Grace McAlister
Reporter1@riverbendnews.org
Alton Church of God in Mayo will be celebrating 100 years of dedication to God and the community on Sunday, May 1. There will be a service, beginning at 10 a.m. and a special meal to follow. Alton Church of God is located at 2365 US-27, in Mayo. In the last 100 years, the church has developed an interesting history.
First beginning in 1920, Alton Church of God was a part of the strong foundation of America’s Pentecostal movement. Postel and Florrie Williams attended a revival in Branford at the homes of both Kate Hall and Alderon Daniels. They traveled by horse and buggy to see and hear the powers of God that were being manifested through signs and wonders. They personally experienced salvation after staying with friends, Hall and Daniels, who were the ministers for the revival. Later, they invited Hall and Daniels to their home on the Henry Jackson farm, later owned by L.C. Jackson. They led the first Pentecostal revival which started in their home and front porch. This revival, lasted for two weeks and many people from the area worshipped with them. An arbor was built under some pecan trees from sticks, limbs and posts covered with moss, palmetto fawns, brush and some lumber. This was used as a shelter for a six-week revival meeting.
In fall of 1921, under an arbor just north of where the present church is located, another revival became a nightly focus for worship. Rev. Wesley Phillips and Peeples were ministers in a two-week revival that continued for six more weeks near the Alton Sawmill, just east of the present-day Mayo Truss Co., Inc. During the winters of 1921 and 1922 more revivals, cottage prayer meetings and services were held in homes and arbors. Many of the saved and spirit-filled believers hosted these first revivals. From the homes, fields and woods people came to these cottages, arbors and homes to worship and experience the power of the Lord. As months went by, the power of God became increasingly evident in these meetings. Members of the community were drawn out of fear and curiosity while others desired to mock this new phenomenon and only came to, "see the show.”
As the church grew, it was officially dubbed as a Pentecostal “Church of God” on April 29, 1922. Riley O'Steen, the father of one of the church’s charter members, gave the church one acre of land at the present church location. They accepted the deed on July 29, 1922. An arbor was built on the property as the first church building and meeting place. On Nov. 20, 1946, the church purchased another acre of land, just east of the church building, where the present-day Family Life Center is located. It was purchased from Howard Hamlin for $25. In fall of 1948, a second parsonage was built on this property. This three-bedroom parsonage would serve as the home of several pastors for the next 30 years.
The church continued to grow and in 1957 the church purchased a two-acre tract across US Highway 27 to use as a cemetery plot. It was purchased from Ovedia McCray for $500. In 1963, the church structure was sold to Leroy Odom for $5,000 and moved to his farm to make way for a new church worship center. A deed was made by Riley O'Steen, the father of Marshall and Barney O'Steen and was noted that if the church ever closed that the property would go back to the O'Steen family. Barney O'Steen placed this condition in the deed but later signed the deed, over to Alton with no rider after determining that, in order to receive the loan, the deed must be in the name of Alton Church of God only. The loan was approved and in fall of 1963, the new worship center with six Sunday school rooms was completed on the east end of the church at that time. The cost of the building was $26,500 and much of the work was completed by the men and ladies of the church. A fellowship hall and kitchen were built on the east end of the Sunday school rooms by the Leroy Odom family for the church. Improvements continued throughout the years. The most recent improvement made by the church was in 2021; the foyer of the Family Life Center was remodeled and updated. Additionally, earlier this year Alton Church of God received an unanticipated blessing when Dean Hendricks donated additional land, which almost doubled the size of the cemetery.
Alton Church of God invites all to their services on Wednesdays from 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. and Sundays from 9 a.m. to 10:15 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. Call (386) 294-3133 for more information.
Alton Church of God is located at 2365 US-27, in Mayo.