Laurel Hill UPC
Between the years of 1918-1920, a brush arbor was started under a cherry tree which was located to the right of what is now the fellowship hall. This is how Cherry Chapel got its name.
A preacher from Arkansas came preaching the plan of Salvation. As a result, Mack and Nettie Moore received the Holy Ghost, and wanted to start a place to worship. They gave land for this to get started. Then, Mack and his sons cut logs off his place, hauled them on an iron wheeled wagon to a nearby mill to be sawed for lumber. They framed the sides and put tin on the top. Split logs were used for seats. An oil lamp was used for light. Women of the church sold eggs, chickens, and whatever they had to help put tin on this building. Of course, the floor was dirt. One window was all they had in it. A wood shutter was on it for opening and closing. A little wood burning heater was the heat. A folding piece of paper or maybe a piece of cardboard was their fan. There were outdoor toilets for the ladies and for the men. As time progressed, people of the community were coming, getting filled with the Holy Ghost, being baptized in Jesus’ Name, and the church was being blessed, so they started a small portion of what is now the fellowship hall, adding on as they could. It was first plank, then block, and later bricked up.
Outside, before church services started, the men gathered on the left and women on the right of the church for prayer. Their voices were heard over the community. Then, when time came to start service, prayer requests were taken first, then all knelt at the altar, pouring out their hearts before The Lord. Then, song service would take place. Everyone that wanted to sing went upon the platform. We had a guitar and a tambourine.
Revivals lasted from four to six weeks, and sometimes they went eight weeks at a time. Service was usually over by 11 or 12 o’clock at night. Some got the Holy Ghost and wanted to be baptized that night, and that is exactly what was done. At one time, there was a pond behind the church, and then other ponds were used around there.
Praying for the sick, anointing with oil was done in every service. Ladies would bring quilts to put on the floors to lay their babies. When all the shouting and worship was going on, the Lord took care of all the little children.
Confession services were also held. There may have been someone who had something against his brother or sister, so the preacher would ask, and some went to one another and asked forgiveness.
Testimony service was a regular part of church services. Some were lengthy. This is probably part of the reason that the services lasted so long. Everyone enjoyed them anyway.
“There have been many great men of God who preached and held standards for our Cherry Chapel Church. It’s been so blessed though it’s had battles, the victory is still there," said Sister Helen Barnes, a member of Cherry Chapel UPC.
In his book, The Jesus Name Pentecostals of Leake County, Mississippi, Bro. Clif Crosby II, writes the following account:
Some of the early pastors and preachers included Brother Frank Goss, Brother R.B. King, Brother Elzie Hall, and Brother Otho Hall.
The 1952 Ministerial Directory of the United Pentecostal Church listed Brother James P. Crenshaw, known as Jack Crenshaw, as pastor of Cherry Chapel.
In 1955, Brother Willie B. Miller was the pastor of Cherry Chapel. Christine Barnes wrote (in the July of 1955 edition of The Pentecostal Herald), ‘We have just closed one of the greatest revivals that we have had in this section. Ten received the Holy Ghost and eleven were baptized in the wonderful Name of Jesus. Several were healed of different diseases. This revival was conducted by A.N. Hester, of Lumberton, Mississippi. It is hard to express in words our appreciation for how God worked and how our evangelist helped us. We can highly recommend him to all pastors.’
Brother Amos Taylor pastored Cherry Chapel in 1957 and 1958. Brother Chandler Smith pastored Cherry Chapel after Brother Taylor.
Brother Herman Monk was pastor of Cherry Chapel in the early 1960s.
Brother John Fox pastored Cherry Chapel right before Brother Wilson Dee Hughes.
Brother Wilson Dee Hughes became the pastor of the church in 1962 and pastored until 1978. The church averaged 35 in Sunday school attendance during the 1960s per the averages reported in the Mississippi Pentecostal News.
Brother Wilson Dee Hughes was succeeded by Brother Rex Williams as pastor at Cherry Chapel in 1974. The church at Cherry Chapel would average 48 in Sunday School attendance in the 1970s per the Mississippi Pentecostal News.
Brother Rex Williams became pastor of Cherry Chapel when he was 23 years old and pastored there until he was 32 years old. The church had great revivals and a harvest of souls. Some of the visiting ministers were: Brothers Lee Broadhead, J.E. Anderson, Joe Slade, and Richard Forsythe.
Brother Rex Williams and the congregation built a new sanctuary at Cherry Chapel, completing in in 1982. Brother G.R. Travis, Superintendent of the Mississippi District of the United Pentecostal Church, dedicated the new sanctuary at Cherry Chapel. This sanctuary included a baptistry. Before this sanctuary was built, baptisms had been done in the Brantley’s pond or in the Pearl River, sometimes at night using car headlights for light.
Brother Rex Williams resigned as pastor in 1983 and was succeeded by Brother Horace Jackson. Brother Jackson pastored Cherry Chapel until 1987.
Brother Royce Winters succeeded Brother Jackson and pastored Cherry Chapel until 1991. The church averaged around 30 in attendance during this time.
In 1991 Brother Jerome Fedrick succeeded Brother Royce Winters as pastor at Cherry Chapel and pastored until 1995. During this time, the church paid off the sanctuary that was built by Brother Rex Williams and bought land across the road from the church for a parsonage.
Brother George Clifton “G.C.” Killingsworth, Sr. succeeded Brother Fedrick as pastor and pastored until 2001.
Brother Robert G. “Jerry” Garcia succeeded Brother Killingsworth as pastor at Cherry Chapel in March 2001 and is the pastor today.”