NOTES FROM HISTORY OF (EAST) UNION BAPTIST CHURCH
\n1892-1992<\/p>\n
Bob Ann Breland<\/p>\n
On September 13, 1892, twelve of God’s consecrated ones joined themselves together in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and formed Union Baptist Church. Those members were: W.A. Phelps and wife L.J. Phelps, I.M. Phelps and wife Anna A. Phelps, Albert W. Lang ,and wife Narcissus Lang, Jim M. Simmons and wife Mary P. Simmons, John C. Lang and wife Ruby A. Lang, Will P. Lang, and I.E. Phelps. From these, W.A. Phelps, J.M. Simmons, and W.P. Lang were appointed to prepare rules of decorum and an abstract of faith. Rev. Isaiah Allmand and Rev. J.M. Hutson acted as moderator and clerk.<\/p>\n
The Lord blessed this group with two acres of land for a church building and cemetery given by J.M. Simmons. Construction soon began on a one room structure made of rough lumber given by church members. Windows were wooden shutters. Slab benches, made by members, kerosene lamps, and a wood heater provided comfort for these early Christians. The church began with a revival preached by J.M. Hutson. Twelve members were added to the services of the Lord as a result of this meeting.<\/p>\n
Even though they were off to a good start, circumstances kept meetings to once a month. The first pastor, Rev. E.M. Schillings, was elected in 1892 for one year and his salary was set at $40.00 per year. The first deacon elected was W.A. Phelps, already an ordained deacon from another church. Elected in 1893 were the first clerk, John C. Lang, and the first treasurer, John B. Simmons.<\/p>\n
In 1895, the first Sunday School was organized with John Lang as superintendent. Two deacons, John Lang and J.M. Simmons, were ordained. Prayer meetings also began this year with the meetings held on Thursday nights. It was a service for young men only. These meetings resulted in seven men feeling the call to preach. They were the following: Martin, Lewis, Jasper, and Collie Alford, Charles Schultz (all Methodist), Frank Hutson, and Van Walker (Baptist).<\/p>\n
Many people recall early years of the church without any musical instruments; however, beautiful voices sang the first song, “I’ll Go With Him All The Way”, led by the first song leader, John Lang. Later in 1905, an organ was purchased by the church, and Bettie Simmons Page became the first organist. The church became known as a singing church and many singing schools and singing conventions were held at the church from 1927 to 1940. A.A. Lang served as choir director during this time from 1920 to 1942.<\/p>\n
A W.M.U. program was organized in 1925, with the encouragement of the pastor’s wife, Mrs. A.D. Muse. The first president was Mrs. Dudley (Sophia) Simmons followed by Mrs. C.F. (Aunt Rosa) Lang who was also mother of the church. Mrs. Amon (Emma) Lang, Vert Simmons, Julia Rebold, and Ella Stafford were faithful members. Later, Mrs. Dudley (Aunt Mamie) Simmons served as secretary for twenty-four years.<\/p>\n
PASTORS
\n1892 E.M. Schilling
\n1895 Jim R. Reeves
\n1896 J.M. Hutson
\n1900 J.M. Cook
\n1902 J.E. Thigpen
\n1903
\n1904
\n1905 1907 Isaiah Allmand
\n1909 L.F. May
\n1910 C.S. Calendar
\n1913 R.L. Bunyard
\n1914 A.D. Muse
\n1920 W.R. Haynie
\n1921 Van C. Walker
\n1923 A.F. Davis
\n1926 W.A. Gill
\n1927 J.B. Hemphill
\n1928 V.C. Walker
\n1947 W.E. Sloan
\nNov. 1948 Landrum Leavell
\nJune 1951 A.V. Epperly
\nAug. 1952 Carroll Bowman
\nSep. 1955 Paul Brown
\nJune 1956 Hollis Todd
\nJan. 1957 Billy Ray Simmons (Associate)
\nJuly 1957 John 0. Hemphill
\nNov. 1961 E.M. Fleming
\nOct. 1964 Bobbie Hill Belcher
\nSep. 1966 Fred Bookter (Interim)
\nJune 1967 Wilmer Goodwin
\nMar. 1969 Marvin Magee (Interim)
\nMay 1969 Cecil Hubbard
\nDec. 1972 Wayne Hart
\nApr. 1975 Joe Jackson (Interim)
\nMay 1975 Roger Wilkins
\nJune 1981 Wilmer Goodwin (Interim)
\nOct. 1981 Terry Blair
\nDec. 1983 Ed Campbell (Interim)
\nApr. 1984 Dale Wilson
\nJuly 1988 Farris W. Smith (Interim)
\nApr. 1990 Charles D. Grant, Jr.<\/p>\n
DEACONS
\nSept.1892 John C. Lang (deceased)
\nAug. 1895 Jim Simmons (deceased)
\nAug. 1895 J.E. Lang (deceased)
\n1905 C.C. Johnston (deceased)
\n1908 A.A.Lang (deceased)
\nMar. 1933 R.U. Stogner (deceased)
\nmar. 1933 Dudley Simmons (deceased)
\nMar. 1933 C.W. Lang, Sr. (deceased)
\nJune 1939 Alton Lang (deceased)
\nJune 1939 Joe Purl (deceased)
\nJune 1939 E.P. Jenkins (deceased)
\nJan. 1948 Frank Johnson (deceased)
\nJan. 1948 Hollis T. Lang
\nNov. 1949 Therrell Simmons (deceased)
\nNov. 1949 Eugene Simmons (deceased)
\nMay 1952 Malcolm Simmons (deceased)
\nFeb. 1965 Dardanelle Durham (deceased)
\nFeb. 1965 Elmo Allmand (deceased)
\nFeb. 1965 Britt Simmons
\nFeb. 1970 Virgil Hamilton (deceased)
\nFeb …1970 Roy Lang (moved)
\nOct.1, 1978 Carl McDaniel (deceased)
\nJames Hucabee
\nHarold “Snuffy” Smith
\nJames Frank Williamson
\nWayne Skipper (moved)
\nJune: 1991 Billy Morgan<\/p>\n
S.S. DIRECTORS
\n1895 John C. Lang
\n1920 A.A. Lang
\n1942 Alton Lang Jones
\n1954 Alton Lang
\n1957 Malcolm Simmons
\n1966 Roy Lang
\n1968 Britt Simmons
\n1971 Imogene Hubbard
\n1972 Hollis Lang<\/p>\n
T.U. DIRECTORS
\n1933 Emmett O’Quin
\n1934 E.L. Helton
\n1935 Discontinued
\n1955 Byrant Hucabee
\nl957 Dardanelle Durham
\n1958 Alton Lang
\n1959 Robert Earl Allen
\n1960 Elmo Allmand
\n1961 Lavada Allen
\n1964 Patsy Simmons
\n1965 Annie Allen
\n1966 Byrant Hucabee
\n1968 Nancy Rowley
\n1971 Holiis Lang
\n1972 Dorothy Parsons
\n1976 Iris Hucabee
\n1982 Ozzie Ford
\n1986 Dorothy Parsons
\n1989 Jim Waller
\n1990 Billy Morgan
\n1991 Joan Waller<\/p>\n
CLERKS
\nSept.1892 John C. Lang
\nOct. 1893 Robert “Babe’ Simmons
\nJan. 1897 W.F. Hutson
\nOct. 1900 A.A.Lang
\n1915 I.W. Lang
\n1920 N.C. Reabold
\n1921 D.I. Reeves
\n1923 Alton Lang
\n1924 Eugene Simmons
\nFrank Johnson
\n1926 Byron Lang
\n1928 Ella Stafford
\n1929 Ellis Simmons
\n1932 Eugene Simmons
\n1935 Ethel O’Quin
\n1936-1945 Hollis Lang
\n1946 Elizabeth Lang
\n1947 Ray Lang
\n1949 Gladys Simmons
\n1950 Houston Rebold
\n1954-1965 Therrell Simmons
\n1965 Joyce Allmand
\n1969-1976 Clara Simmons
\n1976- Wyleene Williamson<\/p>\n
TREASURERS
\nOct. 1892 John B. Simmons
\n1920 D.I. Reeves
\n1921 Sam T. Simmons
\n1924 Ella Stafford
\n1925 Dudley Simmons
\n1928 R.U. Stogner
\n1932 E.L. Helton
\n1933 D.I. Reeves
\n1934 Dudley Simmons
\n1938 Milton Simmons
\n1940 Ollie Simmons
\n1943 Dorothy O’Quin
\n1944-1974 Hollis Lang
\n1974-1988 Patsy Skipper
\n1988- Sue Smith
\n1989-<\/p>\n
ORGANISTS & PIANISTS
\nNov. 1906 Betty Simmons
\n1907 Mollie Lang
\n1923 Irene Lang
\n1925 Vivian Reeves
\n1930 Myra D. Stogner
\n1933 Vivian Reeves
\n1934 Myra D. Stogner
\n1948 Ora Johnson
\n1954 Mary Nell Simmons
\n1957 Patsy Skipper
\n1964 Kitty Fleming (organist)
\n1964 Cheryl Jo Allmand (organist)
\n1965 Patsy Skipper (organist)
\n1965 Mary Simmons (pianist)
\n1965 Mary Anne Simmons (assit.)
\n1966 Mary Anne Simmons
\n1966 Clara Simmons (assit. organist & pianist)
\n1987 Joan Waller (assit. organist & pianist)<\/p>\n
CHOIR DIRECTORS
\nNov. 1895 John C. Lang
\n1920 A.A. Lang
\n1942 Alton Lang
\n1965 Hollis Lang
\n1968 Lonnie Wascom (paid)
\n1969 John Hemphill
\n1972 Billy-Ray. Simmons (paid)
\n1974 Alton Lang
\n1974 Roy Lang
\n1976 Gary Miller
\nHollis Lang
\n1981 Kathern Miller
\n1982 Hollis Lang
\n1984 Carl McDaniel
\n1989 Philip Alford (paid)
\n1990 Danny Creel (paid)
\n1991 Janis Grant (paid)<\/p>\n
Some notes from Bob Ann Breland: My Dad, Seldon Lang, was very disappointed that he didn\u2019t find out about the 100th anniversary of the Union church until it was over. His parents, Albert W. Lang and Narcis Simmons Lang, had been charter members. He would dearly have liked to have been there, he found out a week too late. One of his cousins sent him a copy of the church history and these notes have been scanned from that copy. It is interesting to note the many Langs, Phelps\u2019 and Simmons\u2019 who have been involved in the history of this church.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
NOTES FROM HISTORY OF (EAST) UNION BAPTIST CHURCH 1892-1992 Bob Ann Breland On September 13, 1892, twelve of God’s consecrated ones joined themselves together in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and formed Union Baptist Church. Those members were: W.A. Phelps and wife L.J. Phelps, I.M. Phelps and wife Anna A. Phelps, Albert W. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":8815,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6,1],"tags":[444,616,711],"class_list":["post-743","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-hennesy-line","category-uncategorized","tag-lang","tag-phelps","tag-simmons"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/evermore.imagedjinn.com\/blg\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/743","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/evermore.imagedjinn.com\/blg\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/evermore.imagedjinn.com\/blg\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/evermore.imagedjinn.com\/blg\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/evermore.imagedjinn.com\/blg\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=743"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/evermore.imagedjinn.com\/blg\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/743\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/evermore.imagedjinn.com\/blg\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/8815"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/evermore.imagedjinn.com\/blg\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=743"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/evermore.imagedjinn.com\/blg\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=743"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/evermore.imagedjinn.com\/blg\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=743"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}