[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 140 (Tuesday, September 10, 2024)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E881]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     HONORING MT. HOREB M.B. CHURCH

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. BENNIE G. THOMPSON

                             of mississippi

                    in the house of representatives

                      Tuesday, September 10, 2024

  Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate 
and honor a pillar of the community, Mt. Horeb M.B. Church.
  Mt. Horeb M.B. Church was organized in 1864 by Rev. Moses B. Black, a 
missionary sent to the Mississippi Delta by the Baptist Home Missionary 
Society. This made Mount Horeb the first African American church in 
Greenville and Washington County, hence the oldest. He pulled together 
a small group of former slaves, Paul Woodruff, Jerry Bland, Riley 
Barnes, Jim Campbell, and Shep Hughes. They named the church Mt. Horeb. 
Horeb which is another name for Mt. Sinai which means ``Desolate 
Place.'' The church boasted a membership of around 310 members.
  During the early years, the organizers faced challenges in securing a 
building for worship, as much of Greenville had been destroyed by 
federal troops during the Civil War. The first building was located on 
Levee Street, but it was eventually lost to the Mississippi River and 
the construction of the current levee. Concerned about the river's 
encroachment, the congregation heeded the advice of the Church's Elders 
and relocated to the corner of Nelson and Broadway streets. Due to 
delays, nearly four years passed before a new building was constructed, 
leading to 1886 being mistakenly recognized as the church's founding 
year. Part of the land for the original church was purchased from B.L. 
Lee for $135.00, and in 1909, an impressive two-story structure with 
stained glass windows was completed.
  Shep Hughes, the longest surviving member of the original group, 
served as a vital link to future generations. When the late historian 
Leon C. Chapple completed the church's history, he asked Brother 
Hughes, ``Why the name Mount Horeb?'' noting that there were no 
mountains, hills, or elevated places within a 75-mile radius. It hadn't 
occurred to Brother Hughes why the church was named Mount Horeb. His 
response, though simple, was poignant and sentimental: the founders, 
barely three years removed from the harshness of slavery, felt like the 
children of Israel emerging from the valley of sin. They began to 
thirst, not for natural waters, but for the waters of righteousness. 
Thus, they named the church Mount Horeb, envisioning it as a place 
where the weary and repentant could come to freely drink from God's 
life-giving waters.
  From the founding pastor to their current pastor, Dr. Albert Calvin, 
Jr., Mt. Horeb has been served by 21 pastors, with Dr. Calvin serving 
the longest at 45 years.
  In 1993, a Historical Marker was erected by the Mississippi 
Department of Archives and History, which is in the front of the 
church.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing Mt. Horeb 
M.B. Church for its rich heritage and dedication to serving others and 
giving back to the community.

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