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Enon Cumberland Presbyterian
Church
Abstracted from article written in
1984 by Alvin Coleman
The first Enon Church
was a non-denominational church and met in a log cabin with a dirt floor. The
exact year this church began meeting and was organized is unknown.
The log cabin
church was located north of present day Ackerman at a point where the railroad
crossed Mile Branch. It would seem this log cabin church was located on the road
laid out in 1837 from Louisville to Greensboro. At this time, Greensboro was the
county seat of Choctaw Co.
Around this time, it became a
common practice to bury the dead in community cemeteries. Prior to this time, it
was common practice to bury the dead in family cemeteries or near the home.
Thus, the present Enon Cemetery was begun. The Enon Cemetery was located on top
of a solid sand hill and remains there to this date.
A preacher moved into the settlement around this time and made a crop.
During this time, he organized the Enon Cumberland Presbyterian Church.
The first church built at the
cemetery site was torn down in 1885 and was rebuilt with hand planed wood. The
benches which were used until 1953 were also made from hand planed
wood.
Some of the early ministers were Rev. John ELLIS; Rev. Jim McKINNEY, who was
blind; and Rev. O'BRYANT. Around 1903, Rev. S. J. GIVENS became pastor and
his ministry lasted into the 1920s.
The church was moved for a
third time in 1909 to the South side of the cemetery. At this time, a new roof
was put onto the church. The men who were most active in this endeavor were
William BRUCE (who died two years later), Alex BLANTON, Pink BLANTON, George W.
MONTGOMERY, and Thomas LANTRIP, with assistance from Finis HEFLIN.
In 1939-1940,
the church was moved a fourth time, South of Hwy 12.
Since Enon Cemetery and
Church organization was at least 40 years before the formation of the town of
Ackerman, it can be stated as fact that Enon Cumberland Church is the oldest
religious organization in Ackerman.
Other churches ranked among
the oldest churches in Choctaw Co are Bethlehem Baptist, Old Lebanon
Presbyterian, and So. Union Methodist Church.
NOTE: The Ackerman Cumberland Presbyterian
Church was organized the first Sunday in February, 1890, by Rev. E. L. McWILLIAMS; the Ackerman Cumberland Presbyterian Church was not Enon, but the
forerunner of Enon,Pastors wer
Rev.
BUNTIN 1890
Rev. E.
L. McWILLIAMS
Rev. J. R.
GEORGE
Rev. J. A. ELLIS
Rev. J. C.
ARNETT 1898
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