NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — Past, present, and soon-to-be members of Greater Saint John Missionary Baptist Church gathered to celebrate a significant milestone—145 years of service to the community.
Pastor Herbert T. Brown has been part of Greater Saint John Missionary Baptist his entire life. "When your mama is pregnant, and she brings you to this church and you stay here all your life," he said.
The church has seen many changes over the years. "In 1915, we moved to 12th Ave. We came into this building on June 4, 2000," Brown recalled.
Brown expressed gratitude for his long connection to the church. "I thank God he allowed me to be here 76 years," he said.
However, the journey hasn't always been easy. "There have been many ups and downs over the last 145 years," Pastor Brown acknowledged. "Membership growing. Folks get mad and leave. They come back, some don’t. A lot of it is a part of church. You just have to deal with it."
Geraldine White, who has attended the church for 92 years, shared her thoughts on the milestone celebration. "At first, when I heard they were going to celebrate, I said who has been around for 145 years," White said.
As the former church historian, White has a deep understanding of both the present and the past. "I’ve been in this congregation all my life," she noted. Reflecting on recent losses, she added, "We have just overcome being a little sad because of our pianist, that he passed away."
But the memories of those who have passed on are kept alive in the church. "You can’t forget those who brought you over. They’re part of our history, part of us," Pastor Brown said.
Pastor Brown takes pride in the church's humble beginnings. "They lived in shacks, and the churches they built were kind of like shacks. It wasn’t until 1915 that we moved into a better building," he said.
Looking to the future, Pastor Brown is hopeful. "I’m hoping I can be around to celebrate the 150th," he said.
The church celebrated the milestone with music and food, and a special Sunday service is planned to continue the celebration. The entire community is invited out.
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Fostering Hope provides Christmas for kids in foster care. I'm delighted to see Fostering Hope expand this year to expand their reach to now include kids in Foster care in metro AND foster kids in East TN hard hit by Helene.
-Bree Smith
