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Pastor's Serving Antioch Church

and other Leaders of the Church

The role of those who have served as pastors of Antioch Baptist Church since its organization in 1824 is illustrious indeed and varied. Some are lost to memory and others stand out vividly in the memories of those who recall the great deeds and work they performed.

In the days of the eighteen hundreds, the preachers were largely itinerant and were paid for their services in produce that the poor striving congregation had to offer. They were paid very little money

Rev. J. Henry Purser served as pastor three different times and many times during the search for a man to fill the position. He served as a called pastor of the church for thirty years during his life time and many of the fine virtues of this church can be attributed to his leadership and teachings.

Some who preached in the early years were not ordained ministers, but would serve at times when there was no pastor. The story is told of one of the early preachers who left the Baptist Church and went to the Methodist Church.
An Elder, W.F. Green, who was pastor in 1864, served in this church for eight years according to the associational minutes. He had a home in the community and lived there until his wife died in 1889. He sold his place and left the community and there is no one who remembers where he went from there.   The older ones of our community and church who remember well some of the pastors and recall great things about their ministry to God's program and the role they contributed to the building of the work. Some of these who are often mentioned are Rev. S.R. Young, Rev. Jasper Green, Rev. G.W. Farmer, and Rev. E.M. Ferrell

Rev. Elmer L. Howell, who is now with the State Brotherhood Department, served as pastor for seven years.

Rev. E. E. Hedgepeth of Monticello also served our church for seven years. It was under his leadership that the present building was erected. He worked many days with the men of the community actually working with hammer, nails and saw on the building and is held in high esteem for what his services meant to the church and community.

Rev. Robert L. Bridges, who died in summer of 1967 in Alabama as a result of an injury in a car accident

Rev. Joe E. Lunceford came to us in 1961 and remained as pastor until 1964 when he entered the seminary in New Orleans. At the present time, he is an Air Force Chaplain and has been sent to Korea. We like to think of him as Antioch's Foreign Missionary. We can but ask ourselves "What greater ministry?"

Rev. J. D. Johnson came to us in 1964 and served one year. He also entered the Seminary in New Orleans and is a graduate of the 1968 class.

Rev. Tommy Randall, a student at Mississippi College, served from October 1967 until 1969.

According to the minutes of the Union Baptist Associational Minutes and the Copiah Associational Minutes records, these are the pastors who have are are serving Antioch Church since its organization in 1824. Some of the records are missing.

Rev. Kenneth Jordan served as our pastor from 1969-1971

Rev. J.C. Cole served from 1971 - 1973

Rev. Randy Turner served as our pastor from 1973 - 1976.   He is currently pastor of First Baptist Church, Laurel, Mississippi

Dr. Rory Lee served as our pastor from 1976 - 1994. On August 08, 1993, Dr. Lee asked the church to grant him leave of absence as he had been named Interim President of Mississippi College.

He recommended Stewart Moody, as associate pastor, to serve in his absences. The church warmly welcomed Stewart, a student at Mississippi College. On October 17, 1993, Stewart was ordained and licensed to preach at the First Baptist Church in Morton, Mississippi, his home church with many of the congregation of Antioch attending. Stewart also moved his church membership to Antioch on this historical day in his life.
On September 10, 1994, a very emotional day was observed at this dear old church. Dr. Rory Lee tendered his resignation as Senior Pastor after 18 years of dedicated services. We were blessed by his leadership and the church grew in every phase of the work; membership; stewardship, mission work, and Bible Study. Dr. Lee's works in the church for many years to come will be felt and remembered and we thank God for his presence and for his loving family as they served us so well. So many wonderful things were accomplished during his ministry. A reception was given in his honor by the church. He has gone from Interim President of Mississippi College to President of William Carey College of Hattiesburg. At the present time, he is serving as President of Louisiana College in Pineville, Louisiana. On September 18, 1994, Rev Stewart Moody was called as pastor of the church. Upon graduation from the Seminary in New Orleans, he took a job in Statesboro, Georgia. He is now serving in a full time capacity as Minister to College Students at First Baptist Church, Statesboro, Georgia.

Listed below are the pastors who have served Antioch Baptist Church and God's work in Western Copiah County

SUNDAY SCHOOL

The first record that is now available of Sunday School at Antioch Church is of 1887.  It evidently was not thought to be as important as we know it to be today. In days before 1887, there are records that show it to be in some churches.  In some of the records, it is called "Sabbath School".  There records show the churches to be in villages, but very little is said of any rural churches and our conjecture is that because of distance from the church and because most churches had a pastor who came only once a month to preach Sunday School was not stressed. We are told by those that can recall stories of private day school that the teacher would have a session of Bible teaching on Friday, but because of lost records this cannot be verified as to the Sunday School until the date of 1887. We are aware that a mere mention of elected officers does not describe a Sunday School and the work it can do, and that is vitally related to enlistment of church people, but because of this loss of record we can only list some of the Superintendents that have served and do serve our church.

TRAINING UNION

The Baptist Training Union work in our church began in 1936 with Mr. T. U. Bufkin as director at that time.  There were many young people in the church, but as the years passed they grew into manhood and womanhood.  Many of these young people were married and moved into other areas and others moved away to school.  Some moved their memberships to their new home churches, and there was a time there were so few young people, most of them merely babies, that the adults became interested in the work and saw the purpose of this organization in training Christians in the work of the church and an adult class was started.  By 1946, the babies had grown to teenagers and the B.T.U. was revived until 1971 -- At the present time, we do not have Training Union, instead we have Bible Drill for the children.

WOMENS MISSIONARY WORK

'The Ladies Aid Society', as it was called in 1890, was started at Antioch by the pastor's wife.  Mrs. Jasper Green helped to organize the mission work and was elected to lead the women in their endeavor to help and learn of the great need of the missionary work as to what part they could have in helping to carry on this work at home and abroad. The women gathered together many things that were asked for by the different places where the need was great, such as food, clothing, quilts, blankets, and sent them to various places. The women began to look in their own community for those who needed help and in times of sickness and sorrow were always ready to do a part to lessen the load of the families who were stricken.  Many occasions could be related as to the times when help was given when the mother was unable to carry on her work and some of these women would care for the family, bring cooked food, do a big laundry or other things that were necessary for the need of those that were not able to carry on. In after years when the work was better organized the name was changed to Woman's Missionary Union as we know it now. Like man other organizations it did not function regularly as a union, but the good women did not forget its worth.  From 1897 until 1925 there is no record in the associational minutes of the organization.  Since 1925, each year the women have tried to magnify the purpose of the work and through their prayer life to show the power and privilege of being a part of this union. In years past, we have had the privilege to help in the memorials for some who spent many ears in the W.M.U. work and who had dedicated their lives to the cause.  One of the memorials was a room furnished at Baptist Hospital in memory of Miss Margaret Lackey who was corresponding Secretary for the state department from 1912- 1930.  We also had a part of building of Camp Garaywa. We know prayer is a prerequisite to all work for the Kingdom as the coupling with the power of God to our helplessness makes the impossible attainable.  We observe four seasons of prayer each year with an offering to State, Home, and Foreign Missions, and W.M.U. Specials which is used to help educate children of the missionaries.  Each year we set our goal a little higher and strive to exceed this goal.  There are two meeting held each month and programs from the adopted magazine, Royal Service, are used which stimulate the consciousness of the world's needed for Christian witness.

Note, there is no record from 1894 to 1925

At the present time, we do not have a WMU

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