The Chronicle-star combined with the Moss Point advertiser., 1944-09-29
IA Petitioners
Founded Church
AT Moss Point

Ax MUOO L UlLLl
One of the oldest Presbyterian
churches in this section of the
state the Presbyterian church of
Moss Point this year celebrates
the seventeen anniversary of its
founding by a group OF fourteen
petitioners-eight of whom had
the good Scotch prefix of Mac"
before their names, a fact which
bore weight with the Presbytery
Of New Orleans.
The founders first petitioned
the Tombigbee Presbytery now
East Mississippi Presbytery) ask
ing authority to organize a church
at Moss Point. They were turn
ed down for reason of the small
size of the congregation needing
service. Undaunted, the group
next turned to New Orleans, and
a young man was sent from this
Presbytery to make a survey of
the community. But he also be-
lieved that the congregation was
too small to Justify a church and
submitted a negative recommen-
dation to the New Orleans body.
But the fact that eight of the IA
petitioners were MACS" appeal
ed to the interest of the Rev. A.
j. Witherspoon. an influential
leader in the Southern church,
who requested that the Presby-
terry send him to review the mat
ter.
Rev. Mr.. Witherspoon visited
Moss Point and met the found
ers and returned to New Orleans
to recommend that the commu-
nity's request be granted. This
minister was a staunch friend of
the church all through its early
years. He visited the friends he
had made in Moss Point often,
and it was here on one of his
visits that he passed on. He died
in Moss Point at the home of Mrs.
Addie M. McInnis, one of the
founders.
In addition to Mrs. Melnnis,
other founders, many of whom
descendants today are members
Of the church, were Mrs. Gather
inc McCaskill, Mrs. Susan p.
CASTOR, DR.. II. l.. Howe, Me
lanchton Ernest Smith, John Me
lnnis, Mrs. Mary McInnis, DR.. J.
K. Mcleod, Mrs. Josephine Me
Leod, Miss S. F. Mcleod, Mrs.
NJ. r. Brown, rs. w. EN- Howe,
rs, Mary L. Hale, and DR.. S. A.
Melnnis. Moderator on the date
Of founding-February %, 1874,
was the Rev. B. l.. Castor.
Thirteen of the charter mem
bers were received from church
es elsewhere. DIS. S. B. Mclnnis
was the first member to be re-
eeived upon profession of faith.
A long line of ministers of the
Moss Point church We're mission
aries, some going on from here
to carry their missionary work
into other fields. AS a result of
this fact a number of churches
in this area car look to Moss
Point as the parent church. One
OF the early off-shoots of the Moss
Point congregation was the
church at Scranton, which is now
Pascagoula. Some of the MEM
bers of this church moved to
Richton and founded another.
Many of the Moss Point pas
tors served as Moderator of Pres
hytery. One elder j. j. Mcintosh
was on two occasions Moderator
of the Meridian Presbytery, and
was also sent as a delegate to the
general assembly.
Many of the early clerks served
for long tenures. Among them
We're DR.. H. L. Howe, DR.. ]. K.
Mcleod, J. J, Mcintosh, Edward
D, Wood. and Dr.. A. p. Macarthur.
The dedieatery sermon was
preached by one of the promi-
nent Southern churchmen, DR.. B.
M. Palmer oe New Orleans. He
too, like the Rev. Mr. Wither-
spoon. was a close friend of many
of the members and often visit
ed Moss Point. In the early years
of the church evangelists and Wis
iting ministers filled the pulpit.
The first regular pastor, the Rev.
s. j. Bingham. was sent in 1876.
The first elders We're DR.. H. l..
Howe and Mr.. John Mclnnis.
Dir. j. X. Mcleod was first dea-
con and later was elected elder.
The missionary spirit has been
a strong influence of the Moss
Point church. Negroes were adj
mitted to membership with a view
toward training them for the
ministry, and evangelists were
sent frequently amongst the ne
groes.
The Sunday school was early
organized, although the first ref
erence TO lis work did not appear
in the narrative report to the
preSbytery until 1881. At that
time forty scholars were enrolled
IN a Bible class and in Sabbath
school Dr.. Vaughn was one of
the first superintendent of the
Sabbath school. r. w. Cowan
was superintendent for 80 years.
In l14,r x#aarr 4h, 1aaoone tooL