PASCAGOULA, Miss. (AP) - A new historical marker is honoring the oldest continuously operating African American church in Mississippi.
Members of St. Peter Baptist Church in Pascagoula gathered Saturday to celebrate the unveiling of a marker that was placed by the Mississippi Department of Archives and History.
The coastal church was founded in 1819 by a freed slave named Dudley Brooks. It originally was called First Free Mission Baptist Church.
Pastor William H. Marshall tells WLOX-TV that he’s pleased the congregation is being recognized by the state.
Congregants buried a time capsule with church programs and other items. The plan is to dig it up in 20 years.
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