In 1867, a group of baptized believers in Christ united to establish a church. THE PROMISE LAND MISSIONARY BAPTIST CHURCH was the name that they gave it. Following this, they organized a gathering and selected Reverend Henry Harris to serve as the first pastor. At first, the group could only worship in members’ homes. On the other hand, determined and united, they constructed a Bush Arbor as a place of worship on land that they had rented. During the course of time, the church’s membership increased, and its financial situation improved as a result. The purchase of a two-acre plot of land and the construction of a church were both fruitful outcomes of prayer and laborious effort. The number of members continuously increased. After Reverend Harris had completed his many years of fruitful service as a pastor and had passed away, the congregation chose Reverend Jim Simon to take up their pastoral duties. Following the time when Reverend Simon served as the minister, the ministry was carried on by a series of ministers throughout the course of the years. They were Reverend Samuel Weakley Sr., Reverend Frank Sanders, Reverend Daniel Becton, Reverend Theodore Brevard, Reverend Allen Voss, Reverend Frank Pennington, Reverend Albert Cooperwood, Reverend C. L. Watson, Reverend Lee Steverson, Reverend W. M. Shelton, Reverend Harold Harvey, Reverend James Burnett, Reverend Gerald Jordan, Reverend Henry Nixon Jr., Reverend Andrew Chambers, and our current pastor.

In the early 1900s, a tragic event caught the pastor and the members of the congregation off guard. After a week of spiritual revival led by Reverend Brevard (which took place on a Friday night), the church was destroyed by fire, resulting in a complete and utter loss. Reverend Brevard and the congregation conducted worship services within a schoolhouse they had built on the church’s site. They exerted significant effort by conducting door-to-door outreach. They were trying to get money. Several business owners in Millington provided financial support for the cause, and they also constructed an additional sanctuary through fund drives. Another tragedy occurred in 1935 or 1936, when a tornado completely destroyed the structure. Once again, the construction project was met with complete and utter failure. Rev. Steverson was the pastor at that time, and he and the other members of the congregation went back to the schoolhouse to attend the worship service. The congregation’s genuine prayers and hard work culminated in the construction and completion of another church by 1947. The Reverend W. M. Shelton has been the driving force behind the continued success of the Promise Land Baptist Church, which has endured yet another catastrophe, setback, and adversity. The pastoral ministry of Reverend Harold Harvey, who served the church for a longer period of time than any previous minister named, is something that shall not be forgotten. The exceptional activities of Promise Land Missionary Baptist Church are comparable to the Old Ship of Zion, which is still traveling forward while raising its spiritual banner and calling both saints and sinners to join it. Promise Land Missionary Baptist Church has a clear purpose. Sinners are to be saved, and saints are to be encouraged to continue participating in the company of believers.

Everyone who has ever been a part of Promise Land Missionary Baptist Church knows that we wouldn’t have achieved such a high level of success without the efforts of those pioneers who lived over a century ago. Leaving a church is a homecoming recollection, a reunion, and an old-fashioned spiritual revival. Our ancestors left a real foundation; they did their part by having steadfast confidence in a God who is good and by having rich traditions. This is a moment to ponder over the past, express gratitude for what has transpired, formulate plans for the future, and, above all, persist in striving for a more ambitious goal in the realm of spiritual service for the Most High King.

Compiled by the late Sis. Magnolia Russell