Fran, are you related to the Majors buried at New Prospect Meth. Church Butler co. al.?
We tried to go to visit that Cem yesterday but the Mud Rd. was flooded and impassable.
That Church & Cem is located nest to if not on the Land of my husband's g-g-grandparents Daniel C.
Parker & Mary Mitchell Parker.
The Brightwells and Parkers own most of the land on BOTH sides of the dirt Rd. between Mt. Olive East
Baptist and new Prospt. church.
Our Brightwells moved to Covington Co. Al. during the Civil War . Later one moved back to Stewart /
Webster Co. Ga. and my husband's Great grand mother ended up in Crenshaw Co. al.
Martha Brightwell.
PS:
Looking for info. on
WILLIAM MAJORS who married MARY BRIGHTWELL in Stewart co. Ga. May 13th., 1838.
Her brother William Brightwell name is first name on FIRST roll of Mt. Olive East Baptist Church Butler co.
al.
http://www.rootsweb.com/~albutler/churches/mtol-e.htm
Dear Fran,
Would like to talk to you about these families.
Just go home from the Cem. in Butler Co. Alabama. I think they are our Kin.
PLEASE email us.
Martha Brightwell
skyvine@alaweb.com
Mt. Olive East Baptist Church
Butler County, Alabama
submitted by: Mildred Stinson Brown
The following is an excerpt from Rev. J. W. Joyner's book, A History of the Baptists in Butler County (1819-1957).
In my research into the history of Baptist in Butler County, seeing the part they have had in moulding religious
influences, in this section, I have come across many things of interest. In reading the old records of this church I
found some things that gave to me a personal pride. This is one of the oldest churches in the county, having been
organized in the year 1856 with seventy- one members. The first name on the record is that of William
BRIGHTWELL. Others are DICKENS, PARKER, BENNETT, BUST, TURNER, BAILEY, PENNY, and HITES.
The reason for my personal interest in reading the old record is because so many of my ancestors had an active part
in the building up of this church. My great-grandfather on, J. W. CLARK, and family were members, as well as
were my grandfather on my mother's side, and his family. The old record shows that my mother joined this church in
the year 1865. My father joined in the year 1871, and was ordained a minister in the year 1879, becoming pastor of
the church that year. The minute recorded the meeting held on May 19th, 1879, showing the church sold some trees
from the church lot for which they received $1.40, and 65 centes of this was given to my father on pastor's salary.
Others who had a part in this church were the COOPERs, SIMS, TILLs, PERRIES [Perry], SMITHs, OWENS,
NALLs, HUGHES, MAJORS, HINSONs, BRANUMs, RAINERs, CRAIG, KNIGHTs, AND BRAZELLs. The
names of some of the early pastors are H. E. PARKER, Noe PARKER, R. GENTRY, LONG, LOCKHART, and B.
COOPER.
Other pastors were L. B. COHRON, S. J. WILLIAMSON, W. H. JOYNER, Deck BAKER, R. L. SHELL, J. L. P.
COOK, and J. W. JOYNER. At the present time the county missionary, B. L. ARMSTRONG, is preaching for the
church.
This church for many years was one of the strong churches, but, because of economic conditions, now has only a
few members.