When James W. Belvin came to Houston County Georgia in 1842, he brought 31 slaves with him. He purchased 1150 acres of land for $10,000 and gave a mortgage deed on these slaves.(Recorded in Book “H” page 385 in the Clerk of Court’s office in Houston County).

            Before the civil war, the slaves attended church services along with their owners and they all belonged to the same church. After the war, the former slaves decided to organize a church of their own, and met for some time over on the Rice Plantation but this was some distance away.

The former Belvin slaves asked the owner, James W. Belvin, for some property upon which to locate a church and after some discussion, a site was selected directly in front of the present church and a wooden building was erected, and the Belvin African Methodist Episcopal Church was founded.

          The present day brick church was erected under the direction of the Reverend Calvin Hicks. with the assistance of Mr. and Mrs. Walter Forbes and Lucy Booten Frederick Forbes.

If you have more information on the history of this church, please email us at:  HCBH@HCBlackHeritage.com