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The Holly Grove Missionary Baptist Church was organized in 1915 in Drew, Mississippi by a group of baptized believers in Christ.  The church was erected on its present site on July 17, 1917, under the leadership of Rev. W. S. Stevenson and its Board of Trustees:  Brother I. Wilkinson, Brother H. Y. Betts, Brother Grant Clark, and Brother Albert Brown; Deaconess:  Sister Margaret Wilkinson, Sister Hattie Williams Cockrell, and Sister Lugene Brown.

 

Rev. A. L. Hill was elected pastor in the early 30s and remained until 1943.  Deacons:  Brother Wesley Liddell, Brother Tom Sutton, Brother Nathaniel Fuller, Brother Joe Mixon, Brother Abel Hinton, Brother William Tyler, and Brother Miles Applewhite; Deaconess:  Sister Margaret Wilkinson, Sister Josephine Sutton, Sister Alberta Applewhite, Sister Estella Williams, Sister Ophelia Jennings, Sister Ida Long, and Sister Nancy Wilson.

 

Rev. T. W. Richardson was elected in 1943 and remained until his death in 1969.  The church was re-erected in 1968 under Rev. Richardson’s leadership and its Board of Trustees:  Brother James Hunter, Brother LaHue Parker, and Brother Foster Green; Deacons:  Brother Arthur Phipps, Brother Otha Spraggs, Brother Foster Green, Brother J. S. Gresham, Sr., Brother LaHue “Shock” Parker, Brother C. R. “Baby” Campbell, Brother Solon Williams, Brother Willie “Hot” Moore, Brother Coleman Washington, Sr., and Brother Joe Moore; Deaconess:  Sister Estella Williams, Sister Alice Green, Sister Zenobia Campbell, Sister Mary Young, Sister Mary Lee Moore, Sister Minnie Ross, Sister Mary Singleton, and Sister Arnetha Liddell.

 

Rev. W. L. Smith, Jr. was elected pastor in July of 1969.  Trustees:  Brother James Hunter, Brother LaHue Parker, Brother Foster Green, Brother J. C. Quinn, and Brother L. C. Quinn; Deacons:  Brother Otha Spraggs, Brother LaHue Parker, Brother Solon Williams, Brother J. S. Gresham, Sr., Brother Foster Green, Brother Harvey Foote, Brother Willie Moore, Brother Coleman Washington, Sr., Brother Bishop Hoskin, Brother Arthur Phipps, Brother Tommie White, Brother Bobby Love, Brother Coleman Washington, Jr., and Brother Booker T. Black,  Jr.; Deaconess:  Sister Estella Williams, Sister Alice Green, Sister Zenobia Campbell, Sister Estella Phipps, Sister Doshie Love, Sister Dossie Petty, Sister Candace Hill, Sister Mary Lee Moore, Sister Betty Quinn, Sister Sally Foote, Sister Mable Jackson, Sister Annie Foote, Sister Minnie Ross, Sister Mary Young, Sister Minnie Spraggs, Sister Doretha Williams, Sister Susie Staples, Sister Ollie Robinson, Sister Dorothy Banks, Sister Arnetha Liddell, Sister Genette M. Smith, Sister Bobbie White, and Sister Charlene Love.

 

Rev. W. L. Smith, Jr. retired and became Pastor Emeritus in September of 1992.  Rev. C. J. Nelson served as Interim Pastor from December of 1992 through June of 1993.  Board of Trustees:  Rev. Cleve McDowell, Sister Mary Phillips, Sister Jessie First, Sister Sheryl Nelson, Brother James Shoulders and Brother Edward Triplett.

 

Rev. Adoris Turner was elected pastor in September of 1994 to November of 1997.  Board of Trustees:  Sister Mary Phillips, Sister Charlis Miller, Sister Sheryl Nelson, Brother James Shoulders, Sister Jessie First, and Brother Harvey Burchfield; Deacons:  Brother Bobby Love, Brother Tommy White, Brother James Pointer, Brother Coleman Washington, Jr., Brother Solon Williams, and Brother Booker T. Black, Jr.; Deaconess:  Sister Arnetha Liddell, Sister Alice Green, Sister, Candace Hill, Sister Doretha Williams, Sister Bobbie D. White, Sister Minnie Spraggs, Sister Susie Staples, Sister Canary Pointer, Sister Dorothy Banks, Sister Charlene Love, and Sister Gennette M. Smith.

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Rev. Jesse Gresham served as Interim Pastor from 1997 to 1998.  Minister Martha Shoulders served as his assistant.

 

Rev. Scotty Williams of Greenwood was elected as pastor in September of 1998 for a very short period.  No significant changes were made to the church under his leadership. Rev. Percy Grant of Greenville was elected as the pastor in 1999, where he remained for only a short period of time.

 

Rev. Jesse Gresham was elected as pastor and leader in February of 2000, where he served as musician and pastor.  A new musician was elected, Charlie “Chuck” Allen of Clarksdale.  Everett Walton served as musician after the exit of the previous musician; a Fellowship Hall was added; the Youth Ministry was assigned the second Sunday of each month; the Men’s Ministry was assigned the fourth Sunday of each month; two members were called into the ministry—Deacon Bobby Love and Robert L. Hunter.  Deacons:  Brother James Pointer, Brother Coleman Washington, Jr., Brother John H. Johnson, Sr., Brother Melvin Mims, Brother Howard Williams, Brother Lacy Wilson, and Brother Booker Black; Deaconess:  Sister Canary Pointer, Sister Ora Washington, Sister Essie Johnson, Sister Katie Mims, Sister Gloria Williams, Sister Nellie Wilson, Sister Charlene Love, Sister Sharon Hunter and Sister Bobbie White; Trustees:  Sister Bobbie White, Sister Charlis Miller, Sister Sheryl Nelson, Sister Karen Mims, and Deacon Coleman Washington, Jr., Brother John H. Johnson, Sr., Brother Melvin Mims, Brother Howard Williams, Brother Lacy Wilson, and Brother Booker Black; Deaconess:  Sister Canary Pointer, Sister Ora Washington, Sister Essie Johnson, Sister Katie Mims, Sister Gloria Williams, Sister Nellie Wilson, Sister Charlene Love, Sister Sharon Hunter and Sister Bobbie White; Trustees:  Sister Bobbie White, Sister Charlis Miller, Sister Sheryl Nelson, Sister Karen Mims, and Deacon Coleman Washington, Jr.

 

Rev. Bobby Love served as Interim Pastor from September of 2014 until October of 2015. 

 

Rev. William "Ray" Blackmon was elected as pastor in October of 2015 and his installation was February 14, 2016.  Rev. Bobby Love serves as Director of Christian Education and Rev. Robert Hunter serves as the Youth Minister.  Brother James Pointer, Chairperson of the Deacon Board; other deacons:  Brother Howard Williams (Resigned in August of 2017), Brother Roy Stanford, Brother James  Dixon, Brother Willie Hooper (Resigned in May of 2017), and Deacon Emeritus Booker Black, Jr., Brother John Henry Johnson, Jr. and Brother Eddie Horton; Deaconess:  Sister Charlene Love, Sister Essie Johnson, Sister Nellie Wilson, Sister Canary Pointer, Sister Sharon Hunter, Sister Gloria Williams (Resigned in August of 2017), Sister Bobbie White.  Trustees are Sister Charlis Miller, Sister Bobbie White, Sister Sheryl Nelson, Sister Karen Mims, and Deacon Roy Stanford.  Under his short tenure, two musicians:  Seneca Owens (first, third, and fourth Sundays) and Bishop Kimberly Randle (second and fifth Sundays), a Men’s Night (third Tuesday each month), a Women’s Night (first Tuesday each month), and a Fellowship Sunday (fourth Sunday each month) were added and two tellurones, and a surveillance system were installed under his leadership.

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Dr. Billy J. Willis served as an Interim Pastor in February 2018 and was elected as Pastor in August 2018 and his installation was December 2018.