The first meetings in the Quincy community were in 1916 or 1917 when a Bro. Spain held a few nights’ services in the home of Charlie Speer. Then in 1920, a man named Sam Graves came up the 41 Highway which, at the time was the main road, selling apples and pears. He traveled by the then modern convenience of a two-horse wagon and team. The children of that day always relayed the news of who was coming long before they arrived. In the process of stopping at each house to sell his wears he came to a house where a man named Mr. Madden was seriously ill. Bro. Sam was asked to pray for him. After prayer was offered Eliza Owens “Babe” Speer, who was a neighbor, invited Bro. Sam to conduct services in his home. In this way the door was again opened to the Gospel in this community.
In 1921 Jessie Byrd (J. B.) Richardson as a young child was at the point of death. It seemed there was no hope. The doctor said he would die before morning. His mother and neighbors had heard of some people across the river close to Trenton that prayed for the sick. So Bros. Sam Graves, Pitt Graves and Earnest Graves were asked to come to the Robert L. and Lela Mae Byrd Richardson home and pray for their sick child. As they laid hands on Jessie Byrd (J. B.) and prayed, he was healed and his fever left. The doctors were amazed! In fact, the doctor made the comment to William Joseph “Bill” Richardson, who was Robert L. Richardson’s brother, that the Lord would get the credit and left the impression he would not be paid. William Joseph (Bill) Richardson offered to pay but he made the statement that Robert would pay him.
This healing stirred the curiosity of the Quincy Community. People wanted to know more. After about a year of preaching and teaching in homes, a tent was pitched in the field which was across the road from where the present church is now standing on Babe & Jane Richardson Speer’s land and a great revival was held. Bros. Sam Graves and Pitts Graves held the first revival and from there the church was built.
Gaston Dade Spence furnished the team to snake out the logs for lumber to build the first little one-room building. Robert “Bob” Spence, Ira Speer and Albert Speer helped to haul out the logs. So the work began. The first building was erected and completed about Feb. 25, 1923.
Great Revivals have been held here through the years. Most any of the churches you attend in any direction from Quincy have people in them who made their start or were reared in the Quincy church.
The baptizing were held in the Forked Deer River, which is north of the church at the bridge. All classes were taught back then in the same room and were called Card Classes. They are now called Sunday School Classes. Two people usually fanned the organist as he or she played the organ. There was no electricity until the late fifties.
Families mentioned in the early days of Quincy Pentecostal Church are: Eliza Owen “Babe” and Jane Richardson Speer, George Holt’s family, Albert and Bernice Holt Speer, Gaston Dade and Mozella “Ella” White Spence, Robert “Bob” Spence and William Amos Spence, Robert Lee “Bob” and Martha Ella Mathis, Gertie Jane Mathis Peay, Beulah Brown Mathis Graves, Emma Leona Mathis Hudson, Nina Cowan, Ida Warren, Robert L. and Lela Mae Byrd Richardson, Jessie Byrd (J. B.) Richardson, Flora Gertruce “Gertie” Sanders, Addison D. “Bud” and Beulah Walker Graves, Sr., Boss Cook Family, Jesse Eskew family.
A man who is not Pentecostal said he gave this church credit for this community being where it is today. Old timers tell us about how mean and wicked this part of the country was. Threats of all kinds were made and unruly sinners, bootleggers, drunkards, and gamblers made up a great part of the land at that time. However, God chose a man with very little education and who had little of this world’s goods, but had grit as a bulldog and faith in God to bring the message of love to this lost corner of the Globe. The power of God began to fall and the unruly became gentle and kind. The drunkard became sober, the bootleggers stopped selling, the gamblers quit their gambling and peace and love reigned where chaos had been. At many of the services, there was a crowd on the outside looking in the windows.
The old dirt road (Old 41) was traveled by horseback, surrey, two-horse wagons, and by foot to get to the meetings.
There have been many others whose names have not been mentioned in this writing who were a part of the work of God at Quincy. The ministry of Quincy Pentecostal Church has gone beyond its local community by helping to establish several churches in different areas who did not have a church.
The church was remodeled and bricked in the early 1970s. A fellowship hall was also built in the mid-1970s.
The church is now called Truth Ministries and is pastured by Rev. James Keeton.
Some of the other pastors at Quincy were: Sam Graves (40 years), James Martindale, Landis Franklin, Robert Rutledge, Billy Worrell, A.D. & Eleanor Jean Graves, Marty Johnson, Keith Holloway, Teddy Ross, Leonard Glover, Bob Holden (interim).
Contributed by Sharon Richardson Flake
This was wonderful! These founding members were my family. Ira Speer is my Grandaddy.