Gaston Chapel AME Church celebrates 160 years

Our journey began with a group of African American Christians who worshiped hidden away in "the grove" – a thickly wooded area that is now known as the Jonesboro District.

Under the cover of darkness, using large tubs to absorb the sounds of singing and praying and risking physical pain if they were caught, they thanked their God for their journey thus far and all His goodness to them.

And the journey continued…

 And then in 1863, this courageous group of men and women erected their first place of worship, a frame building slightly above our present building. This little wooden church with its humble group of Christian men and women with a fervent desire to worship God in their own place grew and progressed.

As it continued to grow and expand it became necessary to build a larger building. In 1900 the present building was erected just below the frame building. It was named Gaston Chapel AME Church named after Reverend Moses Gaston who pastored the church from 1863 to 1866 and who dedicated the building.

And the journey continued…

Down through the years many improvements and repairs have been made to the structure. In past years, the church sustained considerable damage by a fire. All losses and repairs were replaced by the pastor and members.

And the journey continues…

 Improvements continued to be made over the years. From 1911 until the spring of 2003 the church structure remained almost unchanged. With the church membership having grown to around 200 under the leadership of our Pastor Reverend Ronald Knight, plans were made to expand to include a fellowship hall, kitchen, Sunday School rooms and Pastors' office.

The sanctuary was enlarged and the choir loft was enlarged. This was a dream come true for the congregation as well as an opportunity to blend old and new. The Gothic and Romanesque architectural influences were left intact and integrated with the old Premiere Boiler Room that was transformed into our multidisciplinary facility.

Over the last five to six years, we have experienced a decrease in church membership due to death, family movement and students going away to college and moving away. Our church was closed due to the COVID-19 Pandemic until this year.

However, despite all the problems, our commitment to our projects and programs has remained viable. We continue to support our community projects to meet the needs of the less fortunate and to support other organizations that do the same.

And the journey continues…

 During the month of October, we have been celebrating our 160th Anniversary with a different activity each month. Our celebration will culminate with our homecoming service on Sunday, Oct. 15.

The speaker for our 11 a.m. service will be Rev. Ronald J. Knight, senior pastor of New Union AME Church, Norfolk, Va. and a former Pastor of Gaston Chapel AME Church. Retired Pastor Reverend Diane Conley will be our speaker for the 3 p.m. service. The public is invited. Reverend Allen Warren is our current Pastor. Gaston Chapel AME Church is the oldest black church building in Burke County and in December 1984 it was listed on the National Register of Historical Places.

And so, as we continue to praise and worship our God for His many blessings over the years, we say "TO GOD BE THE GLORY FOR THE THINGS HE HAS DONE!! AND THE JOURNEY CONTINUES. (Excerpts from information by Allen Fullwood) The Gaston Chapel AME Church Family Reverend Allen Warren, Pastor.