Church Spotlight – Mount Olive African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church

Debbie Snapp
ECB Publishing, Inc.

Mount Olive African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church, located at 6641 Lake Rd. in Monticello, was established in 1877. The current church was built in 1966.
The deed to the land, for the building of the church, was purchased from Stella Meacham, the wife of Robert Meacham, one of the leaders that helped to establish the African Methodist Episcopal Church.
Trustees John Daniels, Jesse Payne and Nathan Ervin purchased the one acre plot of land in trust for five dollars. The land was to be used for the building and operating of an African Methodist Episcopal Church in the community.
The deed for the land is dated April 30, 1877, and later, an additional acre of land was acquired later for the church's cemetery.
Founding families of the church included the names of Johnson, Fleming, Carr, Cobb and Smith.
The church came a long and mighty way under the leadership of the late Rev. General Dean; surviving from a Hush Harbor to a small building named the Mt. Olive AME Church.
During antebellum America, a hush harbor was a place where slaves would gather in secret in order to practice their religious traditions. As religion grew to become a highly respected part of slave life, it offered those who were enslaved hope and reassurance.
Slaves were forced to organize and conduct these meetings in secret, because the idea of slaves assembling without supervision left their masters in fear. The meetings were often held after dark, once field and house chores were completed and the slaves could escape unseen. Their meetings, full of heart and soul, often carried on late into the night.
Christianity was the prominent religion of the African slaves after being transported to the Americas. After being exposed to Christian ideas, the slaves began to understand them more.
Slaves discovered promising stories and passages in the Bible that offered hope. The story of Jesus Christ suffering on the cross drew attention because of the similar, harsh treatment they received while enslaved.
The hush harbors served as the location where slaves could combine their African religious traditions with Christianity; there, it was safe for them to freely blend the components of each religion in these meetings.
While in worship, slaves could let go of all their hardships and express their emotions. It is here where African-American spirituals originated. The songs created by slaves were known to contain a double meaning, revealing the ideas of religious salvation and freedom from slavery.
The meetings would also include practices such as dancing; African shouts and rhythms were also included.
Throughout the years, the Lord has been good to the Mt. Olive AME Church family. They continue to move forward thanking the Lord for another day. It was grace that brought them safe this far and it is grace that will lead them on.
Other great leaders of the Mt. Olive AME Church include Rev. C.W. Mays, Rev. Lamb Johnson, Rev. Elijah Richardson, Rev. S. James, Rev. S. Gibbs, Rev. Scott, Rev. Elijah Henderson, Rev. Willie Hagen, Rev. G.C. Holley, Rev. M. Young, Rev. Michael Price, Rev. C. Evans, Rev. Margret Brown, Rev. Dixon, Rev. Emma Henderson and now Church Pastor Clifford A. Hill with Bishop Adam J. Richardson, Jr. and Presiding Elder Lee E. Plummer.
The church family celebrates its anniversary usually on the third Sunday in November.
Morning worship service for Mt. Olive AME Church is held on the first and third Sunday of each month at 11 a.m., with church school at 10 a.m.
African Methodist Episcopal Churches describe themselves with words like spirit-filled, friendly and multi-generational, offering community service, faith and work, choir, missions and children's ministry programs. Popular church music styles include traditional hymns, gospel choir, and praise and worship.