"Our Church is Busy Spreading the Gospel"
A Rich Church History for our community and church for 148 Years!
FROM
Brush Shelters/Harbors
Baptist Religious Society of Pender County
Cumming’s Chapel Baptist Church
TO
Moore’s Creek Missionary Baptist Church in Currie, North Carolina
In 1868, nearly five years after the Emancipation Proclamation was issued by President, Abraham Lincoln, Our Church had its humble beginning by a few dedicated Christians whose faith was so strong, their desire so great for a place to meet together to worship God. They decided to prepare a shelter by using brush and tree limbs to build what they called Brush Shelters or Harbors for their meeting places. This was a popular occurrence in the 1800s! Reverend Richard Keaton, a fair skinned man of mixed Indian Race, also a free black man who was not a slave, was born in 1825 in the State of Alabama. Reverend Keaton, his wife, Mrs. Hanna Lloyd Keaton, his son, Wesley Keaton accompanied 30 slaves on a 19 day Slave March from Mississippi to North Carolina. Soon after coming to North Carolina, Reverend Keaton started evangelizing, leading revivals and camp meetings in the various Brush Harbors or leafy Shelters. History records show that the church was founded in the year of 1868 by Reverend Richard Keaton and also indicate that he served as our first Pastor.
An important part of our history is the copy of the Warranty Deed dated March 16th, 1878 for One Acre Tract of land that was given to the Baptist Religious Society of Pender County by a Mr. W. A. Cumming of Wilmington, North Carolina. The gift of this land depended on the promise that the Second Church Building would be name after Mr. Cumming. Therefore, sometime in 1878, ten years after it was founded, the church name was changed to: Cumming’s Chapel Baptist Church. At some point the church’s name was changed to Moore’s Creek Missionary Baptist Church. There were several changes and additions made to this building. With the continued blessings of God, membership grew after the Emancipation of slaves. God blessed our progress, and the economy changed for His people. Our God-fearing parents and grandparents enjoyed many loving Holy Ghost filled times of togetherness. The Almighty God continued to lead and guide us during the joyous Pastorates of: the late Reverend Samuel Moss, Sr. and the late Reverend John Roosevelt Keel, Sr.
Under the Divine Power of God, it inspired the desired necessity to build our Fourth Church Building of brick. The much needed comforts and conveniences were provided in this new brick church building. On the Fourth Sunday, January 25, 1970 at 11:00 a.m., Pastor John Keel led the choirs, Congregational Processional March from the Old White Framed Building to the entrance of our New Modern and Fourth Church Building. God continued to bless this church with success. On the Fourth Sunday, April 24th, 1977, we thankfully dedicated the much-needed addition of our Modern Fellowship Dining Hall.
“God just keeps on blessing us!”
Again, God inspired us with the desired necessity for an even larger and more convenient building. During the Pastorates of the Late Reverend John Keel, the former Reverend Thessalonia Graham and Reverend William L. Evans, God was still moving us higher and higher. On the Third Sunday, September 16th, 2001, Pastor William L. Evans led the choirs and Congregational Processional March from the old brick building to the Modern New and Fifth Church Edifice. Our Dedication Services were led by Reverend Dante Murphy and Snow hill Baptist Church, choir and congregation of Ivanhoe, North Carolina.”
As our history unfolds from the 1868 Brush Shelters to this Modern Building, the most important part of this history is the “Sincere Fact” that this church was and always will be founded on the Scriptural Teaching of the Holy Bible,
In 2020, God sent Pastor Kelvin G. Thurman to be the Spiritual Leader for the Moore’s Creek Church Family. Many great things have happen under the leadership of Pastor Thurman, He is a most gifted preacher and teacher of God’s Word. Pastor Thurman is leading our Church Family yo higher heights. The theme for the church was “I was glad when they said unto me; let us go into the house of the Lord” from Psalm 122:1.
Yours in Christ,
Sister Laura Mildred H. Spencer, Historian Emeritus
FROM
Brush Shelters/Harbors
Baptist Religious Society of Pender County
Cumming’s Chapel Baptist Church
TO
Moore’s Creek Missionary Baptist Church in Currie, North Carolina
In 1868, nearly five years after the Emancipation Proclamation was issued by President, Abraham Lincoln, Our Church had its humble beginning by a few dedicated Christians whose faith was so strong, their desire so great for a place to meet together to worship God. They decided to prepare a shelter by using brush and tree limbs to build what they called Brush Shelters or Harbors for their meeting places. This was a popular occurrence in the 1800s! Reverend Richard Keaton, a fair skinned man of mixed Indian Race, also a free black man who was not a slave, was born in 1825 in the State of Alabama. Reverend Keaton, his wife, Mrs. Hanna Lloyd Keaton, his son, Wesley Keaton accompanied 30 slaves on a 19 day Slave March from Mississippi to North Carolina. Soon after coming to North Carolina, Reverend Keaton started evangelizing, leading revivals and camp meetings in the various Brush Harbors or leafy Shelters. History records show that the church was founded in the year of 1868 by Reverend Richard Keaton and also indicate that he served as our first Pastor.
An important part of our history is the copy of the Warranty Deed dated March 16th, 1878 for One Acre Tract of land that was given to the Baptist Religious Society of Pender County by a Mr. W. A. Cumming of Wilmington, North Carolina. The gift of this land depended on the promise that the Second Church Building would be name after Mr. Cumming. Therefore, sometime in 1878, ten years after it was founded, the church name was changed to: Cumming’s Chapel Baptist Church. At some point the church’s name was changed to Moore’s Creek Missionary Baptist Church. There were several changes and additions made to this building. With the continued blessings of God, membership grew after the Emancipation of slaves. God blessed our progress, and the economy changed for His people. Our God-fearing parents and grandparents enjoyed many loving Holy Ghost filled times of togetherness. The Almighty God continued to lead and guide us during the joyous Pastorates of: the late Reverend Samuel Moss, Sr. and the late Reverend John Roosevelt Keel, Sr.
Under the Divine Power of God, it inspired the desired necessity to build our Fourth Church Building of brick. The much needed comforts and conveniences were provided in this new brick church building. On the Fourth Sunday, January 25, 1970 at 11:00 a.m., Pastor John Keel led the choirs, Congregational Processional March from the Old White Framed Building to the entrance of our New Modern and Fourth Church Building. God continued to bless this church with success. On the Fourth Sunday, April 24th, 1977, we thankfully dedicated the much-needed addition of our Modern Fellowship Dining Hall.
“God just keeps on blessing us!”
Again, God inspired us with the desired necessity for an even larger and more convenient building. During the Pastorates of the Late Reverend John Keel, the former Reverend Thessalonia Graham and Reverend William L. Evans, God was still moving us higher and higher. On the Third Sunday, September 16th, 2001, Pastor William L. Evans led the choirs and Congregational Processional March from the old brick building to the Modern New and Fifth Church Edifice. Our Dedication Services were led by Reverend Dante Murphy and Snow hill Baptist Church, choir and congregation of Ivanhoe, North Carolina.”
As our history unfolds from the 1868 Brush Shelters to this Modern Building, the most important part of this history is the “Sincere Fact” that this church was and always will be founded on the Scriptural Teaching of the Holy Bible,
In 2020, God sent Pastor Kelvin G. Thurman to be the Spiritual Leader for the Moore’s Creek Church Family. Many great things have happen under the leadership of Pastor Thurman, He is a most gifted preacher and teacher of God’s Word. Pastor Thurman is leading our Church Family yo higher heights. The theme for the church was “I was glad when they said unto me; let us go into the house of the Lord” from Psalm 122:1.
Yours in Christ,
Sister Laura Mildred H. Spencer, Historian Emeritus