PHOTOS- Tour of the Holy Sites

     Holmes County/Lexington, Mississippi & Memphis, Tennessee

               Society for Pentecostal Scholars

                                                                   Wednesday, March 9, 2011

   A "Good Morning" greets us from our driver Mr. Louis Horton 

    as we board our Luxury Crown Coach bus to start our tour.

Scholars from Society for Pentecostal Studies aboard our

bus ready to begin the day

Mayor Robin McCrory of Lexington, MS gives the scholars a
warm welcome upon our arrival.

Dr. Percy Washington, Pastor of Sweet Canaan Church of
God in Christ (the 2nd oldest church of  COGIC in Lexington, MS)
served as our tour guide for the day.

Our first stop was to Asia Missionary Baptist Church where
our welcome came from Mr. Cobbins, Chairman of the Board
of Supervisors, Holmes County/Lexington, MS.

Reverend A.G. Williams, Jr., pastor of Asia MB Church
talks with the tour host - Mother Mary P. Patterson

Scholars listen as Dr. Elton H. Weaver III, Ph. D.,
Assistant Professor of History at LeMoyne-Owen College
and who also did his dissertation from the
University of Memphis on the life of Bishop C. H. Mason,
speaks about how Bishop Mason arrived at Asia MB Church
back in 1897.

Dr. Washington gives us a little history on Holmes County/
Lexington, Mississippi

Asia Missionary Baptist Church

Our delicious lunch was hosted at the poplar
Lexington, Mississippi spot Gladys' Restaurant.
PHOTO: Ms. Gladys & Dr. Darrin Rodgers of
Flower Pentecostal Heritage Center in Springfield, Missouri

_________

Our next tour stop was to Saints Academy (formerly known
as Saints Industrial and Literary School) where
Dr. Arenia C. Mallory was founder & president
of the school from 1926 - 1983. 

Dr. Anjulet Tucker, Ph.D., Assistant Professor
Sociology of Religion at Boston University tells the story of
Dr. Arenia C. Mallory inside the Debra Mason Patterson
(daughter of Bishop C. H. Mason) Building 

SPS Scholars listening to Dr. Anjulet Tucker

To our amazement, Mr. Coleman Patton, Jr.(on the right),
a 1966 alumni of Saints Academy greeted us and
also listened as Dr. Tucker told the story of Dr. Mallory and
the school, and with his acknowledgement he confirmed the story true. 

Mr. Patton - Maintenance Supervisor,  has been working
at Saints Academy since he graduated in 1966.
He told us his parents & grand-parents are alumni as well.

Middle PHOTO- Mr. Coleman Patton, Jr.
Class of 1966/Saints Industrial and Literary School
(this photo is mounted on the hallway wall
as you enter Faith Hall)

Mother Mary P. Patterson inside Faith Hall with
Dr. Percy Washington & Dr. Darrin Rodgers in the background.

Dr. Martin Mittelstadt, Associate Professor of New Testament,
Evangel University, Springfield, MO  and Mother Patterson
take a photo inside Faith Hall

 The SPS Scholars in front of the 
Debra Mason Patterson Building

______________

Our next stop was to St Paul Church of God In Christ
(The Mother Church) which is the 1st organized church by Bishop C.H. Mason.

Dr. Annette Newberry,Visiting Professor of Church History
and Mission, Assemblies of God Theological Seminary
 Springfield, Missouri talks to us on the bus while other
SPS scholars tour St Paul Church of God in Christ

_________________

As our Lexington, Mississippi portion of the tour
comes to an end and we ride back to Memphis, TN we are told the history of
Mason Temple (the Headquarters of the Church of God in Christ) by:


Dr. Elton H. Weaver III

Dr. Anjulet Tucker

               



Reverend & Mrs. H. Larry Jones, Pastor of St. Paul

International Pentecostal Holiness Church in

Swansea, South Carolina

Dr. Darrin Rodgers and Seth Zielicke, University of Birmingham

by way of Los Angeles, California

Standing: Dr. Darrin Rodgers &
Dr. Warren Newberry, Associate Professor of Missions,
Assemblies of God Theological Seminary, Springfield, MO
Seated in 1st Row (l to r): Dr. David Michel, Chicago Theological
Seminary, Chicago, IL & Rev. Matthew Paugh,
United Methodist Church, Elk Garden, WV
3rd Row (l tor): Rev. David A. Reed, Professor
Emeritus Pastoral Theology, Wycliffe College, Toronto, Canada
& Dr. David Faupel, Library Director,
Wesley Theological Seminary, Washington DC
4th Row: Dr. Glen Menzies, Professor of New Testament, 
North Central University, Minneapolis, MN



Standing: Dr. Darrin Rodgers
Seated on left: Dr. Nancy Gower, Archivist,
Fuller Theological Seminary,
Pasadena, CA & Dr. David Bundy, Associate Provost,
Fuller Theological Seminary, Pasadena, CA
Seated on right: Dr. David Michel, Chicago
Theological Seminary, Chicago, IL



Dr. Elton H. Weaver III and Dr. Derrick Rosenior,
Associate Professor of Communication Studies, Vanguard
University, Costa Mesa, CA talk as we take a break at a rest
stop on the way to Memphis, TN. 

Thank God for our videographer/photographer

Efra who capture the entire tour for Heritage Connection

Back in Memphis, TN at the conference host hotel

Memphis Marriott - Downtown, Mother Mary P. Patterson

and Dr. Elton H. Weaver III say "good-bye" and speak

about the success of the tour.

___________________________

___________________________

Our tour concluded on Thursday, March 10, 2011

at Mason Temple, Memphis, TN

(l to r): Dr. Warren Newberry, Tour Guide-Dr. Eric Williams,
Faculty Fellow in Theology and Homiletics, Western Theological
Seminary, Holland, MI; Catherine McGee, Archives Specialist,
Flower Pentecostal Heritage Center, Springfield, MO

Mother Mary P. Patterson was commissioned by Bishop Sedgwick Daniels,

with approval from the office of Presiding Bishop Charles E. Blake of the Church

of God In Christ, Inc., to tell the life story of Mr. John Lee and

the John Lee Building. 

"Our Work Is Never Done"
Dedication of John Lee Building- Mason Temple Campus Memphis, TN
Wednesday, September 8, 2010 - Bishop C.H. Mason's Birthday
THE LEGACY ROOM

Mother Mary P. Paterson consulting with Elder Robinson and
Dr. Percy Washington in THE LEGACY ROOM

The Story of Mr. John Lee of Lexington, MS is displayed in
chronological order to explain how Bishop C. H. Mason came to dedicate this building in his honor.

PANEL #1 Introduction

PANEL #2 Asia Baptist Church - Lexington, MS

PANEL #3 Holmes County/Lexington, MS Courthouse

PANEL #4 The Gin House - Mr John Watson and family descendant
PANEL #5 St Paul Church of God In Christ (The Mother Church)
and former Pastors.

PANEL #6 Dr. Arenia Mallory of St Industrial and Literary School (Saints Academy)
PANEL #7 Sidewalk plague in Little Rock, AR dedicated to
Bishop C.H. Mason

PANEL # 8 Descendants of the John Lee Family, newspaper articles
from Lexington, MS about Mr. John Lee, and photos of orginal building inside & out.

PANEL #9 List building commissioner, archetict and superintendent of construction

Mother Mary P. Patterson telling the LEGACY ROOM storyline
to Elder Robinson

Original floor panels romoved from THE JOHN LEE BUILDING
during renovations.

BREAKING NEWS ! - Update as of March 2012...



Bishop Charles Harrison Mason House DESTROYED !
- Memphis, TN

If you are one of the honored guest who visited the Mason home

during Holy Convocation in Memphis, TN from 2007-2009,
you came in with curious nostalgia to tour the home where our
founder, Bishop C.H. Mason of the Church of God in Christ, Inc.
once lived. And the last place of residence by his widow
Mrs. Elsie Louise Washington Mason (1907-2006)

You remember coming through the side door off the
driveway with a wheelchair ramp that assisted Mrs. Mason
in the years she was wheelchair bound. As you entered into the
Living Room you saw the beautiful interior, bay windows, a fireplace and furnishings. From here you passed through the Dining Room area that had a beautiful China Cabinet with
matching Dinnette Table which displayed historical photos for
vistors to peruse. Then you went through the door leading to the
Kitchen where meals were prepared for Bishop & Mrs. Mason.

After, you made your way into the foyer where
Bishop & Mrs. Mason welcomed their guest through the front door by way of their front yard. From the foyer you could see the Master Bedroom with a Master Bathroom and adjacent to the bedroom was the "Prayer Room" where Bishop Mason
would pray for hours. Conneceted to the foyer also was a Hallway that lead to two Guest Bedrooms and a Guest Bathroom. The house also had stairs that lead to the basement.

But now, orchestrated by the "powers that be" the Mason house
has been completely destroyed and all valuable historical architeticure cannot be used for this home to be listed on the National Register of Historic Places as a historical landmark.
These photos were taken to make you aware of what's going on and for the "Saints", the common people, to "sound the alarm" to the disapproval of destroying our history.

Side door entrance into Living Room * Fire Place * Bay Window

Living Room Bay Window

Dining Room Area - entrance door to Kitchen

Kitchen area where refrigerator once stood in the corner 

Kitchen area

Kitchen wall where cabinets & stove use to be

From Foyer area Master Bedroom entrance on the left

Prayer Room entrance door on the right 

Inside the Master Bedroom

Master Bedroom photo taken from Prayer Room

Hallway to Guest Bathroom

Two left doors entrance to Guest Bedrooms

Door to your right for utility closet

Entrance to stairs that lead to the Basement

Below are photos from the tour that you would remember...

Bishop Charles H. Mason Home, Memphis TN - Tour 2009