Bethel A. M. E. Church

Founded by AME Church Pastor, Page Tyler in 1864, Bethel AME Church is known as "The Mother Congregation of African Methodism in the state of Mississippi." Although other AME Mississippi congregations may have earlier histories (due to many of them having already been organized and coming from the M. E. Church in the late 1860s and 1870s and uniting with the AME connection when it came South), Bethel Church was the first congregation organized by the AME connection. The first Black U. S. Senator during Reconstruction, Senator Hiram Revels, was one of the early pastors of Bethel. Its imposing structure was built during the administration of the late Dr. John J. Morant, prolific and illustrious author, preacher, and pastor. Among the several ministers who pastored Bethel inludes Page Tyler, Senator Hiram Revels, H. B. Parks (later Bishop), O. W. Poindexter, B. D., John J. Morant, I.H. Hunt, B. D., D. D.,Rev. E. D. Scott, B. A., B. D., Rev. R. A. Scott, B. A. , B. D., M. A., D. D., J. Allen Thornton, B. D., D. D.,., G. K. Hayes, M. Div., Lorenzo G. Clarke, M. Div., T. H. Bellamy, B. F. Patterson, B. D., D. D., Dr. George A. Sewell, Ph.D., Dr. Norman W. Handy, Ph.D., Rev. B. E. Mitchell, B. D., D. D., Rev. Weakly Chapman, M. Div., E. B. Dunn, Louis Gray, Dr. B. N. Shaw, Ph.D., Rev. Russell Morrow, M. Div., D. Min., Rev. James H. Metcalfe, M. Div., and Rev. John Jenkins, B. A., M. A.