Everything has a beginning and we thank God for the beginning of “Little” Mt. Nebo AME Church. In the beginning, there was a parcel of land on which a small hut was built in order to praise and worship a God who had been so good to the people in the community. According to the history we have gathered, in 1870, because of the sincere love for God, Mr. Friday Reid and his sister, Mrs. Lucy Moultrie donated three acres of land so that the people could have an adequate place to worship and to celebrate. Mr. Reid and some of the church members started to construct the church. Those dedicated soldiers knew what the power of prayer could do because of the hard times they had endured. In spite of the hard times and struggles they encountered, they prayed and pressed forward. They trusted in the Lord. According to our verbal history, the first pastor during that time is not known. The first pastor recorded was Rev. Abby Green. Mt. Nebo has come through some rough times, but through it all God has been good to us. He has always blessed us with great leaders over the years.
Rev. Carter (yr. unknown) 1927-1928 Rev. J Thompson 1897 Rev. S. K. Howard 1928-1929 Rev. J.C. Mack 1904-1905 Rev.Brown 1929-1931 Rev. T. L. Bonneau 1905-1907 Rev. James Jackson 1931-1939 Rev. Wm. Jackson 1907-1909 Rev. Jimmy Snipe 1939-1940 Rev. Major 1909-1911 Rev. Sandy Simmons 1940-1941 Rev. Burgess 1911-1913 Rev. Dennison 1941-1942 Rev. W. Middleton 1913-1915 Rev. Bostick 1942-1951 Rev. Johnson 1915-1917 Rev. Mack Brown 1951 Rev. Scott Wilson 1917- Rev. Shelby (refused appt.) 1951-1952 Rev. F. Kinlaw 1917-1927 Rev. William Taylor 1952-1954 Rev. J. Middleton 1927-1927 Rev. Snipe (died that year) 1954-1961 Rev. C.R. Lewis In 1961, Rev. James Brown was appointed pastor of Mt. Nebo African Methodist Episcopal Church. Under his leadership, we rebuilt our church. In 1969, the church family joyfully and with great pride marched into our new sanctuary with singing and praises. The Lord blessed us in 1970 with Arthur R. Reed as our pastor, who served us until 1973. In 1974, Rev. Henry D. Singleton led us to higher heights. The Educational wing was added under his administration; and the Corner Stone was laid on April 17, 1977. In January of 1984, the Lord called Rev. H. D. Singleton from labor to reward. His family is still a vital part of our church. Rev. James. H. McNeil was appointed to complete the year. Under Rev. McNeil’s leadership, the choir loft was extended to accommodate the growth of our choirs and increase in membership. In 1991, Rev. Joseph Swinton, Jr., became the pastor of our church. Mt. Nebo had many accomplishments under his ministry. Rev. Swinton served us until October 1998. In 1998, the Lord sent Rev. Arthur Lee Holmes to lead us. Mt. Nebo experienced a spiritual revival under his ministry. Under his administration, a Class Leaders’ Council was established; Prayer Service and Bible Study were re-energized; new heating and air systems were installed; the sanctuary floor structure was repaired; and our tithing membership increased. We thank God for the accomplishments under Rev. Holmes’ administration. In 2003, the Lord blessed our church with Rev. Isaac Grant. Under the leadership of Rev. Grant, Mt. Nebo has continued to grow. Rev. Grant reorganized the Building Committee and with renewed spirit and energy redesigned the plans for a new sanctuary. After 2-1/2 years of meetings, planning and working untiringly, we were blessed to march out of the old Mt. Nebo. We moved our worship services to the Smith-McNeal Funeral Home, and continued our praises there. We truly thank the Almighty God for the love and generosity of Bro. Bryan McNeal, Jr., for allowing us the use of his facility for 17 months. We also want to say thank you to The Town of Awendaw, St. Mark FBH Church, Union A.M.E. Church, First See Wee Missionary Baptist Church, Greater Zion A.M.E. Church, St. James A.M.E. Church, Greater Goodwill A.M.E. Church, Bro. Ernie Kinloch Home Builders and others in our community for extending their gracious hospitality to us. On Sunday, August 17, 2006, we worshiped the Lord in our beautiful, new sanctuary, now available to seat over 800 persons. Our church is equipped with a state-of-the art sound system for easy listening and viewing. We praise God for the leadership of Rev. Grant who put his heart and soul into making that day a reality. In November 2011, the Lord blessed our church with Rev. Dr. Richard Allen Brown, Jr. Pastor Brown came with energy and a vision for change. He saw the need to restructure the Steward and Trustee Boards and to organize and/or train other boards and auxiliaries in the church. Under his leadership, the church has a new computer system with up-to-date technology. This allows the stewards to manage the church finance and membership roll adequately. He added the Food Pantry Ministry which helps supplement food for the people in Awendaw Community. Dr. Brown established the Discipleship Training Class for new and current members. Also, the church was refinanced and the parsonage was paid off. We thank God for the many achievements under the outstanding pastoral leadership of Dr. Brown. In March 2015, God sent our church Rev. Wayne D. Gregg. He came with a concern for the sick and shut-in of the church. He immediately visited them in their homes and hospital beds to show his compassion for their well-being. Also, he emphasized the importance of protocol and the need for the church to work together in Christ. Rev. Gregg immediately began working on strengthening the roles that each member and organization plays in the day to day life of the church. Although 145 years have passed since Mt. Nebo’s inception, we still have not seen, nor can we even grasp, what God has in store for His church. There is more to do: more souls to save, a calling to fulfill. We must work on!!! “To God be the glory for all He done and is doing in this ministry!”
Mt. Nebo AME Church 