In reference to an article on Sunday, July 25, titled “Giving new life: Church finds resurrection in second congregation,” I’d like to say the following.

The first Doty Road Church of God is an outgrowth of the first Church of God that was established in the early 1900s on Cynthia Bayou, (Eva), Monterey. This was a small wooden church that was built on a plot of land donated by Calvin Sr. and Molly Matthews. Blacks and whites worshipped here, together, in this little building.

In 1957, Brother Ben and Savannah Lewis were living in Ferriday on Doty Road. They sold some lots to the Church of God’s Trustee Board, Henry Dixon, Cicero Finley, Arthur Lewis, Pete Lewis and Willie Luss.

A larger church was constructed on these lots and was renamed the Doty Road Church of God under the leadership of Bro. Ben Lewis.

These old saints had the vision to build a church for worshipping God in spirit and truth, saving and healing souls.

Though we appreciate the gift of a new church building, we, as descendants of these great warriors, are very dissatisfied with the fact that church services at the Doty Road Church of God have been stopped.

As stated by the Rev. Simeon R. Green III, pastor, in the July 21 issue of the Concordia Sentinel, the Doty Road Church of God on Doty Road will be used for an educational and conference center.

This news was heartbreaking to some of the members far and near, who are so deeply embedded and dedicated to the Doty Road Church of God. We wish to carry on the legacy of our forefathers by continuing to have some church services at the Doty Road Church of God.

The Doty Road Church of God membership is composed basically of elderly members who have worshipped at the Doty Road Church of God all their lives. These members would love to see our church remain a church. To remove these elderly members so swiftly and completely to another facility, is taking them out of their comfort zones and away from their roots.

Our group hopes Doty Road Church of God will remain a church, and we would welcome shared services during the month between the newly donated church on Third Street and the Doty Road Church of God on Doty Road.

We feel that a gradual move will provide a smoother transition and be less traumatic to the elderly members and some descendants of the founders of Doty Road Church of God.

If the old cliché is true, “The dead knows what the living is doing,” our ancestors are very disturbed in their graves.

Mercedes Matthews Williams

board member of Christian

Education and Trustee Board