About Us

The Mount Olive Church was organized as a mission unit in the year 1865, by a white minister of Catawba Presbytery. On October 6, 1888, the Mount Olive Church officers purchased the land on which Mount Olive was standing (2 1/2 acres), from H. S. Walbridge and Herman D. Walbridge of Toledo, Ohio, in Lucas County, for $100.00. Some years later, two additional acres were purchased by church Trustees William Mitchell, Precious Mitchell, Andrew Herron, Cicero Grier and David Knox.

During this particular time in the church’s history, it was supplied by a number of ministers. They were Rev. J. W. Alexander, Rev. Matthew James (who is buried with his wife in the McClintock Presbyterian Church Cemetery), Rev. A. F. Graham, Dr. H. L. McCrory, Rev. Cottingham, Rev. L. J. Melton, Rev. Hargrave, Rev. J. T. Phelps, Rev. Thomas Hazel, Rev. Z. A. Dockery, Rev. J. A. Ramsey, Rev. L. B. Elberson, Rev. J. J. Wilson, Rev. R. Z. Beatty and Dr. N. A. Johnson.

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On October 21, 1890, Trustees M. A. Grier, W. L. Parks, and W. N. Kearns, borrowed $125.00 from the Board of the Church Erection Fund of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church, in the USA, for aid to enable the church to erect a house of worship adapted to its wants. As time passed, the church was able to attend worship services on alternating Sundays. It was through the interest and concern of the members that inspired the Catawba Presbytery to let Mount Olive hold regular worship services every Sunday. The church witnessed its firsts wedding in 1895. This was the marriage of Martha Grier, the daughter of Morris and Molly Grier, to D.A. Grier, the son of Thomas and Susan Grier. The Church Building also served as the school house until the early 1900s, when a school house was erected across the street.

Mount Olive called Rev. R. Z. Beatty as its first installed pastor. Although World War I was in progress, the church grew in spirit and faith. It was during this time that the “Church Bell” was installed. It was rung at the start of Sunday School, calling its membership to worship service. It was also rung for funeral processions as they reached the crest of the hill up the street, and it was rung to give notice of a time for a funeral. It rung for approximately fifty years before it had to be removed from the Bell Tower due to structural members being decayed and unsound.