"Working Together As One In Christ."
Romans 8:28
Mission Statement
We are called to proclaim the Gospel of Christ and to lead a purposeful life. We pledge our lives to Christ in covenant with each other to demonstrate His spirit through worship, witnessing, and ministering to the needs of the people of this church, the community, and the world.
Welcome to our website!
Grace and peace be unto you, from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
Undoubtedly, it takes the Church to serve God, for the new evangel of the Kingdom of God will have to be carried into the common consciousness of Christendom by the personal faith and testimony of the ordinary Christian man and woman. It must be and is becoming less connected with ministration of the church. The Shepherd and the Elders are to teach and assist the children of God in their growth and maturity. Howbeit, that only then can they fully live by and follow the decree of the Father.
As the Apostle Paul advises, learners and followers of the way must be committed to the quest of unity, so that the fullness of Church may be manifested in the world, through witnessing and service.
May this website minister to you as it captures a moment in time when the people of God are privileged by His grace to yield themselves to the leading of the Holy Spirit for service.
Galatians 6:9
"And let us not be weary in well doing: for in season we shall reap, if we faint not."
LAUREL HILL UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST
Faithful Living
Here we will tell the story of the beginnings of our church and how we became what we are today. It was in the year 1877 that Jack Jones (black) asked the Rev. R.H. Holland (white) to give the black people a place on the hill so they could have a church of their own and a burying ground. Rev. Holland gave to Mr. Jones and his sons, Walter and Jackson Howell as much land as they wanted. The first Church size was the size of a large room.
In 1885 the Rev. Holland wanted a better location for the church, so it was moved and rebuilt farther up the Hill beside a laurel tree. The church was then named Laurel Hill Christian Church. The Rev. Frank E. Jordan was the first Black pastor and he pastored until his death in 1899. Rev. Patton pastored for six years and then resigned.
The church was then pastored by Rev. C. A. Harris. For more than thirty years Rev. Harris was the guiding light of the program and progress of Laurel Hill Church. It was under his leadership that the church was renovated, choir room, pastor's study, window installation and choir stand added. In 1945, Rev. Harris resigned. In 1946 Rev. Zanda Jenkins took on the role as pastor for twenty-two years. Many projects in the church and the community were fostered through his leadership. In church related activities, namely; an acre of land purchased, educational building constructed and completed, renovation of interior and exterior. In 1968 Rev. Jenkins resigned and Rev. Joseph B. West was voted in by the pastoral committee in 1969.
In 1970, the committee appointed Rev. J. J. Ferguson as their pastor. Under his leadership there were many accomplishments such as outside improvement of grounds, renovation to church entrance, new choir robes, completion of pastor's study and the installation of the baptismal pool. In April of 1998, Rev. Ferguson announced his retirement. He now serves as the Pastor Emeritus of Laurel Hill United Church of Christ.
In August 2000, Rev. Carl L. Sweat became the new pastor of Laurel Hill United Church of Christ. During his leadership the church has maintained an active children's ministry, new fellowship hall has been added, installation of media equipment and continuance of preaching God's word.
ABOUT THE UCC
United Church of Christ: https://www.ucc.org/
Southern Conference: https://www.soc-ucc.org/
“No church can be prospered in which all the ministration comes from the pulpit.”
Henry Ward Beecher
LAUREL HILL UCC CHURCH EVENTS
