Church History
1866 - 1929
Angel Visit Baptist Church was founded early 1866 by colored members of Ephesus Baptist Church, Dunnsville, Virginia. At the time of Angel Visit's establishment, there was only one other black church in Essex County and none south of the town of Tappahannock. Angel Visit founding members lived in communities from Tappahannock to Laneview, the southernmost portion of Essex County.
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A deed dated July12, 1867, notes the purchase of one and a half acres of land at a cost of $45. The land was located Route 17 just north of Ozena. Shortly thereafter, the first church was built. The founding pastor of Angel Visit was the Reverend Washington Holmes.
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The Reverend Beverly Sparks was the second pastor of Angel Visit, serving from approximately 1869 to 1891. The Reverend Augustus G. Bundy served as the third pastor of Angel Visit. During his tenure (1891 to 1908), a larger church was built to replace the original one. In July of 1893, Angel Visit purchased another acre of land for $30. This land was adjacent to the parcel previously purchased.
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The Reverend Grant Haynes was Angel Visit's fourth pastor, serving from about 1908 until 1911. He was followed in 1911 by the Reverend William Yates. The church was destroyed by fire in 1917, and in1919 a new church was erected. The Reverend Yates suffered a massive stroke in January of 1929. Because of the Reverend Yates illness, the Reverend Lilbon Trigg White, who was pastor Trinity Baptist Church at Center Cross, served as Angel Visit's acting pastor until the installation of the Reverend William Amos Young in January of 1930.
Angel Visit Baptist Church, pre-1917
The Reverend Washington A. Holmes, Sr.
1866 ~~ 1869
The Reverend Beverly Sparks 1869 ~~ 1891
The Reverend Augustus G. Bundy 1891 ~~ 1908
The Reverend Grant Haynes 1908 ~~ 1911
The Reverend William Yates 1911~~ 1928
The Reverend Lilbon Trigg White 1929 (acting)
1930 - 2022
In December of 1937, Angel Visit purchased the adjoining Ozena School property (one and a half acres) for $300. The church's parking lot is now located on the old school property.
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Numerous improvements were made to the church during Dr. Young's 49-year pastorate. In the 1950s, a Hammond organ was purchased and a brick facade was added to the church. In the 1960s and 1970s, the sanctuary was remodeled and a new baptistery was added. Central air and heat were added and an annex was built. The annex contained classrooms, a pastor's study, a kitchen, and a dinning room.
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The Reverend Dr. Leo Cordell Wagner, Jr. was the seventh pastor of Angel Visit, serving from 1979 to 1984. The Reverend Dr. Theron D. Williams, the eighth pastor, served from 1986 to 1987, followed by the Reverend Vernon C. Crump III, who served from 1988 to 2002.
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In October of 2003, the Reverend Dr. Carla E. Lightfoot was elected as the tenth pastor of Angel Visit, the first woman to hold that position. During Dr. Lightfoot's tenure, stained glass windows were installed in the sanctuary.
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Resurrection Window Angel Visit Baptist Church
