Hopewell Baptist Church
Submitted by David Blaine

          I received this information from the late Robert Blaine of Louisville, MS.  He had a good bit of information on my Blain/Blaine lines that his mother had collected.  She was Roas Belle Vanlandingham Blaine. David Blaine

        In the history of Louisville Baptist Association, an article says in 1844 Hopewell was received in the Louisville Association, along with Antioch and Mt. Pisgah, two other churches now in Choctaw County.
        The first building was a small one room structure made of logs, using wooden shutters to close the windows.  There was no heating facility; so in the wintertime the one service per month was omitted until spring time when the weather was warm.  The building was located approximately 300 yards south-southeast of the present church.  Families by name of BLAIN, BERRY, NORRIS, and VANLANDINGHAM were instrumental in organizing the church.  By the year 1852, families of HUNT, HIGGS, ROOKS, and VOWELLS were added to the membership roll making a total of 32 members.  The pastor in 1852 was Thomas Y. ROLAND.  The grave in the cemetery with the earliest date is
Susan NORRIS, daughter of Willie and Olive VANLANDINGHAM NORRIS, in the year 1851.
        The minute book of 1869 said H. J. (Jack) VANLANDINGHAM served as pastor and was paid $60 for the year.  The church was valued at $250.  There was no Sunday School.  Hopewell had 68 members: 25 were male, 39 female.  One had died that year and 3 were excluded.  The Association met in Louisville with Carson HUNT and Eley HUNT as messengers.
        From 1869 to 1894, the following men served as pastors: W. B. SAVAGE, J. W. SIMS, J. W. BLAIN, W. W. BLAIN, A. J. REYNOLDS, W. W. WILLIAMSON, and H. M. WHITTEN.  There was a steady decline in membership though new families by the name of SMITH, INGRAM, PARK, HOWELL, and GREGORY moved in.
        In 1872, the boundary lines were changed putting Hopewell in Choctaw County.  Hopewell remained in the Winston County Association until 1951 when she was accepted by Choctaw.
        No record is found of when a larger building was erected, but around the year 1886, a larger building was erected almost on the same spot as the present church is located.
        In 1894, H. Jack VANLANDINGHAM returned to Hopewell as pastor with a salary of $75 for the year which included travel from his home in West Point.  He remained as pastor for 10 years.
        From 1904 to 1937 pastors were: J. T. SARGENT, L. A. ROEBUCK, C. W. BARNES, N. H. ROBERTS, H. M. WHITTEN, A. C. FURR, and W. A. ROPER.  Membership, pastor's salary, and value of church property increased gradually.
        In 1933, a new roof was put on the church.  A bill for 93 pieces of 10 foot tin and 25 lbs. lead headed nails with a total cost of $67.61 took care of the job.  A. C. FURR was pastor. Other pastors were: Charles WHITEN, Duel HILLMAN, Elgin WEST, O. B. LENICK, and N. H. ROBERTS.
        In 1951, Hopewell went on a budget for the first time in history under direction of pastor H. C. BRELAND.  It was during his pastorate that the big one room building was torn down and the present building erected.  He was followed by Odell FISH, W. T.McDOWELL, Estes DENTON, Jimmie HORTON, Auzie SULLIVAN, Jerry DONALD, Thomas SIMMONS, Joe ANDERSON, Don HOFFMISTER, Gary WADLEY, Joe HUNT, and Kenny HUNT.
        In 1970, while Joe ANDERSON was pastor, the rest rooms were added.  While Kenny HUNT served as pastor, the church was bricked on the outside, putting in new windows in 1976, and in 1977 a fellowship hall was added.  Hopewell now has 127 members and the present pastor is Roger GRIFFITH.

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