Historical Picture Gallery

Warren was a Church of God (Cleveland, Tenn.) minister who, with his wife Nancy, established the first Church of God congregation in southern Mississippi and the first Pentecostal church in Marion County, Miss. This was at Morgantown in 1915, and the church was officially set in order in August 1916. He also planted churches in Bogalusa, Louisiana. He is buried in the Morgantown Community.

Morgantown Schoolhouse (1915)

This schoolhouse was used to house early services of the Morgantown Church of God until a church building could be constructed in late 1918 or early 1919.

Charter Members

The first Church of God in southern Mississippi was set in order in the Morgantown Schoolhouse in August 1916 with 51 charter members from various communities and was referred to as "The Schoolhouse Church". The church began to increase in number rapidly, and a few months later these individuals desired to have meeting houses within their own communities. (Although separate congregations, they shared the same pastor and continued to worship together for many years). During this time, the Morgantown congregation was officially organized on February 17, 1917, with 17 charter members (above, L-R): William G. "Bill" Hammond, Lonie Smith Hammond, Hazel Hammond (Bracey), Rosa Morgan Hammond, Benjamin J. Morgan, Effie Dunaway Morgan, J. Fate Morgan, Lula Williamson Morgan, (bottom row) Hollie Beard Morgan, Reverend Robert C. Price, Ruby Morgan Price, J. Irl Smith, Lela Hammond Smith, Vina Dunaway Smith, (not pictured are the following) Allie Cothern Morgan, Sallie Cothern Morgan, and J.A. Smith. (While other individuals who had joined the church at the schoolhouse meeting in 1916 and were already members of the Church of God, they were not among those joining in February 1917-- but would later become members of the Morgantown congregation).

Reverend James Roman "Jim" Smith and wife Ida Morgan Smith

Reverend Jim Smith, a farmer and landowner in Morgantown, was among the first to embrace the Pentecostal message of the Church of God in southern Mississippi. He became a licensed minister with the Church of God and also served as an early pastor of the Morgantown and Mount Sinai congregations. He was instrumental in the establishment of the Church of God in the Pickwick community, where he also served as an early pastor. In addition, he traveled throughout Mississippi evangelizing and organizing churches as a result of his evangelistic revival meetings. In the early days of the Church of God in Mississippi "Reverend Jim Smith" was a household name.

First Church Building (1939 revival photo)

This white frame structure, built in 1918 or 1919, served as the first church building. The land and timber were donated by B.J. Morgan during the pastorate of J.T. and Clara Priest. It served as the setting for many Mississippi Church of God camp meeting and state convention services.

Morgantown Revival (1945)

This building, constructed following a great 9-week revival, was the first brick structure in the Church of God in Mississippi. Reverend William R. Messer served as pastor when it was built in 1945.

R.R. Walker

Trained as a Baptist minister at Mississippi College, Reverend Walker was a local school superintendent and pastor of a nearby church when he was filled with the Holy Spirit and united with the Morgantown Church of God in 1933. This was during a 7-week revival, and Walker became the first minister in the Church of God with an undergraduate degree. In 1934 he became principal of the high school division of the Church of God Bible Training School (now Lee University).

Clara Allison Priest

On May 10, 1909, Clara Allison became the first person in the Church of God in Mississippi to be baptized with the Holy Spirit when she spoke in other tongues during a service at the Stonefield Holiness Tabernacle in Cascilla, Miss. Reverend L.P. Adams, a Church of God pastor from Memphis, Tenn., was conducting the service. When the revival had ended, the congregation called upon Clara to preach, during which service many more individuals were also filled with the Holy Spirit. Clara then began her journey as a Pentecostal preacher, later marrying Reverend James Thomas Priest. They pastored the Morgantown Church from 1917 to 1920 and later served as pastors and state leaders in the Church of God of Prophecy. They retired in Morgantown, and many of their descendents are active members of the Morgantown Church of God.