Aunt Lanie's Dream

Aunt Lanie's Church in East Wilmington

Fred Kelly was the first full time preacher at East Wilmington Baptist Church, but we need to go back even before then to who actually started the church. Aunt Lanie always want to have a Baptist church in East Wilmington, so she started by teaching Sunday School to all the children in the neighborhood around Mercer and Live Oak Avenue (Covil today). From this small beginning East Wilmington Baptist Church was started. Sometime in the early 50’s of late 40’s Fred Kelly was hired by the church to be their first preacher. At that time the church was a Missionary Baptist church and would stay that way until the early 60’s went it joined the Southern Baptist Conference. I don’t remember a lot about Preacher Kelly except that he was well respected and liked by everyone. He left around 1954 or 1954 and then Dan Page was hired to preach. Shortly after his arrival the church built the new larger brick sanctuary. Gone was the little white wood church. After Pastor Page left, Paul Mull came and stayed as preacher for about 2 years. Then C. R Price came and stayed for about 35 years. Not long before his retirement the church built the fellowship hall that they now meet in. After Preacher Price retired the church fell on hard times under his replacement. For reasons only know to a few the name was changed to Charity.

I know my dates maybe off and that a lot has been left out. So it is up to you the reader to fill in the gaps and make the corrections with your comments. Your comments are what I will use to update this story.