As the warm spring air wafted into the church, the sound of an old piano playing hymns echoed through the countryside.
I could imagine worshipers riding up in carriages or on horseback as they did so long ago. It wasn’t hard to picture the past Sunday at China Grove United Methodist Church.
Located just across the Marion County line in eastern Walthall County, the church has been around for more than 150 years. As a matter of fact, it was founded in 1836 and the current building was constructed in 1854.
Sunday was Homecoming at the small country church. I’d heard about the event and I’d always wanted to see the inside of the church, which remains basically the same as it was more than 100 years ago.
The service contained some old hymns that I bet might have been heard back in the old days, including, “We Gather Together.” Somehow I pictured the refrains echoing through the countryside on a dirt road (OK, it’s now Mississippi 585).
The building was constructed with cypress and pine lumber planed by hand and joined together with pins rather than nails. The pews were handmade and have withstood many years of use.
The church was also unique for another reason. The balcony was built for slaves to attend, and according to a church history, the settlers who built the church were concerned with their spiritual welfare.
“But sitting in the upstairs gallery, the good news they heard was not about bondage,” a church history reads. “Jesus said he had come to set the captives free. The slaves who worshiped in this building held onto that hope, and when the time came, they established their own church, St. James United Methodist Church.”
That history may be difficult to swallow for some, but it was reality in what was then part of Marion County. The church withstood tough times from the Civil War to storms and hurricanes.
When the community around China Grove began to decline and people moved away, the church also declined. By the 1930s, services had been suspended and the annual Homecoming began. The tradition has kept the historic church alive.
A stroll through the cemetery is a walk through history, with souls of the past being buried in that rural community. Many people in Marion and Walthall counties can trace family to China Grove in the past. Several Marion County residents could be seen at Sunday’s service and the dinner afterward.
As a history buff, having the chance to worship in China Grove was an amazing experience. I enjoyed hearing from pastors Barry Dickerson, Hong Yoo, Floyd Atchison and Andre Tillman. Martha Atchison led the music, and Sunhee Yoo played the piano for the old time service.
I’m glad I had the experience. Just as I’ve enjoyed worshiping with many of you across Marion County. The churches in our region have so much history and it is great to learn about each one.
I encourage you to explore. It might be a graveyard near an old church or the church itself. We can learn a lot from our past and hopefully put that knowledge toward an even brighter future.
Mark Rogers is managing editor of The Columbian-Progress. Reach him at news@columbianprogress.com.
