Brays Church

BRAYS ADVENT CHRISTIAN CHURCH (Brays Union Church)

by Kelly Warman-Stallings

(Published to the website January, 2018)

While it is not exactly known when the Brays Advent Christian Church was established, some Miller County historians believe it pre-dates the 1870s. It is recorded that by the late 1870s fellowship meetings were held in neighbor's homes in the vicinity of the small community known as Bray's Mill, which was founded long before the Civil War.

In 1877, James Morrow sold 80 acres of land to his nephew, William Wiley Morrow; in this tract of land would be included the future site of Brays Church. By 1885, William W. Morrow sold 79 acres to George "Mart" Humphrey and retained one acre of land for a church to be built and a cemetery to be installed.

Over the years, the church sought to maintain its rural character and local traditions. At the turn of the 20th century preachers used to read two lines of a hymn before the audience responded in song. The custom, called "lining the hymn for the congregation," is now a past tradition. In the church's Confession of Faith it states:

"We also believe in the Divine appointment, importance, and sacredness of the local church, and that it is the duty of believers to assemble for Divine worship, the preaching of the Gospel, and the observance of the New Testament ordinances".

In January 1887, the Christian Advent, Baptist, Christian and Church of God denominations bought the one acre parcel from William W. Morrow for five dollars. It is still unknown when the church was built, but it was already erected by 1893. It has been recorded that the burning of the Brays School (east of the church) required the community children to use Brays Christian Advent Church as their temporary school during the 1893 school year. A second school was built before 1894.

Article Two of the Church by-laws recorded "The object of this church shall be to maintain the public worship of God according to the example and teaching of the Bible; to promote living piety in experience and practice among its members; to emphasize the message of prophecy, the near coming of Christ, the resurrection of man and Life eternal through Jesus only; to promote an evangelistic and missionary spirit to labor for the salvation of the lost and the betterment of society."

Many of the local people believe that Billie Humphrey, Mart Humphrey and Henry Taylor were among some of the men that constructed the church building. It is a known fact that Wm. Harrison Smith was the foreman for construction of the limestone steps that led into the church. Many historians believe the limestone was quarried below the junction of Bolin and Tavern Creeks.

Note: Wm. Harrison Smith was my great-great grandfather (on my mother's side).

It is not known who the early preachers of the church were other than George DeBeer, who was the presiding pastor in 1913. It was said that Rev. DeBeer wrote the obituary for Hannah Humphrey, who was a charter member of the Advent Christian Church at Brays "some thirty-five years" before her death in July, 1913. Another known minister at the Union Church was George W. L. Warman, who was preaching at Brays during the 1930s. There he met his second wife, Lattie C. Jones (daughter of J. T. and Ardora Jones), who would become the church's pianist during this era of time. Mr. Warman had been instilled as an Advent Christian minister in Smith Center, Kansas for many years prior to coming to the Brays community in 1930 not long after the death of his first wife, Mabel Warman.

Note: George W. L. Warman and Lattie (Jones) Warman were my grandparents (on my father's side).

While Brays Union Church has had a history of irregular preaching, some of the people in the community have been known to keep the faith alive, such as Nellie Newhart and Atha Ann Morrow who encouraged a regular Sunday school and George Shepherd taught a singing class. Autumn tent revivals were held east of the Union Church for many years. Until the early 20th century, baptisms were performed in the now gravel-choked Bolin's Creek (south of the church building) and in later years the Big Tavern Creek became the scene of multiple baptisms, as well as the swimming pool behind Bray's mill in the small hamlet.

Sometime prior to the 1970s the church became known as Brays Union Church. It is not entirely clear why the name change occurred, but it would be called this for the next few decades. Today the church has reverted back to its original name, although many of the parishioners just refer to it as Brays Advent Church.

It is interesting to also note the Advent Christian Church is one of Missouri's original founding faiths and the community of Brays Mill contained the only Advent Christian church in the state until the founding of its sister Advent Christian church in St. Louis during World War II. It was said that this church was founded by some of the original Brays Advent Christian Church members from Miller County who had migrated to the larger city in search of employment during the wartime.

Brays Union Church has been expanded and remodeled over the years. The basement was dug in 1947 with a slip and mules. Additions were added on either side of the original one-room sanctuary and new concrete steps have been poured, replacing the original ones that were built by Wm. Harrison Smith during the late 1800s. The church grounds also houses a well-kept graveyard known as Union Cemetery. Weekly church services and Wednesday night bible study are still conducted as of January, 2018. The current interim minister is Brian Duncan.