The History of Mount Moriah Baptist Church

Prior to 1881 there was no Baptist church between Hillsborough and Burlington North Carolina. Between these two small towns, was a small community called Cheeks’ Crossing. Many of the people that lived in the community began to talk about building a church, and wanted to buy land in order to fulfill their dream. In 1879 Mr. William Whitted said he would donate land for a church, if they would accept the gift in honor of his sick wife, Mariah Whitted. The gift was accepted the church was built and named Mount Moriah.

In 1881 Dr. J.H. Dunston was called as pastor, and the church was officially organized in August of that year. It was the first Baptist church for blacks in the Mebane area.

Dr. Dunston, was born October 3, 1851 in Wake County. Being a very ambitious youth, he grew up with little education, yet through diligent study; he became a knowledgeable preacher and was honored with a Doctorate of Divinity degree at Blythe National Religious Training School in Durham, North Carolina.

Dr. Dunston served as Moderator of the New Hope Association for a period of thirty-five years, and also served as treasurer of the Sunday School Convention. At the time of his death Dr. Dunston had served forty-nine years at Mount Moriah Baptist Church.

Mount Moriah served as an inspiration for other churches to be built in the area. Mebane First Baptist Church on Lane Street, and Bethsada Baptist church on Mebane-Oaks Road, are daughter churches of Mount Moriah.

On Christmas morning in 1995 Mount Moriah was destroyed by fire. More than a building vanished in the fire. The faith of its members became stronger as a result of what had happened on a morning when Christians everywhere were celebrating the birth of the Savior Jesus Christ.

The groundbreaking services for the current structure were held in May 1997, and

construction began in October of the same year. In December of 1998 the construction

being completed the congregation marched back home. Since that time we have been on a mission to take the “Gospel” into the world using the various vehicles of ministry that make up the Mount Moriah Missionary Baptist Church in Mebane, North Carolina.