The regular meeting of the Washington Parish Council was held on Monday, August 22, 2022, in the Council chambers of the Washington Parish Courthouse with all Council members present. The business meeting opened with the adoption of an ordinance to authorize the conveyance of immovable property of approximately 20 acres in the coming months. This property is owned by the Parish through a USDA Rural Development Loan that was foreclosed on. It is located on South Choctaw Road. Most of the sale proceeds will go to USDA as repayment of the loan.
Mr. William Barse of Mt. Hermon presented to the board's plans for approximately five Blessing Boxes to be constructed by inmates at Rayburn Correctional Center and placed at locations throughout the parish. District 6 representative Reginald McMasters questioned the exact locations, and Mr. Barse explained that this will be finalized after the boxes are done. He assured the Council that the boxes would be placed in hubs of the parish where they are deemed most in need. Mr. Barse also presented his involvement with the Washington Parish Sheriff's Office establishing a Task Force to handle and/or work with animal situations, be it pets or livestock when the need arises. Mr. Barse will keep the council informed on the progress of this endeavor.
Parish President Thomas was pleased to address a previous piece of business that is being resolved. At the August 9 meeting Washington Parish School bus driver Mrs. Jacqueline Tate informed the council that she was unable to turn around on Delta Lane and this posed a problem for student passengers during inclement weather.
President Thomas is working toward rectifying this issue and assured Mrs. Tate that she will have a place to turn around.
Further in President Thomas's report an official proclamation was made for Mt. Olive Missionary Baptist Church. The church was organized in 1872 as the first African American church in the Mt. Hermon/Sunny Hill community under a tent with wood benches to serve the residents of the area.
Rev. Harper was elected the first pastor of Mt. Olive Baptist Church and served the church from 1872 until his death in 1899, followed by Rev. Jefferson Topps (1899-1921), Rev. J.R. Vernon (1921-1957), followed by his son, Rev. Dr., Willard Vernon (1957-1994), Rev. Johnny Causey (1994-2004), Rev. Johnny Johnson, Sr. (2005-2012), Rev. George Butler (2012-2017) and Rev. Kenneth C. Saulsberry (2017-current)
A few first-known families forming the congregation of Mt. Olive Missionary Baptist Church were John and Lucy Tate, Isaac and Hester Tate, Peter Vernon, Ann Brumfield and Annie Powell. These folks were instrumental in serving the church along with the early deacons to minister to the sick and aided with church administrative duties. After the donation of land and the construction of a new building, the church family grew over time, increasing its membership and service to the community.
Parish President Thomas noted that Mt. Olive Missionary Baptist Church is a testament in being an exemplary pillar of strong Christian values and leadership in Washington Parish through its teachings, direction and guidance.
Parish President Thomas presented the proclamation to current pastor Rev. Kenneth C. Saulsberry acknowledging the 150 year anniversary of Mt. Olive Missionary Baptist Church. This momentous occasion is to be celebrated on September 18 and 25, 2022, with services at 10:00 am and 3:00 pm each of these days. The Parish President and Council honored and congratulated Mt. Olive Missionary Baptist Church, its pastor, deacons and church family for the contributions they have made for the membership, community and citizens of Washington Parish, the State of Louisiana and beyond.
