Former
slaves who had been given the property by the owner of a nearby plantation
established Simpson United Methodist Church in 1893. The original building
was a tobacco shack which stood until 1947 when it was replaced by the
present structure. In 1998 Simpson’s parishioners began to believe and to
pray for guidance in how to rehabilitate the sanctuary and dining hall, and
after a period of prayer and contemplation, we stepped out on faith and
began a full rehabilitation of the sanctuary and dining hall from bottom to
top.
SIMPSON’S mission statement is anchored in Matthew 28:18:
“To
engage in discipleship in a living church where Jesus Christ is the head of
the church so that our study of the Word and our commitment to: Feed the
hungry; to clothe the naked, and to help uplift the downtrodden reflects our
embrace of the Great Commission given by Jesus Christ. We are committed to
going into the world and to make disciples, to baptize, and to teach all
whom he has commanded us to reach, in the name of the Father, the Son, and
the Holy Spirit.”
We
bring to our worship services ancestral voices of faith as a way of
remembering the struggles of those who have come before us: Thomas Dorsey,
Mahalia Jackson, Marion Williams, Benjamin O. Davis, Malcolm X, Dr. Martin
Luther King, Jr., Rosa Parks, James Medgar Evers, Arthur Ashe, Wilma
Rudolph, Langston Hughes, Zora Neale Hurston, Old Elizabeth the Coloured
Woman, the Delaney Sisters, Henrietta Jacobs, Mary Prince, and many other
brave men, women, and children. It is our intent to remember just how good
God has been to Simpson, in particular, and to African Americans in
general.
Simpson’s ministries include a food pantry, clothing drives, and support of
local shelters in the tri-County area that reach out to families who are
homeless and under-employed.
The
Simpson Church family celebrates the church’s anniversary the last Sunday in
July, and all are welcome. Moreover, we celebrate Pioneers’ Day on the last
Sunday of May each year as a way of remembering the men, women, and children
who came before us, and our celebration is marked with a traditional meal
eaten by slaves, as well as a traditional African American meal.
Sunday School begins at
9:30AM
Sunday Morning Worship begins at 10:30AM.
Bible Study begins at 7PM each Wednesday evening
Rev. Gregory J. McNeil.