WS Chronicle

On the first day of July while celebrating its 100th anniversary, the Morning Star Missionary Baptist Church also burned its mortgage.

Proverbs 22:7b reads: “the borrower is servant to the lender.” The church thanks God that it no longer has to serve this debt, the church said in a press release.

The Rev. Dr. Dennis Leach said, “As pastor I recognize that a lot of hearts, and hands went into the liquidation of this debt, from seniors on fixed incomes, to hard working people trying to make ends meet.”

Prior to the burning of the mortgage Dr. Leach paid tribute to the Phase II building committee members: Brother Fred Johnson, chairman; Trustee Robert Galloway, co-chairman; members, Deacon Cary McMillan, Deacon James Timmons, Deacon Thaddeous McCollum, Trustee Jerry Isom, Brother Jasper Turner, Mother Rosetta Harrell and Sister Priscilla Montgomery.

He also paid tribute to those who posthumously had joined that great cloud of witnesses, and look over the balcony in glory: Deacon Thomas Scales, co-chair; Deacon Lawrence Reaves; Sister Beatrice Rorie; Sister Debbie Simmons; and Mother Rosa Robinson.

The church was able to pay its mortgage off early because of the enthusiastic efforts of the late Deacon Jacob W. Hughes, who instituted the “Mortgage Reduction Drive.” At the service, Dr. Leach presented Deacon Hughes’ wife, Deaconess Veronica Hughes, with a plaque in his honor.