[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 163 (2017), Part 4]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 5797]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




              HONORING GILFIELD MISSIONARY BAPTIST CHURCH

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                        HON. BENNIE G. THOMPSON

                             of mississippi

                    in the house of representatives

                        Saturday, April 8, 2017

  Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize 
the Gilfield M.B. Church in Doddsville, Mississippi. The church was 
founded and built by slaves on the banks on the Sunflower River located 
on the plantation of United States Senator James O. Eastland in 1894.
  The history of the church spans 122 years with records showing three 
structures as its home, each with its own fascinating and remarkable 
journey. Early records of the church were recalled and passed down by 
word of mouth from slaves down to the members of the church who were 
also relatives. The earliest written record of the church was around 
the 1980s. Many of the elders and other members were still attending 
the church, so Ms. Hattie Jordan, a member of the church, volunteered 
to be the church historian and keeper of the records. She gathered 
documents, recorded oral stories, researched ``leads'' of where she 
could get more information or someone who could corroborate the 
findings. One source of information she relied on were two cornerstones 
located on the existing churchfront in Doddsville. One of the 
cornerstones was once the original place of the church in 1894, and 
transferred thereafter to structures one and two.
  In 1894 the location of the first church was strategically planned to 
exist near water. It is believed but not recorded that the location was 
chosen because the river could be used to secretly baptize members--a 
practice not openly approved of by plantation owners. Ms. Jordan told 
the story of how she was baptized in the Sunflower River behind 
Gilfield M.B. Church in 1953 by Rev. McGee. Gilfield M.B. Church was 
allowed to exist only because Senator Eastland gave the slaves his 
approval.
  The first pastors of Gilfield M.B. Church at its initial location 
were: Rev. C.C. Edwards, Rev. Hester, Rev. Hobbs, and Rev. Mose Watson. 
No written records were kept by slaves. The only source for handing 
down information was by word of mouth to the younger generation.
  The second Gilfield M.B. Church was built a mile down from the first 
site on the banks of the Sunflower River on the Eastland Plantation. 
Rev. Mose Watson was the pastor. He continued to lead the church as he 
did while pastoring at the first location. After Rev. Watson, the 
church installed Rev. Issac as the new pastor until his death in 1947. 
Following Rev. Issac the church was led by Rev. Latson from 1947 to 
1952. Rev. Latson left the church to move to Chicago, IL. Immediately 
afterwards, Rev. McGee became the pastor in 1952 but separated from the 
church in 1953. There was a short lapse in pastors because Rev. Fleming 
did not begin pastoring the church until 1954. Records indicate he was 
the last pastor of the second structure listed as the home of Gilfield 
M.B. Church.
  Rev. Fleming moved with the church to their third home beside the 
site of the second home, on the banks of the Sunflower River located on 
the Eastland Plantation. The sanctuary section of the second site was 
demolished, leaving the backside section to be used for church 
gatherings, which still stands today. The pastors of the third site 
location in order of leadership were: Rev. Fleming, Rev. John H. 
Williams, Rev. Clarence Tolbert, and the current pastor is Rev. 
Theautry Winters.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing the 
Gilfield M.B. Church of Doddsville, MS located in Sunflower County 
inside of the Second Congressional District of Mississippi.

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