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The mother church of African Methodism in Mississippi, Bethel was established in January 1864, first occupying the old building of the First Presbyterian Church. Bethel became an important organization builder in Mississippi’s newly emancipated black community, hosting the first black Masonic lodge in the state (1875) and helping found Campbell College (see JM66). The impressive red brick building with Romanesque Revival elements and a four-story square tower displays this statewide importance. Two enormous rose windows light an auditorium-plan sanctuary.