white stone baptist church
The old White Stone Baptist Church on Newton Conehatta Road is gone but not forgotten. It was built in 1958-59 as a result of members splitting from St. Cloud Baptist Church over a disagreement.
According to Bonnie Moore Banks, church services were conducted in an old building resembling a barn until the construction of White Stone Church was completed. The land designated for the church was once owned by John Watkins and Angeline Lay. Their son Spencer Watkins and wife Macy Watkins gained control of the property after the death of John and Angeline. In exchange for the nominal sum of one dollar, the Watkins deeded the land for the church’s construction to the trustees of White Stone and their successors in 1957. Spencer and his family moved from Newton County to Arizona but came back to Newton County each year on the third Sunday of May to hold a Watkins reunion at the church.
The charter members of White Stone included Johnnie Jordan and wife Ida Mae Evans Jordan, Greenie Morrow and wife Estella Watkins Morrow, and Smith Moore and wife Eva Haney Moore and Mrs. Christine Shield.
Johnnie Jordan was the son of Willie Jordan and Jessie Morrow Jordan. Jessie and Greenie Morrow were sisters. Ida Mae Evans was the daughter of Arch Evans and Cora Walker.
Greenie Morrow was the son of Jeff Morrow and Ann Taylor. Estella Watkins Morrow was the daughter of John Watkins and Angeline Lay. Estella and Spencer were siblings.
Smith Moore was the son of Benjamin (Boose) Moore and Martha Lula Nelson. Eva Haney Moore was the daughter of George Haney and Carrie Miller from Shubuta, Mississippi.
Mrs. Christine Shield was also a charter member of White Stone who was married to Robert Shield. She and her daughter Bonnie Jewel Shield served faithfully as ushers in the church. Ms. Shield served also as a dedicated district matron for many years. Bonnie Shield and Johnnie Jordan’s daughter, Carolyn Anderson, donated the gated fence around the White Stone – Morrow cemetery.
White Stone charter members and their families were less engaged in the political landscape of the Civil Rights Movement compared to other black churches. In the late 1950’s and 1960’s, their primary focus was on establishing and organizing their church; once the church was finally constructed, they conducted services in the traditional and cultural manner that had been practiced in African American churches for generations.
For example, at White Stone, preaching was not truly preaching until the spirit of God intervened, accompanied by the sounds of hooping and whooping. To add even more energy, the pianist, Eva Haney Moore, would play musical notes between the moans and groans of the preacher, while the congregation responded with shouts of “Amen” in between.
To be saved, baptism was required, and individuals were taken to an old pond owned by Deacon Johnnie Jordan where the preacher would use a stick to determine the depth of the water. The deacons would lead the members through the water to be baptized by the preacher. The congregation would follow by singing old hymns like “Wade in the water, wade in the water children, wade in the water, God’s gonna trouble the water” and “Take me to the water to be baptized. None but the righteous shall see God.”
White Stone members also ensured they took care of their pastor. Church services occurred only two Sundays a month, during which a mother of the church was designated to feed the preacher and his wife after the services. These mothers put forth their best efforts to guarantee the pastor and his wife were well-fed with everything from the garden. Cakes and pies were made without written recipes or measuring cups.
Eva Haney Moore had a spacious dining room that accommodated about ten or more people at a time. When it was her turn to serve the pastor, she went all out, buffet style. The table was laden with various meats, vegetables, cornbread, cakes, and pies. The children had to wait outside under a tree until the preacher was fed. Afterward, they were allowed to come in and eat the leftovers with no utensils, using their hands, and it was delightful.
There were many taboos that were forbidden in the early organization of the church. Women were not allowed to preach. They were expected to be quite in the church. Women’s attire were dresses that covered the knees. Pants were not allowed for women to wear at the church. The motherboard sat on one side of the church while the deacons sat on the other side. Anyone that was not a minister were forbidden to step or cross over the pulpit area as that area was considered holy grounds.
As with all churches, there were occasional disagreements among the members. One of White Stone’s concerns was how the church property should be used. Ruth Watkins Lang, sister of Spencer and Estell Watkins, was an entrepreneur who sold snow cones near the church. Some believed that it was taboo to sell near or on the church property. These different taboos demonstrate how White Stone members took their interpretation of the Bible seriously.
Another Watkins sister was Clara Watkins, known by many only as “Ms. Clara.” She was also an entrepreneur who sold candy, but from her home, which was near the church. Bonnie Moore Banks recalls going to the home of Ms. Clara to purchase candy. It was a treat that the children of the church looked forward to.
The first preacher to pastor at the church was Jefferson Frank Moore in 1959. On Moore’s first year anniversary at White Stone, he received a gift of $74.44 for services rendered.1 Other pastors were B.J. Bufkin, Stephen Hayes, Tommy Robinson and Rubin Tatum. In 1990, Rev. Everett Heidelberg became pastor of White Stone, and his wife LouAnn was Assistant Pastor.
A new church was built in 1995-1996 and was relocated to Greenie Morrow Road. The land that the old White Stone Church resided on was reverted back to the estate of the Watkins family as according to the legal agreement.
Many of the taboos of the past came to an end when Rev. Heidelberg became pastor. One significant change was when women were allowed to preach and wear pants in the church. In addition, a less restrictive way of thinking about religion and religious practices were adopted which attracted a new generation of worshippers.
- The Newton Record, Thu, Apr 28, 1960 ·Page 9 ↩︎