The following booklet by the Rev John B Johnson is presented here with the kind permission of Don Donald, one of the Directors of Mt Moriah Church. There is no date on the booklet. A transcription follows the image of each page.
An ordinary church is a commonplace thing in America. Across the country, we even have a plethora of unusual churches, but the most unusual church I have seen is Mt. Moriah. To a tourist, there is little to distinguish it. Outwardly, it is a typical Baptist Church with the traditional congregational government and the conventional form of worship. The passing throng would not designate it as a great church, yet it is one of the greatest churches in America.
What makes this church so unusual? Certainly, it is not its pastor. It has no pastor, and probably never will have one. Once a year, however, they have worship services. They do not observe the Lord's Supper, and it has been at least twenty-five years since anyone was baptized into its membership. The church has no active organizations, and maintains no vigorous program, but its story of survival thrills the imagination.
Mt. Moriah is nestled in the pines where all the radiant flowers look like pale vestals in the twilight. It might be called the chapel of the pines. In this natural setting, the absent members have artistically erected a lovely brick building on spacious grounds. To the rear is an educational building that has never had a Sunday School pupil. It has been converted into a dining hall to serve the Mt. Moriah devotees who attend homecoming once a year. To the right of the sanctuary, there is a well-kept cemetery; it has an endowment that exceeds twenty-five thousand dollars. This alone would make it unique. There is little wonder that it has well-scrubbed tombstones, plotted lots, and an enclosing metal fence. Like a glittering gem set in a circle of gold, this picturesque church stands in the wilderness to remind the few passers-by that God is the greatest fact of history. Its silence is eloquent for it is a part-time church with a full-time message. When the people moved away and left it, by
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Page updated 9 Apr 2007.
