CRESTVIEW — Members of the Crestview Historic Preservation Board and the Macedonia Missionary Baptist Church joined Feb. 20 to unveil a historical marker commemorating 108 years of the church’s history.
Many of those in attendance represented the founding families that helped organize the church during its early days on west Griffith Street. Bay McDonald presented a history of Macedonia, beginning in 1909 with its founding pastor, the Rev. Ed Hill. McDonald is a lifelong member; her christening took place in 1941.
One of the church’s oldest members, Nellie McDonald Smith, shared memories of growing up in the Macedonia congregation, where her parents, Willie and Sarah McDonald, were very active.
"I lived in the church," Smith said.
She has been a member for 74 years, since the age of 15. She recalled doing secretarial work for the church at age 11 and using an oil lamp for light.
Smith showed the audience a pair of flat irons that her mother used to make communion bread for many years. A mixture of plain flour and water was placed on the hot iron, about a teaspoon, explained Smith. Then the other hot iron was placed on top to form a flat piece of bread about the size of a fifty-cent piece.
The mothers of the church made the communion bread, a tradition that lasted until 1987 with the passing of Mother Hattie S. Howard.
Macedonia's pastor, the Rev. Dwight Baggett, and senior church members unveiled the historical marker, located in front of the church following the ceremony. The church is located at 603 Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard in Crestview.
The group enjoyed fellowship and refreshments in the church’s annex after the marker unveiling. The ladies of Macedonia prepared food and cake.
The Crestview Historic Preservation Board erected the historical marker in conjunction with the board’s continuing efforts to document historical sites within the city of Crestview.
The marker project is funded entirely from fundraising events conducted by volunteer board members.
The board currently has copies of "Crestview, The Forkland" on sale. The book documents the history of Crestview and includes many old maps and photographs.
Copies are available for $65 each from any board member or at the Baker Block Museum. Call 537-5714 for more information.
The Rev. Ed Hill founded the Macedonia Missionary Baptist Church in 1909. The first small wooden church was on West Griffith Street, where lamps and lanterns were used during the days before electricity. It is said that the church developed from a brush arbor meeting at the same site.
A potbellied stove was used to heat the church, and baptisms were in a nearby spring; at Bob Sikes’ pond; and in later years, at Turkey Hen Creek, until a pool was built in the church in 1952.
Macedonia moved to its present location during the 1920’s. The church has received at least four facelifts during its 108 years of existence.
Rev. A.D. Bell Sr., Deacons W.D. Hill, Tillis Mathis and C.P. Randolph and church mother, Sarah McDonald led the reconstruction and rededication of Macedonia in 1953. Members of the J.R.L. Conyers Masonic Lodge No. 364 laid its cornerstone.
When Mt. Zion A.M.E. Church was destroyed by fire, Macedonia's congregation opened its doors and swapped Sundays with the Mt. Zion congregation, forming a close spiritual relationship between the two churches. Members sang in both choirs, attended meetings together and, taught by Brother A.G. Conyers of Mount Zion,sang seven shape notes. "There was no problem with denominations, everybody worshipped as one," the church history states.
Additions were made at Macedonia in June 2010 with Rev. Dwight D. Baggett as pastor.
Macedonia's history
This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Macedonia Missionary Baptist Church gets historical marker