HISTORY OF MOUNT MORIAH CHURCH

Cherry Wright

[Note: Format was altered substantially for HTML presentation.]

GENERAL INFORMATION

Location of Mount Moriah Church

From Lexington go south on Hwy 22, go 9 miles to Mount Moriah Road, turn left. Go one mile on Mount Moriah Road. On left is the Cemetery, on the right is the church.

Origin of The Name - Mount Moriah

History of the name Moriah from:Nelson's Illustrated Bible Dictionary, page 727:
Name Moriah = The location where God commanded Abraham to take his only son Isaac and to offer him as a burnt offering. Also the hill at Jerusalem where Solomon built the Temple. The Jews believe the alter of burnt offerings in the Temple of Jerusalem was situated on the exact site of the alter on which Abraham intended to sacrifice Isaac.

Today, the Muslim Mosque, the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem presently is situated on the site called Moriah in the Bible.

John H. Hodgin Gave Land

John H. Hodgin, born 1796 and died 30 Jan 1877, is buried in Mount Moriah Cemetery

From "The Center Hill Story-Yesterday and Today," Rebecca Vineyard and Louise Clenney, Henderson County Times, 20 May 1981:

John H. Hodgin gave the land for the Mount Moriah Church and Cemetery in about 1855. The first church was a log church building located in the cemetery. It was second replaced with a large weatherboard. Finally, the third, was a new block building, erected across the road from the cemetery in the middle 1940's. Fourth Sunday in May is the Homecoming day at the cemetery. This was once was a big, big, big day, for scores of people would come from everywhere. So many that you had to park a half mile down either side of the road.

METHODIST CHURCH 1850's-1954

Mount Noriah Methodist Church was a member of the Scotts Hill Circuit of the Memphis Conference of Methodist Churches.

From History Of Henderson County, Tennessee by Auburn Powers, 1930, page 93, subject Churches:

The Scotts Hill Circuit has seven churches and buildings valued at $3,500, one parsonage valued at $800, and a total membership of 332. Reverend H. T. Sanson is the pastor. The seven churches are Scotts Hill, Smith Chapel, Oak Grove, New Hope, Ebenezer, Mount Moriah, and Liberty.

Interview with Jewell Bailey

Jewel Bailey (Mrs. Tom Bailey) was interviewes18 Oct. 1990 in Jackson, Tenn. She was then 89. She joined the church in 1923, the year she got married. At that time the church building was located on the same side of the road as the cemetery. This was the weatherboarded Church.

Elders and Members

Elders of Mount Moriah Methodist Church in the 1940's and 1950's were Jim Bailey, Tom Bailey and Perry Bailey.

Some Members of the Mount Moriah Methodist Church were Jim Bailey, Tom Bailey, Perry Bailey, Maxell Ervin and wife, Jewel Bailey, Molly Martin, Louise Martin, Mert Ervin, Mahalie Holmes, Vina Beacham, G. W. Beacham and family, J. B. Wallace.

Mount Moriah is on a list of Methodist Churches in the county found in History of Henderson County, Schools by the teachers and students 1940-41.

The Present Church Building

Deed cords at the courthouse show that the Moss Tie Company gave land to the Elders of Mount Moriah Methodist Church in the summer of 1940. In an interview, Floyd Wright recalls that one Saturday in 1940 the elders of the Methodist Church - Tom Bailey, Jim Bailey and Perry Bailey - met on land given the Methodist Church by the Company. Along with many others they started clearing the land to build the block building where the church now stands. Some of those worker were Auther Stanfill, Perry Bailey, Torn Bailey, Jim Bailey, W. P. Holmes, Floyd Wright and Rayford Holmes. The Baileys used a double block and line to pull out the trees by the roots. They used "Mule Power" with the block and line. No Bull Dozers!

The current concrete block building was built in the middle 1940s. Brother Murphy, who lived in Scotts Hill, helped build the new church where it is now located. Brother Murphy helped build the Scotts Hill Methodist Church. He would walk from Scotts Hill to Mount Moriah to work on the.

Interview with Louise Martin

In an interview on 17 Oct. 1990 in Reagan, TN, Louise Martin (a retired school teacher) stated that the Methodists stopped having church services there in 1954, the fourth Sunday in May.

NON-DENOMINATIONAL 1954-1984

Mt. Moriah was a Non-denominational Church between 1954-1984 with different pastors.

It was a vacant building 1954-1984. Brother J. B. Wallace attended Mount Moriah Church before the 2nd World War. He was a member of the when it was a weather boarded building. After 1954 when the Methodists stopped using the building, J. B. Wallace (more than anyone else) continued over the years to keep the building in shape and in good repair so that people could use it for Funeral services and revivals. He would ask others for donations and help with the work himself. The late Hubert Petty helped with getting a new roof on the building.

John Howard Hutcherson preached there many years, sometimes once or twice a month.

Obituary for J. B. Wallace who died 16 Jan. 1992:

J. B. Wallace
LEXINGTON. Services for Mr. J. B. Wallace, 78, will be at 2 p.m. today at Reed's Chapel with Rev. John Howard Hutcherson officiating. Burrial will be in the Mt. Moriah Cemetery.
Mr. Wallace died suddenly Thursdav evening at Jackson Madison County General Hospital.
Mr. Wallace of Dyer's Chapel Road in the Reagan Coinmunity was a lifelong resident of Henderson. County and had served as a member of the Henderson County Court. He was a member of the Baptist faith and had been instrumental in the upkeep and maintenance of the Mt. Moriah Church Building and Cemetery for over thirty-five years. He was a veteran of World War II, serving forty-two months in the Army, two years in the European Theater.
He is survived by his wife, Exell Petty Wallace of Lexington, two sons, Jimmy Wallace of Route 5, Lexington and Bobby Wallace of Tallahassee, Fl., one daughter, Cheryl Wallace of Lexington, three grandsons, Marty, Chris and Craig Wallace and two brothers, Will and Jessie Wallace both of Lexington.
Reed's Chapel 968-3643

MISSIONARY BAPTIST CHURCH

Information below taken from Church Membership Record book:

Date organized June 30, 1984

Council Members Who Helped Organize Mount Moriah Missionary Baptist Church

Brother Cooper Moody, Brother Dennis Reeves, Brother Odell Cagle, Brother Greg Stanford, Brother Clyde Johnson, Brother Lebert Stribling, Brother Robert Reeves, Brother Elbert Reeves, Brother Jodie Bolden.

Pastors of Mount Moriah Missionary Baptist Church

Jodie Bolden, 1984-died 15 Mar 1989
Odell Cagle, 1989-resigned 21 Apr 1991 (membership doubled under Bro. Cagle)
Dereck Jowers, June 1991-July 1991
Rickey D. Tedford from Chester County elected 1992

Deacons of Mount Moriah Missionary Baptist Church

Ordination 8 Apr 1990:
J. B. Wallace, Died 16 Jan 1992
Jessee Bennie Doyle, Died 1991
Floyd Wright, Died 1996

Workers at Mount Moriah Missionary Baptist Church

Sunday School Teachers: J. B. Wallace, Linda Homer, Nancy Williams, Betty Swafford, Judy Bolden, Betty Elway, Paula Clark

Bookkeeper: Exell Wallace

Secretary: Martha Jean Burcham

Members of Mount Moriah Missionary Baptist Church

Charter Members: 1.Frank Washburn; 2. Peggy Washburn; 3. Kim Washburn Fusser; 4. Earlene Powers; 5. Martha Jean Burcham; 6. Jodie Boldan; 7. Nancy Boldan Williams; 8. Zeola Boldan

Members Through April 1991: Jodie Bolden (deceased 1989), Zeola Bolden, Martha Jean Burcham, Earlene Powers, Nancy Bolden Williams, J. B. Wallace, Exell Wallace, Betty Swafford, Jerry Swafford, Zelma Cox, Linda Homer, Charlotte Clark, Daniel Clark, La Rue Bolden, Robert Burcham, Tracy Homer, Judy Boldan, Missy Middleton, Gertie Moody, Rev. Odell Cagle, Rebecca Cagle, Floyd Wright, Millie Booth, Jesse Doyle, Ollie Doyle, Cherry Powers Wright, Ricky Bolden, Heal Hamm, Tammy Hamm, Betty Elway, Noverta Rushing, Donna Nolan, Gene Nolan, Michekle King, Jeremy Elway, Paula Franks, David Elway

MOUNT MORIAH CEMETERY

Caretaker of Mount Moriah Cemetery is Jesse Wallace (Brother of J. B.)

Secretary of Cemetery Funds is Louise Martin

From Henderson County, Tennessee Cemetery Records: First person buried at Mount Moriah Cemetery was N. R. Attaway, born 1810, died..1822.

Names of Families buried at Mount Moriah Cemetery:
Adkesson, Attaway, Bailey, Brown, Becham, Beacham, Brantley, Bolden, Barrett, Benson, Buck, Berton, Bingham, Chumney, Carter, Coiston, Creasy, Clenney, Daniel, Dyer, Ethridge, Ervin, Ethrice, Foster, Floyd, Fanning, Freeman, Fussell, Grissom, Gardner, Goff, Hamm, Hart, Hodgin, Helms, Holmes, Hopper, Heath, Jones, Jowers, Jordon, Lineberry, Montgomery, Moore, Martin, Moody, Milam, Morris, McDonald, McKenzie, Mitchell, Mayo, Nix, Neisler, Nicholis, Newman, Phillips, Petty, Pike, Oliver, Rushing, Rainey, Ross, Scott, Savage, Stone, Stinson, Shultz, Snider, Smith, Tucker, Tomlin, Wright, Wallace, Washburn.

SOLDIERS BURIED AT MOUNT MORIAH CEMETERY

Civil War

World War I (Not complete)

World War II (Not complete)

Korea

Go to Mt. Moriah Cemetery