The Beginning....
In 1892, a small group of Christians in the East End had an urgent desire to set up a Church and began to worship from house to house. At this time we pause to remember our Founding Forefathers: Marshall Smith, Laural Smith, Mary Smith, Porter Oglesby, Mollie Oglesby, Frank Cook, Carrie Cook, Charles Humphries, Sallie Humphries, George Newton and Maggie Newton. This group was known initially as the People's Mission Reverend Hockey Smith (1892-1894). Later they were called the Pendleton Mission; and finally, under the leadership of Reverend W. Andrew Jackson (1894-1895), they became known as Mt. Carmel Baptist Church. They enjoyed rapid growth and had to change locations several times before settling at 3101 Eastern Avenue. Additional locations were 2939 Eastern Avenue (under Reverend C. M. Thomas 1908); the membership grew larger and needed a new facility. Reverend C. M. Thomas (1908) and Reverend J. Harden pastured for a short period of time. Reverend J. J. Cummins (1912) established the Senior Choir and under his leadership the Church moved into 260 Corbin Street. Little is known about Reverend Robert Watkins (1917-1918) and finally the G.A.R Hall on the corner of Easter Avenue & Ridgley Street. It was during Reverend John Thomas Moore's tenure (1918-1931) the church purchased the G.A.R Hall, which later became known as the permanent home of the Mt. Carmel Baptist Church. Now that the church had a permanent worship location, it needed a pastor who could stay the course. Reverend Henry Preston Horne became pastor in 1932; Reverend Harold Henderson (1933-1934). In the addition, the church had weathered the Great Depression of 1933. Tent meetings and revivals were the norm of the era and the church membership swelled. Then in the fall of 1936, Reverend Thomas L. Barron was called to pastor. The church's need for a long-term pastor had now been met. Reverend Thomas L. Barron pastured for 38 years and passed in the spring of 1974. Reverend Dr. Donald E. Hamilton succeeded Reverend Barron and served 30 years, and retired November 1, 2004. Our current pastor, Reverend Dr. Ashton G. Allen will be entering his fourteenth year of pastoring in November, 2020 and plans to stay the course of his assignment.