THOMASVILLE — Service

Willowhead Missionary Baptist Church is holding an Easter sunrise service at 6 a.m., Sunday. The Rev. Spence Wilson is the speaker.



Program

Hadley CME Church on Stewart Road in Thomasville is holding its 35th city and countywide fellowship program Sunday at 3 p.m. Minister Chevetta McClenton of Little Bethel in Cairo is the speaker.



Service

Easter sunrise service will be held at Silver Hill Missionary Baptist Church, Coolidge at 6 a.m., Sunday. The Rev. Charles Moore and New Bethel Missionary Baptist Church is in charge. Breakfast will be served. Sunday School is at 10 a.m., followed by morning worship and the Easter program.



Youth activity

The youth department of Shiloh M.B. Church is holding a yard sale from 7 a.m. until Saturday at 1414 E. Jackson St.



Festival

Morningside Methodist Church is holding an Easter festival at 10:30 a.m., Saturday including an Easter egg hunt for the community.



Service

Big Creek Baptist Church, along with Coolidge Baptist Church and Merrillville Baptist Church, is holding a sunrise service at 7 a.m., Sunday.



Concert

Zion Christian Outreach Ministries Church of Thomasville is holding a musical concert at 2:30 p.m. Saturday at Family and Friends Full Gospel Baptist Church. Pastor Linda Ann Bradley, Missionary Linda Gail Fann, Jimmie Lee Glen, Joann Brown, Willie Bell Jr.  are among those scheduled to perform.



Easter festival

Northwoods Church is holding ER2012 at 11:30 a.m., Saturday at Remington Park beginning with registration. There will be free food, games, face painting, music, prizes and more than 10,000 eggs falling from the sky via helicopter. The event is the church members’ idea of Easter. It is not a Christian event but instead an event for the community being put on by Christians.

The purpose is to let the community of Thomasville know that the members love being a part of the city and being a part of Thomasville families. In the past two years, the church has ways to give back and be a part of the community. Members partner with some of the local schools by providing items of need throughout the year whether it be pencils or paper to cough drops and participated in Hands on Thomas County and other civic events.



Activities

Springhill Missionary Baptist Church is holding a variety of activities for Holy Week. At 7 p.m., today is Jesus’ Last Seven Words spoken from the cross program. At 6 p.m., Saturday, various praise teams will bea featured.  The annual sunrise service is 6 a.m., Sunday. The Rev. Clement Choice and the St. Thomas A.M.E. Church will be in charge of the service.  An Agape breakfast follows.



Men Day

Pastor, Male Chorus, Ushers and entire congregation will be in charge of Men’s Day Program, Sunday, April 15th, 2:30 p.m. at New Testament Missionary Baptist Church in Albany, Georgia.                  



Special guest

New Generation Christian Center is holdin  a Resurrection Day Worship Service at 9:30 a.m. Sunday with guest speaker Joe Burns Jr. of Atlanta. He is a graduate of Thomas County Central High School, attended Georgia Tech and is a former player with the Buffalo Bills. He retired in 2006 and now is the co-founder of Rising eniors and the Georgia Junior Bowl. The son of Bishop Joe Burns Sr. and Pastor Cleo Burns, he is married to Tiffany Burns.

 

Service change

Richland Missionary Baptist Church is holding an Easter morning service at 9 instead of the regular 11 worship time.



Anniversary

Mt. Moriah Sr. Choir of Boston is celebrating its 85th anniversary at 7 p.m. today and 6 p.m., Saturday. There will be an anniversary celebration at 11:15 a.m., Sunday.



Program

Shiloh Missionary Baptist Church is holding Easter sunrise services, sponsored by the Thomasville/Thomas County Ministerial Alliance at 6 a.m., Sunday. The speaker is the Rev. Jeremy Rich, pastor of Bethany Congregational United Church of Christ. Breakfast follows the service.







WITH TWO PHOTOS in friday’s folder

Staff report

Providence Missionary Baptist Church is celebrating its 105th anniversary at 3 p.m., Sunday. Services continue at 7 p.m., Wednesday with the Rev. William C. Brinson, pastor of Willow Head M.B. Church, the Rev. Eric Etheridge, pastor of Clifford Temple CME Church speaks at 7 p.m., Thursday and at 7 p.m., Friday, April 13 is the Rev. Dr. I. L. Mullins, pastor, First M.B. Church speaking. The celebration ends Sunday, April 15 with the Rev. Dr. Daniel Simmons, pastor of Mt. Zion Baptist Church. All the services are open to the public.

In 1907, the church was born out of a spiritual need in the community. In response to a divine revelation from God, the late Mother Mary Louisa Williams along with other believers in Jesus Christ proceeded to "build a house" for the Lord. Providence began as a prayer house, where it was known as the Providence of God.

Walking down Magnolia Road (now Magnolia Street), Williams and Rosa Peaks had a vision of a building with a steeple that would be erected on the corner of a passageway now known as Fourth Avenue and Magnolia Street. Under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, she and her dedicated prayer band members built their first physical place of worship.

The first donations made to the church's building fund were made by Peaks in the amount of $1 and Lue Taylor in the amount of 50 cents. Williams sought help from her employer, Charlie Chapin of Elsoma Plantation. In response to her request, Chapin contributed to the building fund. Her friends, relatives, and the community also gave. Williams’ vision became a reality later that year, with Bubba Peaks serving as the builder. In 1907, the Rev. Henry Fennell became the first pastor of Providence of God.

In 1908, the Rev. Robert Raymond became the second pastor and in 1910, the Rev. Frank Martin Sr. became the third pastor. He served from 1910-1955;

In April 1956, the Rev. Arthur J. Atkinson became the fourth pastor. Under his administration, the raising of funds began for the construction of another church edifice.

In 1957, contracts were prepared for the construction of a new church edifice.

Mildred Roberts, a member of the Sunnyland Packing Company family, contributed to the building fund.

Contracts were prepared for the construction of a new church and the old building was demolished.

In 1958, on the second Sunday in September, the members marched from the site of the old church to the Magnolia Street location.

In 1970, the fifth pastor to serve was the Rev. Eddie S. Sheffield. In 1988, sixth pastor the Rev. James Ceasar Vaughn Jr. took over. On Jan. 23, 2000, church members celebrated the new millennium installation service for its seventh pastor, the Rev. Dr. Emory C. Virgil. Today under his leadership, the church family has more the 700-plus members.