Church History

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Psalms 78:3-4: Stories we have heard and known, stories our ancestors handed down to us. We will not hide these from our children; we will tell the next generation about the glorious deeds of the Lord, about his power and his mighty wonders. NLT

Walden Chapel was organized in 1867 by the late Rev. Isaac Crawford. It has been located in this original site since that time. According to oral history, most churches for black people during this time were one-room brush arbors, which were modest structures with dirt floors. We assume Walden Chapel was no different. We do understand that worship was held here until the construction of the wooden church, where according to oral history, they praised God with great joy and jubilation, as they patted their feet on the wooden floor. The original name was Walden Chapel Methodist Church, but most people called it Sand Flat because it was located in a sandy flat area west of Goodman on the Old Franklin Road.

In 1941 Walden Chapel was completely renovated even though times were hard; however, faithful members made it all possible with visions, hard work, careful planning, and dedication.

In 1968 the nameWalden Chapel Methodist Church was changed to 

Walden Chapel United Methodist Church.

Since its brush arbor beginning, Walden Chapel has grown from a handful of worshippers to over 190 members. We have some very faithful worshippers. Many of us are the descendants of the worshippers of the brush arbor church and the old wooden church down in the flat.

The history of Walden Chapel reaches far back and was known for its unique services. There has been a large group of Bishops, District Superintendents, and pastors since its organization. 

The yearly historical events for Walden Chapel are kept in our history file of the church. These events are very important to the history of our church.

We have continued with guidance from our pastors with the ongoing ministries of the church which included Vacation Bible School, revival opening devotion at Goodman Baptist Church, Camp Lake Stephens for the youth, the Goodman Male Chorus Anniversary, our Annual Revival, Fifth Sunday Services, Laity Day, Convocation of the Black Church, the United Methodist Women Conference and District Annual Meetings, Charge Conference, Usher Board Tea, International Banquet, Youth Day,  District Youth Rally, Passion Week Service, Easter Sunrise Service, Easter Program, the Howard Brothers Anniversary, Ash Wednesday Services, joint Mother’s Day Program, Family and Friends Day, and Annual Blood Drive with Mississippi Blood Services, CSFP (Commodity Food Supplement Program) Senior Citizen Food Program, Laity Training, October 31 Harvest Festival, Recognition of Graduates and Recipients of the Hallie T. Lusk Scholarship Fund, Promotion Exercises for Goodman Headstart Center, and Involvement with Wesley Foundation at Holmes Community College.

We lift up and give God Thanks and Praise for being a “Church on One Accord for All God’s People Making Disciples.”