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| Bertha Harrell Hooper 1902-1990 Chicago, Illinois |
Bertha Harrell was born in 1902 in Amite, Louisiana., to Alexander Harrell and Emma Mead Harrell. Bertha died August 28, in Cook County, IL She migrated to the north in the earlier 1930s. She lived in Chicago from the 30s up until her death. Her remains were sent home to buried with her parents, siblings, and other relatives at Big Zion A.M.E. church in Roseland.
Rev. Johnson continued to work for the church through preaching. He had a desire to give every Negro a place to worship and to serve the " Most High God". Rev. Johnson established a church around 1860, appointing trustee who were all free men. He named the church Mount Zion M.E. African church. The African was delineate it from the White M.E. Churches. Rev. Johnson continued to preach by meeting in houses because they did not have a formal church building in which to meet. This continued for several years under he M.E. religious name.
Although Methodist Episcopal was the religion of choice for the freemen of color. In the North it lacked true equality and religious freedom. There was much prejudice and the opportunity to preach was limited or non existent. M.E. or Methodist Episcopalism was prevalent in the deep south and was the religious worship of choice for most freemen or Negroes (as referenced by the History of A.M.E. Zion Church Vol.II)
The African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church was established in October 1796, in New York City. The organization grew out of the dissatisfaction among the people of color over the kind of treatment they received in the services of the church. People of color were not treated equally during worship, nor were they afforded equal enjoyment of religious rights and privileges. Some men of color were licensed to preach, but were not allowed to preach to their own color or anyone else. The Negro was wanted for the support that provided, but little else.
In 1776, about 30 Negroes, under James Varick's leadership withdrew from the John Street Methodist Episcopal Church, and formed the first colored church in New York was built in 1800. Both black and white could operate in Methodism, but it was limited. John Varick and a small group of friends began to meet in the home of James Varick. It was against the law for black men to hold meeting of any kind. He began the meetings, because "Caste Prejudice" had crept into the Methodism of Wesley and Coke.
In 1796, they withdrew from the church and formed what had grown into the A.M.E. Zion Church. The following group of laymen formed the Zion Methodist Church; Peter Williams, James Varick, Frances Jacob, Thomas Sipkins, George E. Moore, George White, George Collins, Thomas Cook, William Brown, and David Bias. Peter Williams and Frances Jacob applied for and signed the Articles of Incorporation of Religious Denominations to establish the church.
Rev, Johnson had limited resource, but he had a desire to establish a permanent home for the Mount Zion Methodist Episcopal African Church which denotes the church for the White Methodist churches. He located four acres in parcel Township 3 in St. Helena Parish, Louisiana now know as Roseland. This was convenient for Rev. Johnson and some of the trustees; Fredrick Butler, Thomas Hays, Thomas Jones, and Henry Lawson because they all lived in the Township 3 or Roseland area.
Rev. Johnson went to William W. Wood, a wealthy white land owner who owned many acres in Township 3 Roseland, LA which originally part of St. Helena Parish, Louisiana. In 1868, Rev. Johnson met with Mr. William Wood and impressed upon him the desire that he wanted to preach the gospel to his people, and that he would like to have a permanent building to do so. Mr. Wood was believed to the a Christian man, and who had a desire to promote the gospel to free man of color. He therefore provided four acres of land to Rev. Johnson and the trustees for the Mount Zion Church. He donated the land with the stipulation that it be used only for a building to be erected for the worship and service to our Lord and Savior. If a church was not built it would revert back to Mr. Wood. The trustees and Rev. Johnson received the land from Mr. Wood, as an Act of Donation. The transaction was recorded in the Clerk's Courts' Office in Tangipahoa Parish on September 8, 1871.
Upon on acquiring the land, a wooden structure was built and the church had a permanent home. The congregation grew and the pastor and trustee decided to joined the A.M.E. Zion church denomination. They joined the Louisiana conference out of New Orleans and became the "Mother Church" of the Louisiana Conference. There were two Louisiana conferences, one north and they the southern one in New Orleans, La. After the conversion from Methodist Episcopal to A.M.E. Zion had taken place, the name was changed to Big Zion A.M.E. Zion Church. With this conversion, the Big Zion Church was established at the present site; 622268 Washington Ave., in Roseland, Louisiana.
The church was erected and served dual purpose. It was used to worship and as a meeting place to educate the Negro. Community leaders organized the Big Zion School trustee board. It was their trustee board that purchased two acres of land for the price of $184.75 to build a school so that Negroes could be educated. It was named Big Zion School after the church.
The school existed for many years and educated many children. Miss Leona Morris who is one of Rev. Johnson's descendants was principal of the school for more the than 30 years. Many students who received their early education became doctors, lawyers, teachers, principals, entrepreneurs, social workers, engineers, and work in many other fields.
In 1970's, the church was believed to be burned by an arsonist. It was never proved and the membership became divided and decreased because they didn't have a permanent place to worship once again. Although the building was destroyed miraculously the Bible only sustained charred pages, but was still intact. This was a testament to the power of God's world to stand in all adversity.
After several years of worshipping in the old Big Zion School and other churches, in 1980 we finally began new construction of the present sanctuary. Rev. C.O. Newton an architect by occupation was instrumental in building the first sanctuary returned and drew the plans again for the new sanctuary. The sanctuary stands today as our present place of worship.
Many of the Rev. Johnson's descendants or members of this church as deaconesses, ministers, choir members, and officers, who continue to keep the promise of Reve. Johnson of serving the "Most High God".
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