, Goss, G. H. Cliffin, Howard, W. H. Davidson, R. D. Holloway,
S. T. Cunningham, G. W. Reese, S. A. Henderson, Marcell Kellar,
Truitt Evans, Creed Buck, W. J. Wyne, Jr., and Robert Cain, Sr.
The present pastor, Rev. Tony A. Montgomery, Sr., accepted the
call to Missionary Union on November 10, 1996, and was installed on
March 9, 1997. Under Rev. Montgomery's leadership, the Lord has
continued to add to our membership, several in-reach and outreach
ministries have been developed, such as Sons of Issachar (Rites of
Passage Ministry for boys), Girls Growing Through God's Grace
(Rites of Passage for girls), Greeter's Ministry, Health Ministry,
Hospitality Ministry, New Horizon's Young Adult Ministry, Planning
and Development Ministry, Public Relations Ministry, Sisterhood
Ministry, Seasoned Saints Ministry, Silent Expression Mime
Ministry, and an Audio/Video Ministry. In 1997, two additional
properties were purchased for future expansion of our church
campus. Interior additions include an audio visual room and a
historic restoration to the Sanctuary.
Tours are available during the annual spring pilgrimage or by
contacting Rev. Ton Montgomery at 662.327.4677.
1207 5th Avenue North
662.327.4677