Page 3 - The History of MSBC

From Bush Shelter To Brick:
The hisTory of
MT. sinai BapTisT ChurCh 1868 - 2013
The Historic Mount Sinai Baptist Church looks back 145 years at its birth where slaves and free blacks were forbidden to hold their own worship services
and were required to attend the churches of their mas- ters. This church’s history is comprised of more than “an unusual church for the rural community,” but embraces a history of ordinary people, who through their faith in God, persevered to secure a place where they could freely worship while serving others, endured trials and tribula- tions to bring an extraordinary vision to fruition.
In 1860, two young men, Israel Cross and Joseph Gregory made the ultimate decision to accept Christ as their Savior and become members of the Reedy Branch Baptist Church (now South Quay Baptist Church). At the age of 28, Cross had a strong desire to learn more about God and was given a chance among this white dominated congregation to pursue the same. Shortly thereafter, Joseph Gregory acknowledged that he had received his calling from God to preach the gospel. After he was examined and li- censed to preach Reverend Gregory journeyed a short distance
to the small community of Franklin, Virginia in 1866. With the assistance of William Barrett, Gregory was given land to erect
a small edifice, which he and his members named the Cool Spring Baptist Church in Franklin, Virginia. In the same year, Israel Cross asked to be dismissed from Reedy Branch
and joined Cool Spring Baptist Church. He later revealed to