SCOTLANDVILLE, La. (WAFB) – Greater Mount Carmel Baptist Church reached a 110-year milestone in August 2026, drawing neighbors and a fellow congregation together for a Sunday celebration of the church’s history and future.
Mount Zion Baptist Church of Baton Rouge joined the anniversary service, uniting the two congregations under a shared observance.
“You had two historical churches coming together to celebrate God,” said Deaconess Nena Verrett Gipson of Greater Mount Carmel Baptist. “And to take things up to another level.”
A foundation built by hand
The church’s legacy began in 1916 in Scotlandville. By 1920, the Rev. Samuel Watkins and 30 members constructed the congregation’s first sanctuary by hand using cypress planks…