Between them, Katie Washington and Warren "Tee"Martin have worshipped at Mount Pleasant Missionary Baptist Churchfor more than 140 years.
At 10:30 a.m. Sunday, the church on McComb-Holmesville Roadwill honor the pair, said the Rev. Gerald Matthews, pastor.
Washington, 78, and Martin, 79, each joined the church at aroundage 8.
"I just love the people, the members, the quietness oh, I just love everything about it," says Washington, whois the church mother and treasurer.
The church meets 10:30 a.m. the second and fourth Sunday ofeach month, and average attendance is 25-35.
"We have a small congregation," says Martin. "Everybodyknows each other and we're just a big family."
Martin's ancestor, John Fitzgerald McNabb, emigrated fromIreland during the potato famine and owned 7,000 acres in PikeCounty.
The church was organized on Friendship Road in the 1800s underthe name Little Rock Baptist Church, taken from Matthew 16:18,which says in part, "on this rock I will build my church."
So far as Matthews can determine, the building was moved toits current site around 1900 on land donated by the Fitzgeraldfamily.
Somehow no one seems to know when or why thename was changed to Mount Pleasant, though Matthews says membershave thought about changing it back to Little Rock.
"Everybody knows it as Little Rock," he says.
The white frame church still sits on hewn log sills. The sanctuaryis cooled by a window unit air conditioner, ceiling fans and hand-heldfans, and heated by space heaters. Washington can remember whena wood heater stood in front of the pulpit.
She also recalls a "mourner's bench" where peoplesat after repenting of sins. In the old days, when the churchmet once a month, people paid "dues" rather than tithes,and 25 cents was a typical contribution and a substantialone for that era.
"The Lord has truly blessed us here," says Matthews."He has brought us a long way spiritually and financially.There was a time we thought we were going to close the doors."Now the church even has a food pantry to help the needy.
The church cemetery has graves dating back to the late 1800s.The congregation used to hold dinners on the ground in the shadeof a big tree between the church and cemetery, but about fiveyears ago built an annex for such purposes.
Washington, who loves the outdoors and especially working withher yard plants, admits she misses the dinners outside.
For a baptistery, the church uses the Bogue Chitto River.
"We still believe in the river baptism," says Matthews."I can't see where Jesus used a pool."
Matthews, 49, was raised in the church and became its pastor14 months ago. He runs a roofing business and also pastors SecondBaptist Church of Franklinton, La.
He recalls back in the 1980s when someone vandalized MountPleasant, breaking windows with rocks. About two years later achurch business meeting was under way when a couple knocked atthe door.
Matthews told them a meeting was in progress, but they insistedon coming in.
"He said he had something on his heart. He needed to confesshe had vandalized," Matthews says. "He said he was readyto accept the Lord and he knew he couldn't be saved unlesshe repent.
"I looked at the pastor and he looked at me and said,The only thing we can do is forgive him,' " Matthewssays.
"I thank God for that man and his spouse."
Turning the pages of the church scrapbook, Matthews comes acrossa passage he says still applies to the church:"It'sstill a haven for the saved, a beacon for the unsaved.'"
