OUR CHURCH HISTORY

Our Beginning

The church designated the first Sunday of each month as its established day for worship. Hebron's first church building was constructed as a log cabin approximately four hundred feet north of the present location, off Highway 9 in Arcadia, Louisiana.

The members banded together to purchase an acre of land for the church. The recorded purchase price was $10.00. The principal trustees representing the transaction were Sam Duty and Littleton Holland, who acquired the land from George and Ann Currie.

A frame church building was erected in April 1879 as Hebron's second church building. As the years passed and the congregation expanded, a third building was designed. That building was later destroyed by a violent storm, and a new church was built.

Pastoral Leadership

Hebron's historical record preserves the names of pastors who served the congregation across the generations. Among those recorded are:

• Rev. Louis LaDuer
• Rev. William Ceaser
• Rev. Henry Pierce
• Rev. Gus Smith
• Rev. Albert Henry
• Rev. Chris Williams
• Rev. J. A. Moore
• Rev. S. L. Holland
• Rev. W. M. Bryant
• Rev. J. H. Dixon, Jr.
• Rev. Donald W. Rushing
• Rev. A. D. Lewis
• Rev. Gregory Williams
• Rev. McArthur Simmons

The record also notes that on April 2, 1988, Rev. Jessie Smith, Jr. was given consent to preside over third-Sunday worship for several months.

Deacons & Church Leadership

Hebron's history recognizes the faithful support of its deacons and church leaders, who helped move the church forward through the years. Names preserved in the historical record include:

• Henry Moore
• Sam Duty
• Littleton Holland
• Mr. Campbell
• Edd Biden
• Roy Holland
• Jeff Holland
• Duncan Gipson
• Alan Randsom, Sr.
• Watto Jackson
• Henry Osborn
• Willie Holland
• George Taylor
• John Himes
• Louis Underwood
• Jim Williams
• S. L. Jackson
• Adrain Russell, Sr.
• Artis Young
• Nathan Crawford
• Audis Kilgore
• Bobby Monsac
• Charles Monsac
• Frank Johnson
• Edward Young
• Calvin Ray Young

The handwritten record identifies Leonard Pearson, Bureel L. Russell, and Bobby Robinson as deacons serving at the time that portion of the history was compiled.

A Mother Church

Hebron became known as a Mother Church because of its rich history of service to the community and because several other congregations grew from its ministry. The historical record names:

• St. Duty C.M.E.
• Pilgrim Rest Baptist
• Saline Ridge Baptist
• Harmony Baptist
• Holland Grove Baptist
• New Fellowship Baptist

Preserving the Story

Information concerning Hebron's early history was obtained from old church records associated with Miss Clara Wimberley and Mrs. Felix Gibson and was compiled by Mrs. Thelma S. Riggs on May 1, 1955.

Mrs. Ola Mae Crane served as church clerk from 1974 to 1994, completing twenty years of service to Hebron. The record later identifies Miss Annie Hart as church clerk.

Under the supervision of Rev. Gregory Williams, Hebron established full-time services. The church's record also celebrates fellowship with other believers, noting that Pastor McArthur Simmons and Rev. Woodrow Dean established a fifth-Sunday fellowship with New Hebron Baptist Church.