Bethel A.M.E. Church to host weeklong Vacation Bible School in Mound Bayou
Bethel A.M.E. Church will offer Mound Bayou children Bible lessons, games and music June 8-12, 5 to 7 p.m., at its South Edwards Street church.
Families in Mound Bayou will have a ready-made summer option next week when Bethel A.M.E. Church opens its annual Vacation Bible School from June 8 through June 12, with evening classes set for 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. each night. The program is open to children and families across the community and will give parents a structured place for kids to spend two hours each evening in a supervised, faith-based setting.
The week’s theme, Shine Brightly With Jesus, is built around Matthew 5:16 and John 8:12. Church leaders said the program will include Bible lessons, games, crafts, music and fellowship, giving children a mix of learning and activity rather than an unstructured summer gathering. Rev. Horace McKay leads Bethel A.M.E. Church, and Mrs. Oneita H. Crockett is directing the Vacation Bible School.
The church is located on South Edwards Street in Mound Bayou, with public listings varying on the exact street number. Delta Daily News identified the site as 305 South Edwards, while some directory listings place the church at 403 North Edwards Avenue. The address confusion does not change the fact that the program is centered at Bethel A.M.E., one of the town’s familiar faith institutions.
That local role matters in a place like Mound Bayou, a town founded in 1887 by formerly enslaved people led by Isaiah Montgomery, Joshua P. T. Montgomery and Benjamin T. Green. The city’s population was 1,534 in the 2020 Census, which means a church-run program like Vacation Bible School can carry real weight for families looking for nearby summer activity, not just Sunday worship. The City of Mound Bayou has long described the town as an example of Black self-determination, resilience and achievement, and Bethel A.M.E.’s weeklong ministry fits squarely inside that tradition. The African Methodist Episcopal Church traces its roots to independent Black religious life, and the denomination’s Eighth Episcopal District says it includes more than 200 congregations in Mississippi and Louisiana.
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