Our History

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Center Hill Church of God in Christ was founded in 1931 under the leadership of the late Elder Payton of Forest, MS.  Founding members included Sis. Ruthie Ransom and Sis. Estes.  Established in the Estes Switch Community, the church’s original name was Estes Switch Holiness Church.  The message of the church was plain.   It’s holiness or hell.  Repent of your sins and come to Christ.  Be filled with the Holy Ghost.  Love your neighbor.  Obey, fast, and pray.  Study God’s word.  Most importantly, the church was established on a tradition of prayer.  Saints had prayer with the children of the church each morning. 

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When the Saw Mill in the Estes Switch community closed, the church members scattered as they packed up their families and moved to find work.  Eventually, the pastor moved on, and the church closed its doors.  The remaining members began to hold worship services in their homes.  They were determined to remain unified and keep the church alive until they could find a new pastor.  Services and revivals were held in homes and Brush Harbor tents as Evangelists and Preachers passed through.  Finally, Elder Weathers became the new pastor.  The church moved to the Center Ridge community and was renamed Center Hill Church of God in Christ.  Superintendent D. A. Jones and Elder Moore helped to build a church building upon the foundation laid by Elder Weathers.

 

After Elder Weathers’ tenure, Elder D. A. Bates was appointed pastor.  He served for several years until his health failed.  Elder G. W. Harris became the next shepherd at Center Hill COGIC.  The church had continued to grow through the years, but the membership was primarily female.  Under Elder G. W. Harris, the congregation evolved from a “she church” (one populated mainly by women) to one that included many men, women, and children.  Elder Harris pastored the church until 1983.  It was then that another man of faith, filled with the Holy Ghost, was appointed to lead Center Hill COGIC.  Elder Isaac Harris, a visionary and trailblazer, took the church to new heights, spiritually, financially, and in many other ways.  Membership increased steadily.  Auxiliaries and departments expanded.  The church established a food pantry, clothes closet, and a child care center that served the community.  Under Elder Isaac Harris’ leadership, the church was remodeled, and a kitchen, classrooms, lavatories, and other conveniences were added.

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In the late 1980s, Elder Isaac Harris proposed the vision of a new church structure to the congregation.  Members pledged financial support to build the sanctuary.  Robert (Bill) Haynes, the late husband of Missionary Mattie Haynes, initially purchased ten acres of land and later sold five acres to the church.  In 1989, the new, larger, brick structure was built on Highway 15.  Land was also set aside for a cemetery. In 1993, Bishop Hollis Musgrove appointed Elder Isaac Harris as Superintendent to the newly formed District Twelve. Under Superintendent Harris’ pastoral guidance, members were faithful and the church’s mortgage was paid in full; the church still stands in this location.  Superintendent Isaac Harris led the congregation until his death in 2010. 

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Superintendent Ozell Coburn was appointed pastor in 2010.  His time was cut short when he died suddenly in 2015.  Though he only led the church for a few years, Elder Coburn’s contributions cannot be minimized.  Under his leadership, the church established written church bylaws and a policy and procedural manual.  Supt. Coburn placed great importance on teaching and understanding the Word of God.

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Today, Elder Clifton T. Haynes serves as the pastor of Center Hill Church of God in Christ. With a little over five years in office, Pastor Haynes has distinguished himself as a bold, dynamic, uncompromising preacher. Like the leaders before him, he is grounded in prayer and a commitment to true holiness.