Corners Chapel Baptist Church
OUR HISTORY
Corners Chapel Baptist Church was started in a revival at Brinkley's Chapel Baptist Church. This revival was conducted by Bro. P.H. Jernigan. Mr. and Mrs. Charlie Simpson, Mr. and Mrs. Nathan Simpson, Mr. and Mrs. Arthur Simpson, Mr. and Mrs. O.K. Simpson, Maudie, and Marie Simpson were converted in this revival and later became charter members of a church organized here in 1941.
The Simpsons moved from Mississippi County to Harrisburg Corner in 1941. There was not a church where they could worship in this community. They went back to Brinkley's Chapel for church services until the summer of 1941. A brush arbor was built here and Bro. Edd Chamberlin conducted a revival. There were four conversions, Mr. and Mrs. Noah Randal and daughter Hazel, and Mrs. Lora Clayton. Mrs. Clayton was the first person saved in this church.
On July 8th, 1941 the First Baptist Church of Trumann extended arm to help this new congregation. The first church here was named Simpson's Chapel. The first four deacons were Charlie, Nathan, O.K., and Arthur Simpson. Arthur was the first Sunday School Superintendent.
Bro. Chamberlin preached for us until September 12, 1941, when the mission was organized into a church, two months and four days after it became a mission. The First Baptist Church in Trumann then withdrew their support.
Bro. S.J. Meador was called as the first pastor. He was paid with coupons and the members shared their gas stamps with him. These services were conducted in a shack owned by Arthur Simpson. Bro. Meador served as pastor until the spring of 1942.
The members of the church felt the lead to build a church building. The Simpsons cut logs off their own land and Noah Clayton paid the sawmill to saw the logs into lumber and the lumber was stacked until after the crop harvest in 1942. The construction of the church began in the fall of 1942, with the church members doing the construction. Congregational offerings were taken up to pay for the nails. For the roof, cypress was cut into shingle blocks and hauled to Lepanto for milling. Some of the blocks were exchanged for the milling services. To finish the church, Dan Portis of Lepanto provided materials from his lumberyard and made and additional $100.00 contribution to the church. The newly constructed church was renamed and dedicated as Corners Chapel Baptist Church. The original building was destroyed by fire in 1951.
Bro. Roy Johnson was called as a half time pastor. He served as the half time pastor until July 4, 1943 when he was called as a full time pastor when the church was two years old. The Church voted to pay Bro. Johnson $10.00 per week. The trials and tribulations of the early church are too numerous to mention. There has been many moments of joy as people were won to Christ.
In our August revival of 1943, 21 professions of faith were made. This revival was conducted by Bro. H.G. Richardson of Marked Tree. Bro. Johnson resigned as pastor October 31, 1943.
Three Sunday School rooms were added to the church in 1943. In 1953, the present building was constructed. The parsonage was built in the late fifties. The educational building was completed a few years later. The fellowship hall was built in the late sixties. The educational wing was destroyed by fire in 1964, but was quickly rebuilt.
In 2011, a flood hit the community and Corners Chapel was the operations center for the relief and recovery efforts. Over 120,000 sandbags were filled on the church parking lot and placed around many houses in the community.
As the church has grown, the need for a larger fellowship hall became evident and through donations, a new 3000 square foot fellowship hall was completed and dedicated in April of 2013. The church is debt free.
