Morton Chapel

The DeLeon Circuit

Morton Chapel

(1910-present)

Circuit Index

Morton Chapel

The Morton Family moved to the Turkey Creek Community in 1910 and attended church at a little Baptist Church. It was about the time that Mr. John Nabors (from Alabama) decided to have an Alabama Reunion at his new home north of town for all the settlers in the county who were from Alabama. More than 100 people came from miles around, they spread their basket dinners together, and played games and visited. It was on that day that Rev. E. P. Swindall organized Morton Chapel, for a group who believed they should have a Methodist Church. Mr. Joe Clemons gave the land for a church to be built.

Charter members were: Uriah J. Morton, Malvin N. Morton, Rufas A. Morton, Julia A. Morton, Margaret V. Morton, Mary E. Morton, Eunice A. Atlee, DeAlva Frazier, John L. Nabors. Anna Nabors, Lula Nabors, and Grady Nabors. A building was built and a well dug. Abie Atlee was in charge of an active youth program. Within one year there were 47 members.

The church grew rapidly. Another Methodist preacher (Rev. Lambert) came in 1922. Membership roll at that time numbered 130. He encouraged building a new church at another site on an acre of land given by Mr. D.E. Norton. However, it was decided to just move that same building to the new site. It was not until Sept. of 1947 that the group built a new church. It was rebuilt (of tile) on that same site. Into the cornerstone was deposited the Church roll, a picture of Jack Morgan (member killed in World War II), a bible, and a picture of the pastor, R. L. Bowman. The Membership roll at that time listed 148 members.

Morton Chapel is the only "DeLeon Circuit Church" which remains active, and continues to be served by DeLeon's appointed pastor. Worship services are held on the 2nd, 4th, and 5th Sundays of each month at 10:00 am.

Pastors of the church over the years have been:

1910 E. P. Swindall	1920 E.A. Lambert	1935 George Smith	1953 L. Gilbert	1962 Nelson Terry	1982 Joe McAfee
1912 Warner Moore	1924 J.M. Clark	1937 W.E. Harrell	1954 W.E. Holt	1963 Richard L. Keller	1985 David Mosser
1912 J.D. Smoot	1926 W.A. Neal	1940 C.A. Calhoun	1956 J.B. Cole	1963 John Basham	1989 John F. Fourie
1916 H.B. Clark	1927 G.R. Wright	1946 H.J. Sanders	1957 Lorrin Berry	1964 J.E. Morton	1993 George Sutton
1917 W.A. Franklin	1928 R.H. Davenport	1947 R.L. Bowman	1958 Bill Muncy	1967 Bobby Weathers	1994 Wesley Howard, Jr.
1918 C.V. Williams	1929 W.A. Morton	1948 Bob Collie	1958 John Tickner	1970 W.L. Milner	1999 Stephen Schmidt
1918 Walter Griffeth	1933 R.T. Wallace	1952 Lloyd Sanders	1959 Cecil Guthorie	1976 Charles McClure	2001 Lisa Neslony

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Last Updated: Monday, November 24, 2003

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