Magnolia Missionary Baptist Church History
In the year 1853, a group of God-fearing men and women, being slaves at the time, bound themselves together through the divine intervention of the Holy Spirit and founded a church in the town of Givhans, South Carolina. The church, which was established, formulated and erected upon this very same ground, our present church is now sitting, and became known, and is still known today as Magnolia Missionary Baptist Church.
The founding Mothers and Fathers of Magnolia, the old patriarchs of 159 years ago had a dream, and the Lord God has allowed us to keep it alive; the dream of a church, a place of worship, a haven in which God’s people can come in and take refuge in serving Him, no doubt when the storms of life were raging; for David said in Psalm 27:5, “For in the time of trouble he shall hide me in His pavilion; in the secret of his tabernacle shall he hide me.” That same dream which began during the days of slavery is still being kept alive today.
Magnolia Missionary Baptist Church has an awesome legacy to draw from; for out of it’s growth came the birth of Canaan United Methodist Church of Givhans, South Carolina. The Lord has richly blessed Magnolia Missionary Baptist Church down through the years from the 19th century up to the 21st century with wonderful Pastors, Deacons, Leaders and lay-members such as: Rev. Anthony Alston; Rev. Jessie Western; Rev. Willie Sanders; Rev. Tumma; Rev. Hopkins; Rev. Robinson; Rev. Grant; Rev. John Brown; our departed Pastor Emeritus, Rev. Herbert Brown and our current Pastor, Rev. Kenneth Graham.
The Lord gave us wonderful and outstanding deacons: Deacon Richard Jones, Deacon Louis Jenkins, Deacon Charlie Thompson, Deacon Abraham Miller, Deacon George Williams, Deacon Willie Edwards, Deacon Edward Grant, Deacon Albert Williams, Deacon Chris Simmons, Deacon Daniel Bowman, Deacon Edward Ashe, Deacon James Norris, Deacon James Burnwell, Deacon Ray Hodges, Deacon David Joyner, Deacon Edgar Mitchell, Deacon James Felder, and Deacon Amos Mitchell and a host of Missionaries, Trustees, Ushers, Choir members and Lay-members.
As in John 14; 14-18; 14) “If ye shall ask anything in my name, I will do it.” 15) “If ye love me, keep my commandments.” 16) “And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you forever.” 17) “Even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him; but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.” 18) “I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.”