Moores Chapel

Moores Memorial Baptist Church,was organized in 1907. The church is located three miles east of Gate City. Rev. C. L. Lane was the first pastor. The church's initial business meeting was held 3/19/1907 after preaching by the pastor. 'The first business was to elect a clerk, C. L. Vaughn. Next a sexton was elected to keep the house in order. F.L. Vaughn was the elected sexton. The next business was to elect a building committee for the purpose of erecting a church house on the R. B. Moore place to be deeded to the Baptist church and their Successors. The committee of Dr. H. C. Moore, Rev. C. C. Blair, & N. R. Franklin was selected. The building was to be 30' by 24' & the name of the church was to be Moores & Blair Memorial. Thus ended the first business meeting.

These were charter members: C. C. Blair, N. R. Franklin, Dr. H. C. Moore, R. B. Moore, J.W. Lane, C. F. Vaughn. On 9/1/1907 the Memorial Baptist Church meet with the pastor who preached and then attended to these ordinances of baptism: C. P. Franklin, Annis Franklin, Mollie Franklin, Lillie Mann, D. H. Franklin, Lola Minton, Josephine Blair. Shortly thereafter C. C. Blair was appointed as the first messenger to the Baptist Association.

Church services were held in a school house (name?) until the church was built. On 8/22/1908 the church voted to elect a delegate to attend the associational meeting held at East Stone Gap, Virginia. Brother Silas Minton nominated R. B. Moore as the delegate. Also transacted was the taking in of approximately 70 new members. (A new church came out of this church which is Blairs Chapel. Rev. C. C. Blair became pastor of that church.) Brother O. A. Franklin was elected to take C. C. Blair's place on the building committee. The pastor at the time was Rev. C. W. Callen and the clerk was N. K. Franklin.

Thereafter the church was called Moores Memorial Baptist Church. Rev. J. W. Lane was the moderator for these meetings and C. L. Vaughn was the clerk.

The church records show that, by the time the new church was finished, these were the members on roll:

Ethel Jennings * Hannah Moore * Tommie Carter *Ollie Franklin * Cordie Clark * Esta1 Franklin *Allie Smallwood * Laura Smallwood * Lola Minton * J. M. Franklin * C. L. Vaughn * J. L. Hammonds * A. A. Franklin * Phillip Minton * J. P. Vaughn * Hiram Vaughn * W. R. Franklin * H. C. Moore * Nelenia Minton * Ellie B. Wolfe * H.M. Smallwood * J. R. Cookemaur * J. L. Fletcher * Zorie Vaughn * Sarah Blair * Lena Vaughn * ~mrk Phi11ipi * Comadar Phi11ipi * Maggie Bellamy * A. B. Daugherty * Vada Jennings * C. P. Franklin * Mollie Franklin * Anna Franklin * Lillie Franklin * Mattie Hicks * J. W. Hicks * Flanary Williams * Fraley Taylor * Henderson Agee * Elizabeth Agee * William Joyce * Robert Joyce * Rosie Joyce * Rosa Franklin * Flora Smallwood * Bill Dougherty * Lola Taylor * Dona Taylor * Dona Fraysier * Huston Hartsock * Milessia Smallwood * J. R. Bentley * J. H. Hartsock * S. G. Fuller * Guy Fuller * Mollie Wolfe * Aura Wolfe * Verda Franklin * Bessie Franklin * Janne Franklin * Victor Moore * James Reed * Harvey Chapman * Victor Moon * Mrs. Bill Strong * Flora Smallwood * Pearl Franklin * Hannah Moore * Rev. C.H. Gibson * ~trs. C.H. Gibson * James Gibson * Emory Franklin * James Franklin * Carl Franklin * Norma Franklin * Anna Bell Franklin * Allie Mann * Hester Douna * Laura Repass * Rev. H.R. McConnell * Nellie McConnell * Georgia Williams * Kathterr Williams * Willie Sue Williams * Rosa Williams * Mr. Cochran * Ida Lane

The church has undergone some difficulties in the past few years but continues to be a faithful witness for the Lord in the community. The present pastor of the church is Rev. Patrick Johnson and the clerk is Clora Ramey.