Madisonville, Madison County
Organized in 1873 by the Rev. W. A. Parks and ten charter members, the Methodist Episcopal Church was the second African American church in Madisonville. Early worship services were held in members' homes and a brush arbor. In the absence of a minister, sermons were given by a member called an exhorter. Land was donated by Ed and Mary Burrell in 1888, and the first sanctuary was erected here in 1891. A white frame building replaced it in 1923. A brick structure was built in the 1960s. The church has served the area for more than 120 years.