Dalzell church celebrates 150 years

The adage that the more things change the more they stay the same can apply in a good way to Dalzell's Hopewell Baptist Church, which recently celebrated its 150th anniversary.

Founded in 1876 after a peaceful church division from High Hills Baptist Church on Meeting House Road in Dalzell, Hopewell has held to its tradition for singing and having a popular Gospel choir, and its pastor holds closely to God's word in his teaching and personal walk.

The Rev. Richard Addison, some longtime church members and some relatively newer members in comparison all sat down recently and discussed Hopewell's history and family spirit that lives on today.

At the time of the division from High Hills Baptist 150 years ago, Hopewell derived its name. According to historical accounts, High Hills' members told the separating group and new church founders "We hope you well," and the Hopewell name has stood the test of time.

Not much is known about the new church's vision from the late 1870s, but the 30 to 50 founding church members met for a few years in a brush arbor nearby without much protection from the elements. It did have a singing Gospel choir back then.

Longtime Hopewell members include Abraham Alston, Calpurnia Gethers, Syntyche Mallard and Geneva Russ, who is the eldest of them all at 94. Some longtime members have family members who were part of the church plant from 1876, they said.

After a few years meeting outside, a wood building was constructed that became the church's new home. It no longer stands but was just down the hill from the current facility at 3285 Peach Orchard Road.

Fast forward to 1965, and Hopewell moved into its current brick building.

The pastor at the time was the Rev. L.W. Walker, and he was the longest-serving pastor in the church's history, leading Hopewell from 1952 to 2002.

When the new church building opened, Hopewell members participated in a grand march up the hill from the former wood structure.

The church has always held its anniversary celebration on the fourth Sunday in May, Addison said.

150TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION AND REFLECTIONS

The church began its sesquicentennial celebration during Black History Month in February when it recognized some former choir members, member Mary Blanding said.

Events continued through the end of May when Hopewell held its anniversary celebration festivities. A large churchwide picnic celebrating 150 years occurred on Saturday, May 23, followed by the Sunday, May 24, church service.

At the picnic, Hopewell members commemorated the 1965 grand march by walking up the hill from the former church home to the current home. More than 100 people took part in the honorary weekend, including former members who traveled in from out of town and out of state, Addison said.

Through the decades, Hopewell has maintained a strong music focus and a commitment to God's word, according to Mallard.

"Love maintains us, but we have also held to our traditions," she said. "A lot of things are changing as the world evolves, but we still have the spirit of singing here. The church was known for having a great Gospel choir.

"So the spirit of the founding church is still here, and we carry that forward. We have not drifted far away. We still sing the hymns.

"We also have a traditional preacher in Rev. Addison. You can go to some churches and you don't hear Bible teaching, and it is more of the what the world does. You come here on Sunday morning, and you are going to hear what the Bible says and get Scriptures shown to you."

Blanding added that Addison's approach in the pulpit and his personal walk in life is what brought her and her husband to Hopewell and has kept them there.

"Two important reasons for us are: No. 1 he lives what he preaches," she said. "And the other thing is our pastor literally preaches the word, and he is not giving us something fake. And we get to know that because he keeps us in study."

She was referencing Addison's weekly Bible studies.

He holds four of them per week via a virtual Zoom platform on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. They are at 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. each day. The earlier study is mostly for seniors, while the evening study is often for people who work, he added.

One of the longtime members, Calpurnia Gethers, said the Hopewell family has played a big part in the person she has become.

"From my early years in Sunday School, some of those same teachers also taught me in public school," she said. "As a family, we spent most of our time when we were not working at the church. Whenever the church doors were open, we were here."

Another elder member, Geneva Russ, said the church family has treated her very well. She added that she was the president of Hopewell's Senior Missionary Women for 19 years.

At 94, she is no longer in the role.

"As women, we still go to her for whatever things we need," Blanding said. "She is still hanging in there with the women."

Russ said that love is what makes the Hopewell congregation so resilient and welcoming after all these years.

"I believe it's love," she said. "We love each other and love God."

Blanding added the welcoming atmosphere resonates through the church.

"This is a good place to be at Hopewell Baptist Church," she said. "It's like family."