These photos were taken around 1960 of members at Emmaus Church


Women's Class

Back row, L-R: Ruth Mozingo, Callie Jernigan, Hepsie Potts, unknown, Mary Tyler Robinson
Middle row, L-R: Ethel Wilson, Glennie Hollowell Moore, Ruby Coats, unknown, Pauline Daniels Wiggins
Front row: L-R: Sudie Brock, Cleo Barber, Lillian Potts



Men's Class

Back row, L-R: Norman Price, Barney Price, unknown, David Potts, Oliver Griffin
Middle row, L-R: Harry Baker, Sam Casey, Edward Potts
Front row: L-R: Unknown, Robert Brock, Ed Lee Mozingo



Younger Class

Back row, L-R: Pauline Barnes, Lois Casey, Lee Wilson, Catherine Mozinto, Kathy Wilson
Front row, L-R: Neal Casey, Guy Potts, H.F. Anderson, Wendell Griffin, unknown, Betty Wilson


                       Emmaus Baptist Church
                         100th Anniversary
                             1890-1990

Two Locations Have Served This Church

Emmaus Church has been located in two places during its 74 year 
history.

The church was originally built about a mile from its present location 
on the spot where Mr. and Mrs. Robert Brock now live; and it has been 
at the present location since 1923 or 1924.

A severe storm on Tuesday, March 13, 1923, wrecked the church at the 
original site; and after some weeks the members voted to relocate the 
church at its present site.

The reason for the removal of the church was that an elementary school, 
Hillcrest by name, had been built diagonally across the highway from 
the present site, and members felt that this was nearer the center of 
the community as a large number of its members lived in the "mash" 
below Cobb Hill, at that time. The school had been located because of 
the central position, too.

Old timbers of the church were brought and used in the auditorium part 
of the present church.

The Hillcrest school only operated a short while and was consolidated 
with the Brogden School. Members debated for awhile about buying a 
school building for rebuilding, but the records are not clear as to 
whether that was the old Casey school or the Hillcrest school. At any 
rate the decision was not to buy.

In the rebuilding of the church it was made slightly narrower and maybe 
a bit shorter than the old building, thus making sure that the old 
timber would be sufficient to replace the building.

During the interim between the wrecking of the church and its 
rebuilding, services were held twice at the Casey school, which stood 
where Mrs. Willie Moore's home is, and then moved to the Robert's 
school, where services were held until the building could be erected.

Records show that Rev. Herbert Strickland preached at the Casey school 
on March 25, following the wrecking of the building on the 13th. On 
April 1, Rev. J. W. Bell, then the pastor, preached at the Casey school 
and after that services were removed to Robert's school, a location 
nearer to most of the members.

The building stood very much as it was rebuilt until the late 1940s 
when improvements and additions were undertaken.

The old section of the building was straightened - it had been blown 
askew by a storm - underpinned, and soon thereafter new memorial 
windows were added, and then new ceiling put in. 

The new material was war-surplus plywood, and this remained until after 
a fire a few years ago when it was removed and the present interior 
arranged.

                       Observe 75th Anniversary

Next year will mark the 75th anniversary of the organization of Emmaus 
Church.

It would be fine if the members of the church would start planning now 
to observe this anniversary at its regular homecoming services in 1965.

Plans could make this the most elaborate homecoming the church has ever 
held. It would be an event worth planning and by starting now with the 
appointment of proper committees it could be assured that this would be 
an important landmark at the three-quarter-century point in the history 
of the church.

If the church should decide to celebrate in a worthy way the 75th 
anniversary, it could early appoint a committee to make a thorough 
study of the church and have a brochure prepared giving a more detailed 
history of the church than has ever been attempted.

This would be a difficult job, as no records seem to be available 
locally of the history of the church prior to its removal to its 
present site. Older records must have been destroyed or misplaced with 
the destruction of the building at the old site. However, a more 
complete history than has been written could be compiled from a 
thorough study of associational minutes in the Wake Forest College 
Library and from a study of all local records that are available.

If it should be thought wise to observe their 75th anniversary, plans 
should be gotten underway at once. This is only a suggestion.

                             Deep Well

Members and friends of Emmaus are happy that the church now has a water 
supply ample for foreseeable needs.

Following the church's removal to its present site around 1923-1924 
efforts were made from time to time to secure water on the grounds, but 
without satisfactory results.

While the J. A. Straders owned the adjoining property, they gave the 
church permission to run a water line to their deep well at the home 
place and provide free of charge for the church's use; and after Mr. 
Strader disposed of the property, Mr. Victor Worrell, owner, permitted 
the church to continue the arrangement for getting water and even 
agreed that if the well needed extra work done on it to provide the 
water that he would gladly do that work.

The church, realizing, however, that it ought to have a water supply of 
its own, put down a four-inch deep well a few years ago and now has an 
adequate supply for the church, and for a parsonage when the church 
sees fit to build one. The present well is 185 feet deep.

                        Cemetery Is Laid Out

In recent years, the cemetery has been surveyed and plotted into four 
and eight grave lots. However, any number of graves may be purchased. 
Special contracts have been drawn and lots are available to members and 
their families at $15 per grave and to others at $30 per grave. Land is 
available for the foreseeable future, as almost one and one-half acres 
are yet to be laid out for use.

                      Friends Give Real Estate

Real estate holdings of Emmaus have more than doubled in recent years.

Four special gifts of land have increased the original two-acre site to 
almost five acres.

Before disposing of his farm which surrounded the church on three 
sides, Mr. J. A. Strader and Mrs. Strader deeded to the church several 
grave lots at the western edge of the church property.

Mr. and Mrs. Bobby Ellis purchased the Strader property and before 
selling it sometime later, they gave the church one-half acre to the 
west side of the church cemetery to enlarge the burial area.

Mr. and Mrs. Herbert Mitchell later purchased the lands formerly owned 
by Mr. Strader and Mr. Ellis and a few months ago they deeded to the 
church two tracts of land. The wooded area to the east of the church 
and as deep as the original church - almost an acre - while directly to 
the rear of the cemetery and church they gave slightly more than an 
acre, thus bringing their gift to almost two acres.

The most recent gift of land was by Mrs. L. L. Wilson, Sr. and Mr. L. 
L. Wilson, Jr. They gave a 100 x 200 foot building site just across the 
highway from the church grounds, it being lot number three in the 
property in front of the church.

Mrs. Wilson and her son and Mrs. Ellis are members of Emmaus Church, 
but it is to be noted that Mr. and Mrs. Strader and Mr. and Mrs. 
Mitchel, while not members of the church, loved it and its work enough 
to make these fine contributions for which the church is grateful.

                      Rotation Used For Deacons

Emmaus uses the rotation system for the selection of its deacons.

This system has been in use for several years; and only just recently 
within about the past year, the church has voted to allow women to 
serve on the board.

Under the rotating system, one-third of the members go off the board 
each year and are replaced by members who serve for three years and 
then they rotate off. Those who have served have to wait for at least 
one year before they can be re-elected; that is, no board member can 
succeed himself immediately after serving his three year term.

This system insures that experienced people are on the board at all 
times, and it at the same time gives the church a chance to use more of 
its qualified people in this important position.

For several years, too, it has been the custom of the church to name to 
life "deacon-ship" a few people who have served the church faithfully 
over a long number of years.

At the present time David Potts is a life deacon; and other members of 
the regular nine-member board are: Mrs. Edward Potts, Mrs. Oliver 
Griffin, Mrs. S. C. Casey, Sr., Hubert Anderson, Lester Anderson, 
Johnny Sasser, Jack Smith, Johnny Howell and Jesse Fields.

The new members who came on the board this year are Johnny Sasser, 
Lester Anderson, and Mrs. Casey.

                       Members, Friends Are Loyal

Growth has been noted in every department of Emmaus Church life in the 
past 20 years.

Church services are held four times each month - every Sunday morning, 
instead of once a month.

Minutes in 1947 show a membership of 58 active people, while the 
present membership is listed at 138; Sunday school attendance is about 
eight times as large as in 1945; church attendance is around five times 
as large as in 1945; gifts through the Sunday school and church are 
more than 12 times as large as in 1945.

BTU has been organized and the attendance now is more than 30 per 
Sunday.

Peak attendance in Sunday school was in 1962 when the average for the 
year was 103.8 while the average gifts had reached $55.05 through the 
Sunday school. This compares to an average attendance of 9.7 in 1945, 
and an average per Sunday gift of 81.7 cents.

Attendance is some smaller now than in the peak year, but plans are 
underway by Sunday school officials to start a visitation program and 
pull the attendance at all services nearer to what it ought to be 
considering the possibilities in the community.

Emmaus has been blessed with many loyal members and friends during the 
years.

Evidence of this may be seen in the special gifts to the church as well 
as the continued support of many.

A glance at the name plates on the windows, on the pews and in the 
hymnals will indicate some of the special gifts, as well as the name 
plate on the pulpit furniture.

But there are many gifts not indicated by plates. E. R. Casey, Jr. gave 
the screens for all the windows in the building. Mr. and Mrs. Eugene 
Roberts gave the storm doors at the front. Ace Maugham gave an electric 
refrigerator and an electric stove. Mrs. L. L. Wilson, Sr. gave a gas 
stove, several whose names cannot be recalled gave the gas space 
heaters for the building. Mr. A. C. Hilburn of Goldsboro has printed 
the bulletins for many years, and many have given generously of time and 
money for special work.

One of the most valuable gifts to the church was the electric organ 
given following the fire some few years ago by Mrs. Georgia B. Garris.

Last year, a total of $1,236 extra was paid on the church debt and this 
was given in amounts ranging from $1 to $200. A similar drive is under 
way now and there will be many gifts to this cause.

When the first addition was made to the church, groups ranging from 
five to thirty came out for about 16 consecutive Saturdays and gave 
their time and a number of people in the community gave logs to be 
sawed to furnish the lumber.

                15 Pastors Serve Total of 17 Pastorates

A total of 15 pastors have served 17 pastorates at Emmaus since the 
church's organization in 1890, according to the best information 
available.

Two ministers have served two pastorates each, the records indicate. 
Other pastorates have extended from one year to 19 years.

Minutes of the Neuse Association, and earlier the Neuse-Atlantic 
Association, indicate the pastor serving at the time reports were made 
to the association, but do not show the exact dates of the beginning 
and ending of pastorates. For this reason it is not possible to tell 
the exact terms of ministers. On the other hand, some reports were 
included in minutes with no pastor listed, and it would be reasonable 
to think that no pastor was serving at such times. Then too, there are 
a few years when no reports were recorded for the church, and it seems 
logical to think that no pastor was serving during these years.

Records indicate the church was organized in 1890, and minutes of the 
Neuse-Atlantic Association show that Emmaus, along with the churches at 
Seven Springs and Eureka (Mt. Nelson), were admitted to the association 
in 1891 while sessions were being held at Beaufort on the 13th and 14th 
of October; and the messengers from Emmaus petitioning for admission 
were Newman Potts, Major Lewis and Dr. Ezzell.

Beginning with that year the names of the pastors will be listed, 
together with the dates so listed.

J. H. Edwards was listed as pastor from 1890-1892; and G. L. Finch, 
Goldsboro, was listed for 1893. Although minutes contain records, no 
pastor was listed from 1894 through 1896.

It appears that J. W. Rose, LaGrange, was pastor from 1897-1900; and J. 
B. Jackson was listed from 1901 to 1904.

Rev. T. J. Hood, of the Falling Creek community, was listed as pastor 
for 1909 and no one was listed for 1910; so it is a question as to 
whether Mr. Hood served one or two years. No one was listed from 1904 
to 1909 - between Jackson and Hood, so it is assumed that the church 
was without a pastor at that time. Hood was one of two pastors who 
served the church twice; so his name will appear again at a later date.

C. E. Stevens, also from the Falling Creek community, served the church 
from 1911 to 1913; and records show that 28 persons were baptized into 
the church in 1912, marking one of the more successful years in the 
history of the church, judging from the number of baptisms. (Note: the 
present pastor of the church was one of the 28 baptized in 1912 on a 
cold Sunday in August, Mr. E. L. Roberts.)

L. B. Boney was pastor from 1914 to 1915; and then A. I. Caudle served 
for one year, or possibly two; however there is no listing for 1917. 
Only the 1916 minutes list Caudle.

Rev. Howard Pipkin, the only man besides T. J. Hood to serve the church 
twice, was pastor from 1918-1920; and he was followed by T. J. Hood, 
who served in 1921, and records do not list anyone for 1922; so it is 
not known whether Mr. Hood was still serving or whether there was no 
pastor at this time.

Rev. J. W. Bell from the Faison area was listed as the pastor from 1923 
to 1925.

Next pastor was Rev. Howard Pipkin, who had served from 1918-1920, and 
this time he served from 1926 to 1935, making his the longest pastorate 
prior to the present pastorate of the church. (E. L. Roberts Sr.)

Rev. Millard M. Johnson served in 1936 and he was succeeded by H. C. 
Bowers, who served one year, 1937.

Rev. T. Threat followed Mr. Bowers and Mr. Threat served from 1938 to 
1942, when he was succeeded by Rev. T. N. Cooper who is listed as 
pastor in 1943 and 1944.

The present pastorate began in 1945, making this by far the longest 
pastorate in the history of the church. No minutes were published in 
1945 and the 1946 minutes list Mr. Roberts as pastor, and evidence 
indicates he began his pastorate in August 1945.

A Brief Addendum to the 1964 History of Emmaus Baptist Church

                  By Rev. E. L. Roberts, Sr. - Pastor

Emmaus is a Southern Baptist Church located on the Emmaus Church Road 
at Route 2, Box 135, Dudley, NC. Organized in 1890 and admitted to the 
Neuse-Atlantic Baptist Association in 1891, Emmaus is celebrating its 
100th anniversary this year.

The chart that follows shows some of the numerical statistics of the 
Church for the past 26 years. It can be seen from these figures that 
the Church has grown in some areas, but has not fared quite as well in 
others. Our 100th year was, by far, the best financially. 1978 and 1990 
showed the greatest number of baptisms. The peak years in Sunday School 
attendance were 1966-1967. Hopefully there has been much spiritual 
growth on the part of the members of the church. This kind of growth 
can not be shown on a chart.

The greatest building project, by far, in the last 25 years was the 
construction of the new Sanctuary which doubled the square footage of 
the building and enabled the former Sanctuary to be converted into a 
much needed Fellowship Hall. Praise to our Heavenly Father and special 
thanks are due to all who helped to bring this project into reality.

Services at Emmaus Church originally were held once a month and later 
increased to twice a month, then to every Sunday. Presently Emmaus 
Church offers Sunday morning and evening services, Sunday School, 
Wednesday evening Prayer and Bible Study, WMU Organizations for the 
women and girls and Brotherhood Organizations for the men and boys.

                       Additional Information

In addition to the two ministers mentioned by Bro. Roberts as having 
gone out from Emmaus Church, two others have also gone forth. They are 
Rev. Gerald Garris and Rev. Johnny Sasser who is the current pastor of 
the church.

 Rev. Willard A. Brown, Jr.    1966-1967
 Rev. William Martin           1968-1970
 Rev. Murray D. Craft          1971-1974
 Rev. Andrew B. Moon           1975-1976
 Rev. John White               1977-1979
 Rev. Elliott Hill             1980-1984
 Rev. Johnny Sasser            1985-present

A sad moment for us, but a glorious one for him, was the death and 
home-going of Rev. E. L. Roberts, Sr. on December 20, 1985. Bro. Roberts 
was pastor of this church for 20 years and was greatly loved and highly 
respected by all. Before his death, he was named Pastor Emeritus of the 
church and the E. L. Roberts Sunday School class was named in his 
honor.

With a total membership of 375, Emmaus Church is humbly and eternally 
grateful to the men, women and youth who labored patiently and 
faithfully over these 100 years, to our Lord Jesus Christ, on whom the 
true Church is built, to our Heavenly Father, without whose blessings 
there would be no Emmaus Church, and to its members who, in love, carry 
on the tradition that has made Emmaus Church a blessing to many people. 
To God be the Glory, Amen.

The new Church Pictorial Directory which we hope to have in just a few 
days will bring us closer to those with whom we labor, and as it does, 
will also bring us closer to our Heavenly Father for whom we labor and 
serve.









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