Marv Hamm's Genealogy Home Page -- Mt. Olive Baptist Church
                                                     History of Mt. Olive Baptist Church

 The Mt. Olive Baptist Church was founded in 1887 in a community that was once a busy center
 of activity -- Adler, Alabama.  There were 23 founding members when Mt. Olive came into being,
 but since the earliest records have been lost, it is uncertain exactly who they were.  From the
 records available, it seems probable that among the charter members were Abraham Miller,
 Jasper Stone, Tom Dunkin, W. M. Hughey, Ike Hopper, H. R. Taylor, W. T. Taylor, George Hughey,  
  and their families.

 The church building was constructed in 1888 and valued at $300.00.  The four acres on which
 the church and cemetery are located were donated by Abraham Miller and his wife Frances.  
 Will Miller made an additional donation of land for the cemetery sometime later.

 The original church was very simple -- a one room frame building with a high pitched wood
 shingle roof.  There were two single doors at the front which opened directly onto the grounds,
 with one other door located at the rear of the south wall.  A wood stove heated the church in the
 winter, and a large hook suspended from the center front ceiling held a kerosene lantern to
 provide what was then considered a quite satisfactory light.

 A business meeting on Saturday evening preceded the Sunday Service which was held once
 a month.  These business meetings were of vital interest as quite often the sins and short-
 comings of various members were brought before the church for proper action, sometimes
 resulting in exclusion from church fellowship until formal apologies and allegations of
 repentance were made to the offended church body.

 A list of pastors includes the following:  A. M. Perry, G. W. Freeman, J. M. Tucker, W. H. Connell,  
 J. C. Johnston, J. D. Martin, E. H. Littlejohn, Arthur Blake, J. W. Mitchell, J. A. McCrary, P. H.
 Bamberg, Quinton B. Lee, Harry E. Dickinson, Hoover Tubbs, J. E. Lovelady, Darrell Cash,
 John E. Frith, Cecil Smith, Rayburn Reed.

 Mt. Olive's membership has grown older, and sadly, smaller, as time has gone by.  But the spirit
 of the church remains the same -- God-led, friendly, caring, helpful, kindly, and tolerant.  Mt. Olive
 has and will remain a beacon of God's love in the woodland community where it stands.