This text was obtained via automated optical character recognition.
It has not been edited and may therefore contain several errors.

---

Slack Baptist history
TOLD BY DAN FREDERICKS, SR.
The Black Baptist Church has been in existence for
many years. In 1897 or before 1901 the services were held in' a small building near the Pulpwood Yard on Jourdan River. Because of the size and increasing membership the building became inadequate for services and a more functional facility was built, under the leadership of Rev. J.
E. Mosley. A building was erected west of Highway 603 in Kiln, Mississippi. The church trustees were V. Baggett, I. Williams, Ed Gillium and Ed Gillium served as clerk.
In 1924 the Church was rebuilt under the leadership of Rev. J. W. Monday and the trustees were W. D. Robinson,
Louis Galloway, John Lee and Leonard Frederick, Sr.; Mrs. Maude May served as Clerk.
The building remains as a place of worship and is considered a monument to those trustees, now deceased, who worked untiringly in the interest of the Baptist Church Program, which through the years has been carried on by Rev. C. L. Fox, Rev. Jesse James, Rev. Nat Sams and others.
In 1924 the Kiln Community had the influence of a: Methodist Church. The economic situation caused an exodus to other counties and other church programs.
The Holiness Temple, known as Lee Temple, is a part of the Kiln Church Community. Their leadership is evidence through their services.
BLACK SCHOOL The Black School bad its beginning in a small one-room school building near the
in the Kiln
present Baptist Church. Miss Maude Sylvest of Bay St. Louis, Mississippi was the school’s first teacher. Other teachers were Rev. E. L. Fox and Mrs. Mamie Fredrick.
The school moved to a building southeast of Highway 603. This two-story building was once used by Whites for their school children. The j first principal was Rev. E. J. Chapman of Woodville, Mississippi; others were Rev. E. L. Fox and R. Jones.
i
In 1929, with the help of Leonard Frederick, Sr. and Trustees E. Gillium, A. Fields and S. Peterson, a new school was built and E. J. Chapman was principal. Dan Fredrick followed E. J. Chapman as principal and served for many years with teachers Mamye Young and other assistant teachers.
In 1955 the State Reorganization Program encouraged consolidation and transportation for efficiency in the total educational program. Kiln Elementary school was consolidated with the Valena C. Jones Elementary High School, Bay St. Louis. The Black children from 1st Grade through 12th Grade were transported to Bay St. Louis black public school. Dan Fredrick, the principal served as teacher of Junior High School Mathematics until his retirement.
Time has brought many changes and practices. The schools are more centralized and all children attend schools in or near the community.
The Black children of Kiln, Mississippi attend North Central High School.