Rose Hill M.B. Church marks 150 years

The rich history of Franklin County’s Rose Hill Missionary Baptist Church — a story that has been 150 years in the making — will be celebrated with a three-day gathering Friday, Oct. 28 through Sunday, Oct. 30.

Since January, a six-member committee has been making plans to mark this milestone anniversary.

“The goal has been to make the event something really special,” Glenda Brock, a committee member and church administrator, said.

“It is a great blessing for all of us who are involved to be part of celebrating our past as we are one of the oldest African American churches in Franklin County.”

Deaconess Sara Robertson, who is serving as committee chairperson, said at the heart of the gathering is a desire to welcome home all those whose lives have been touched through the Rose Hill M.B. Church ministry.

“Friday evening will be our meet-and-greet time in the fellowship hall and we’ll come together on Saturday starting at 11 a.m., for children and adult activities, a picnic, tours of the cemetery and sharing our wonderful history,” Robertson said.

“Sunday morning will be our official anniversary worship service, and we’re just wanting to let our light shine in everything that is planned through the weekend.”

Robertson said this celebration comes at a time when people are trying to put the concerns and fears of the coronavirus pandemic behind them and move on with their lives.

“We hope a lot of the people who have not been coming to church will use this opportunity to return,” she added.

“It grieves my heart to know that a lot of people are not coming to God’s house, and we’re putting out the call for them to come back and be part of this event.”

Accounts of the church’s history show Rose Hill’s roots can be traced to between late 1868 and early 1869 when white citizens established a church in the area.

In the early 1870s, men of color in the Rose Hill community were attending services at Mount Zion Baptist Church.

By 1892, the need for the African American community to have a place of their own to worship was boosted by the donation of a parcel of land by the McGehee family.

A small structure was constructed, but burned a short time later.

That calamity did not deter the fledgling congregation, who moved about a mile south of that original location to rebuild.

Several years later, that building was hauled by mules to the church’s present site — off what is now U.S. Highway 98 adjacent to Franklin County’s District 5 volunteer fire station — on land given by M.C. McGehee.

The ensuing years saw Rose Hill flourish as families walked for miles — from south central Franklin and north central Amite counties — to attend worship on the third Sunday of each month.

By the mid 1930s and in the heart of the Great Depression, leaders stepped out on faith to erect a larger church to meet the congregation’s growth.

Church members came from every walk of life — including blacksmiths, furniture makers, quilters and basket weavers — and used their skills and talents to help foster the congregation’s progression through the 20th century.
It was not until 1948 that McGehee’s widow, Ella, officially conveyed the property by deed where the church was located.

Committee members said Rose Hill Missionary Baptist Church has been blessed with dedicated spiritual leaders and visionaries who have sought to follow the teachings of Jesus Christ to help the congregation and community prosper through the years.

“I grew up in this church, and our primary aim has been to have the Holy Spirit of God within each of us,” Evangelist Yvonne Moore, another committee member, said.

“The goal of this church, since the beginning, has been to draw people to God’s service. Needless to say, we want to see those who have ties to this church to be able to celebrate where we’ve been and where we’re going.”

Moore said her life-long involvement in Rose Hill has been the foundation of her Christian faith, and wants to see the historic church play a pivotal role in the lives of future generations.

To that end, Robertson said she believes God has richly blessed Rose Hill to serve as a beacon of hope, faith and love — missions she and fellow members freely embrace.

“The only way we have made it this long is because the church has stood on the promises of God,” Robertson added.

Minister James Carter, a committee member, agreed with Robertson’s assessment and said the best days for Rose Hill are ahead of it — as long as its congregation keeps praying and committing itself to growing by faith.

“We have come thus far by faith and will continue to do so by standing on God’s word,” Carter said.

“He has never left us nor has He forsaken us. There have been good times and bad, but God has been the one constant that has carried us through to get to this point.”

Deacon David Carter, another committee member, said he recalled times when there were no musical instruments for worship, but the sheer strength of the numerous voices lifting up God in praise could literally be heard for miles around.

“Through my travels, I’ve been to churches that have organs, keyboards, tambourines and trumpets,” he said.

“When I think back, I would come here with my grandfather with the windows open to cool the building down. When we came in there was no music, but folks would be humming, tapping their feet and singing.

“Before you knew it, everyone in that building was wet (with sweat). Those are wonderful memories that serve to remind us of the people of faith who came before us and what they built for us.”

He went on to praise the service and sacrifice of those who helped chart the church’s course from its humble beginnings to the current leadership.

Rose Hill has been led since November, 2003, by the Rev. Dr. Oliver W. Smith and First Lady Belva Ann Smith.

Under Smith’s leadership in conjunction with deacons and members, the congregation has taken on numerous projects over the past 19 years including improvements to the sanctuary, fellowship hall and cemetery.

Ministries have been added to and created to meet the needs of church members and surrounding communities, and range from evangelism to an outreach for area veterans.

Committee members also pointed to the influence the church has had in terms of spreading God’s message — especially through music.

The Jackson Southernaires (Huey Williams and the late Frank Williams, founder and director of the Mississippi Mass Choir) along with Melvin and Doug Williams — the Williams Brothers — have ties to the church and performed for audiences around the world.

“Our hope is people will come to celebrate and give thanks to God for what He has done,” Brock said. “Everyone involved in this is thankful and humbled by the blessings that have come our way through the years.”