Smyrna Baptist Church?

The only church in Mississippi with that name is located in Union, Mississippi. Maybe that's it??

 

Smyrna Baptist Church
308 W Jackson Rd,
Union, MS 39365
(601) 774-9976

 

I lived in that town for 5 yrs. I have heard of that church but don't know anything about it.
I know the FBC there had a calvinistic pastor. Something I don't believe so I didn't go there. I have no kin in that community. I do know some of Edgar's kinfolks but I never met Edgar himself. But what I do know is there are alot of folks still alive that was invovled with this besides Edgar. And I hope the arrest those too.

 

That's the only Smyrna Baptist Church listed in Mississippi but since they don't have a website, I don't know if that's the one where this man preaches. The news articles keep referring to PHILADELPHIA, Miss. A search for Symrna Baptist in Philadelphia, Ms. brings up the Union church I gave above.

News articles said he'd been in the same house for 40 years, etc. His home address is in Union, Ms. He also runs a sawmill.

 

I doubt that is the only church named Smyrna is Mississippi, though it may be the only one found online. I don't think this is the same church. I doubt they would have Choctaw singers, and doubt even more that June Melton would go there and record if it were Killen's church.

Voices of the Choctaw

BTW, Ben, I googled Edgar Ray Killen and Smyrna Baptist Church. The main thing I got was the same "quote" over and over: "Long a focus of suspicion, Killen made a livelihood from farming, operating a sawmill and preaching to a small congregation at Smyrna Baptist Church." This seems to mean the present tense, but I'm not sure. Does anyone know for certain?

 

If you all want to "out" Edgar Killen and his church, that is fine. But please be sure you have the right church when you do it. This could be a serious blow for the wrong folks to be accused. Please also realize that many rural Baptist churches in the southern United States don't even have telephones, much less internet presence. Just because one turns up on the internet in the area doesn't mean it is the same church pastored by Killen.

[ June 18, 2005, 06:52 PM: Message edited by: rlvaughn ]

 

Here's the link to their county newspaper with dozens of stories and info.
http://www.neshobademocrat.com/

 

A news story from 2002 shows a Bobby Ferguson being the preacher at Smyrna Baptist since 1976.

 

Maybe you Australians ought to be a little more concerned about the racism in your own country and we will take care of ours. There is enough racism against the "Abos" on your continent to keep you busy.

 

According to my official 2004 Annual of the Mississippi Baptist Convention---there is NO listing for a Smyrna Baptist Church in Noshoba County----which is the county that the accused is living and was living at the time of the alleged crime. There IS a Smyrna Baptist in Union, MS---which is the ONLY church of its name in Mississippi---and happens to be in Copiah County---the county in which I(Blackbird) live!

The annual does not list his(the accused) name in any of its profile listings----which is sort of a relief to me---because the SBC has had its name dragged through the mud enough----but is an embarrassement to the name of Baptist---whether it be IFB or American or Free Will!!!

Blackbird

 

Again, let's be sure we know what we're talking about before we drag this church's name through the mud.

 

The town of Union is right on the Neshoba county line. So the church might be in Newton county.