In the days of early Christianity, believers often assembled in houses in order to worship God. This collective body, then called an “ecclesia”, became a church. Just as the magnificent oak tree has always evolved from the little acorn, great congregations have arisen from small house gatherings of Christians. The history of Greater Mount Olive Missionary Baptist Church is equivalent to the oak tree and truly confirms the Bible passage “and the Lord added to the Church daily such as should be saved”. (Acts 2:47)
The Greater Mt. Olive Missionary Baptist Church was properly organized on April 25, 1946. Prior to this date, from December 14, 1939 to January 7, 1945, the small group of members met at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Franklin Kay at 1312 Bayou Street, and also at Rev. Kiel’s church building at 101 Gregg St.
On June 16, 1946, Rev. L.P. Pointer, Sr., of Louisiana accepted an invitation to preach and conduct a ten-day revival. On July 11, 1946, the church elected Rev. Pointer and he began his leadership on July 15, 1946. The Church body voted to build a permanent structure on its site at Nance and Bayou where the “tent church” stood. On April 27, 1947, ground-breaking services were held and in March 1950, the members marched from the tent on Nance to the church on Grove and Baer. Two building expansion programs followed this entrance to accommodate the ever-increasing membership.
On July 6, 1968, God called Dr. Pointer, the pastor of twenty-two years, home. Over the next several years, a number of ministers served as pastors of the church. In 1983, Rev. Byrd Lacey, Jr., was called to pastor the church. During his tenure, a new edifice was completed in April, 1987. In 2003 the pastor, with a vision and mandate from God, proposed that the edifice be enlarged and enhanced by adding a Fellowship Hall, named the L.P. Pointer Fellowship Hall.
Thus today we lift up holy hands, hearts and heads to give thanks to our Almighty God, who has smiled on Greater Mt. Olive Missionary Baptist Church and has provided us with the needed Leadership who have been committed to serving the Church and the community.