HISTORY OF COPPINS
Coppins African Methodist Episcopal Church (formerly Jones Chapel) began formal services after the cornerstone was laid by Ralph Woods Jones in July 1912. In recorded documents, the church had many names. As early as 1900, it was a part of the Preston Mission and later became known as Jones Chapel in 1910. In legal records, it was documented as Jones Towns African Methodist Episcopal Church of America. During the church tenure, the developing church was a part of the Preston Mission with Todds Chapel (later known as Ross African Methodist Episcopal Church); one of the first pastors was the Reverend J. P. Powell according to the Baltimore Conference Minutes in 1900. In 1910, this Conference stated that the Preston Mission was pastored by the well known Reverend Joseph Nicolas, who had faithfully pastured the charge for five years. He presented his report to the Baltimore Conference on the Preston Mission and was acknowledged for doing “credible work”. The Presiding Elder of the Eastern District Baltimore Annual Conference of the A.M.E. Church in 1910 was Reverend Patrick James Jordan and the Bishop was our own Caroline County born, Levi J. Coppin. Bishop Levi Coppin, who “rules with kindness rather than force and whose fatherly advice is an incentive to the most humble conference”, became the namesake which the church honored and adopted.
According to oral history of Rosetta (Jones) Johns, she recalls from her father, Ralph Wood Jones, that the church started as a Sunday school in the home of Elizabeth Johnson; her house was located beside the present church which later moved into a small school house. Then under the leadership of Presiding Elder Nelson, Elder Mosley, and Reverend Bailey, the members and trustees decided to purchase land from Sarah M.
Fletcher on March 1, 1912. The founding fathers of Coppins worked tirelessly by giving freely their skills which included masonry, carpentry, and architecture. On July 28, 1912, the trustees and the members built Coppins African Methodist Episcopal Church, and the cornerstone was laid. By mid October they had a homecoming and the community joined in the celebration. They planned a Family and Friends Day and a Jones Day
in late November. During the beginning of the early church, the members raised money by having box socials that auctioned off baked goods such as sweet potato pie, beaten biscuits, apple dumplings, canned preserves and other delicacies. They also had Band Days, Men’s and Women’s Day, Tom Thumb Weddings, Camp Meetings, Singing Concerts and Rallies.
The Maryland Harmonettes’ were organized by Brother Royce Goslee, Reverend Leroy Murray, and Sister Ida Carr in the early 1940’s. They began to officially celebrate anniversaries on October 25, 1952. The church was featured in the Baltimore Afro American Newspaper where member and Afro agent, William Hooper who wrote that the center of the community activities in this town are the church. Reverend Burke was pastor at that time. Reverend Leroy Murray added on the Church Hall with the help of the other members in 1955. By the time the Preston Circuit hosted the District Conference at Coppins in July, 1960, Rev. Leo Anderson was pastor where he remained for eight years. During this time, the church shared joint property with the Farmers Memorial church, namely Jonestown Elementary School shortly after school segregation ended in Caroline County.
The two churches utilized the Jonestown school site for hosting Community meetings, weddings, receptions, Everybody’s Birthday celebrations and
revivals. By the end of the decade, Coppins relinquished ownership to Farmers Memorial Church.
In the 1990’s, under the leadership of Reverend Randolph Fitchett, the church hall was remodeled with a conference room and made handicap
accessible, and the entire church received aluminum siding upgrade. There has been a succession of ministers to Coppins A.M.E. Church. The reverends who all carried Bishop Levi Coppins Motto of ruling with kindness rather than force, Rev. Bailey*, Rev. Stansbury*, Rev. Goings*,
Rev. Hall*, Rev. Thomas*, Rev. Camper*, Rev. Dunlap*, Rev. Miles*, Rev. Trustee*, Rev. Scribner*, Rev. Albert*, Rev. Strawberry*, Rev. Powell*, Rev. Forman*, Rev. Burris*, Rev. Burke*, Rev. Wilson*, Rev. Sis Young*, Rev. Anderson*, Rev. Carey*, Rev. Offutt*, Rev. Lyte*, Rev. Wheeler*,
Rev. Hardesty*, Rev. Fitchett, Rev. Ball and our present servant Reverend Dr. Charles M. Walker.
*Deceased
LOCAL MINISTERS
Rev. Sister Evelyn Webb Coleman
Rev. Ralph W. Jones
Rev. George Coleman Rev. Samuel Jones
Rev. Enoch Webb
CLASS LEADERS
Bro. William Hooper
Bro. James Butler
Bro. A.C. Jones
Bro. Leroy Cephas
CHURCH SEXTON
Bro. Ralph Jones
Bro. Leroy Cephas
Bro. Charles Deshields
CHURCH CLERKS
Sis. Ida Johnson Carr
Bro. Arthur Stanford
Sis. Anita Stanford
Bro. Albert Hubbard
Sis. Rosetta Johns
CHURCH FOUNDERS
Sis. Sarah Jane Butler Jones and Bro. Jenkins Jones
Bro.William T. Johnson
Sis. Elizabeth Johnson
Rev. Ralph and Sis. Nora Jones
Rev. Edward Butler
Rev. Samuel Jones
Bro. J. W. Stewart
Sis. Annie T. Stewart
Sis. Eugenina Lockerman
Sis. Ada Lockerman
Bro. William and Sis. Carrie Hooper
Bro. Albert and Sis. Alberta Jones
Bro. William and Sis. Ella Hubbard
Bro. Lewis and Sis. Minnie Corsey
Bro. John and Sis. Velmar Murray
Bro. James and Sis Leolia Hubbard
Bro. Wilbert and Sis. Bessie Murray
Bro. James and Sis. Viola Butler
Bro. Arthur and Sis. Mary Stanford
Bro. Carl Jones
Bro. Coley Jones
Bro. Leroy Cephas
Rev. Henry Strawberry
Sis. Evelyn Webb Coleman
Sis Viola Boyce
Sis Nora Green
Sis Nettie Cephas
Sis. Meally Wrightson
Bro. Harrison Stanley
PAST STEWARDESS
Nora Jones
Mary
Stanford
Viola Boyce
Bessie Murray
Bertie Jones
Velma
Murray
Viola Butler
Francis Deshields
PAST STEWARDS
Ida Johnson
Arthur Stanford
A.C. Jones
William Hooper
Leroy Murray
PAST TRUSTEES
William Hooper
Leroy Murray
Ralph W. Jones
(Later) Leroy Cephas, Frances Corsey, Phillip Thomas, Enoch and Gertrude Mitchell, Elizabeth Hubbard, Lottie Hooper,Rosetta Johns, Anita Stanford,
Coppins African Methodist Episcopal Church (formerly Jones Chapel) began formal services after the cornerstone was laid by Ralph Woods Jones in July 1912. In recorded documents, the church had many names. As early as 1900, it was a part of the Preston Mission and later became known as Jones Chapel in 1910. In legal records, it was documented as Jones Towns African Methodist Episcopal Church of America. During the church tenure, the developing church was a part of the Preston Mission with Todds Chapel (later known as Ross African Methodist Episcopal Church); one of the first pastors was the Reverend J. P. Powell according to the Baltimore Conference Minutes in 1900. In 1910, this Conference stated that the Preston Mission was pastored by the well known Reverend Joseph Nicolas, who had faithfully pastured the charge for five years. He presented his report to the Baltimore Conference on the Preston Mission and was acknowledged for doing “credible work”. The Presiding Elder of the Eastern District Baltimore Annual Conference of the A.M.E. Church in 1910 was Reverend Patrick James Jordan and the Bishop was our own Caroline County born, Levi J. Coppin. Bishop Levi Coppin, who “rules with kindness rather than force and whose fatherly advice is an incentive to the most humble conference”, became the namesake which the church honored and adopted.
According to oral history of Rosetta (Jones) Johns, she recalls from her father, Ralph Wood Jones, that the church started as a Sunday school in the home of Elizabeth Johnson; her house was located beside the present church which later moved into a small school house. Then under the leadership of Presiding Elder Nelson, Elder Mosley, and Reverend Bailey, the members and trustees decided to purchase land from Sarah M.
Fletcher on March 1, 1912. The founding fathers of Coppins worked tirelessly by giving freely their skills which included masonry, carpentry, and architecture. On July 28, 1912, the trustees and the members built Coppins African Methodist Episcopal Church, and the cornerstone was laid. By mid October they had a homecoming and the community joined in the celebration. They planned a Family and Friends Day and a Jones Day
in late November. During the beginning of the early church, the members raised money by having box socials that auctioned off baked goods such as sweet potato pie, beaten biscuits, apple dumplings, canned preserves and other delicacies. They also had Band Days, Men’s and Women’s Day, Tom Thumb Weddings, Camp Meetings, Singing Concerts and Rallies.
The Maryland Harmonettes’ were organized by Brother Royce Goslee, Reverend Leroy Murray, and Sister Ida Carr in the early 1940’s. They began to officially celebrate anniversaries on October 25, 1952. The church was featured in the Baltimore Afro American Newspaper where member and Afro agent, William Hooper who wrote that the center of the community activities in this town are the church. Reverend Burke was pastor at that time. Reverend Leroy Murray added on the Church Hall with the help of the other members in 1955. By the time the Preston Circuit hosted the District Conference at Coppins in July, 1960, Rev. Leo Anderson was pastor where he remained for eight years. During this time, the church shared joint property with the Farmers Memorial church, namely Jonestown Elementary School shortly after school segregation ended in Caroline County.
The two churches utilized the Jonestown school site for hosting Community meetings, weddings, receptions, Everybody’s Birthday celebrations and
revivals. By the end of the decade, Coppins relinquished ownership to Farmers Memorial Church.
In the 1990’s, under the leadership of Reverend Randolph Fitchett, the church hall was remodeled with a conference room and made handicap
accessible, and the entire church received aluminum siding upgrade. There has been a succession of ministers to Coppins A.M.E. Church. The reverends who all carried Bishop Levi Coppins Motto of ruling with kindness rather than force, Rev. Bailey*, Rev. Stansbury*, Rev. Goings*,
Rev. Hall*, Rev. Thomas*, Rev. Camper*, Rev. Dunlap*, Rev. Miles*, Rev. Trustee*, Rev. Scribner*, Rev. Albert*, Rev. Strawberry*, Rev. Powell*, Rev. Forman*, Rev. Burris*, Rev. Burke*, Rev. Wilson*, Rev. Sis Young*, Rev. Anderson*, Rev. Carey*, Rev. Offutt*, Rev. Lyte*, Rev. Wheeler*,
Rev. Hardesty*, Rev. Fitchett, Rev. Ball and our present servant Reverend Dr. Charles M. Walker.
*Deceased
LOCAL MINISTERS
Rev. Sister Evelyn Webb Coleman
Rev. Ralph W. Jones
Rev. George Coleman Rev. Samuel Jones
Rev. Enoch Webb
CLASS LEADERS
Bro. William Hooper
Bro. James Butler
Bro. A.C. Jones
Bro. Leroy Cephas
CHURCH SEXTON
Bro. Ralph Jones
Bro. Leroy Cephas
Bro. Charles Deshields
CHURCH CLERKS
Sis. Ida Johnson Carr
Bro. Arthur Stanford
Sis. Anita Stanford
Bro. Albert Hubbard
Sis. Rosetta Johns
CHURCH FOUNDERS
Sis. Sarah Jane Butler Jones and Bro. Jenkins Jones
Bro.William T. Johnson
Sis. Elizabeth Johnson
Rev. Ralph and Sis. Nora Jones
Rev. Edward Butler
Rev. Samuel Jones
Bro. J. W. Stewart
Sis. Annie T. Stewart
Sis. Eugenina Lockerman
Sis. Ada Lockerman
Bro. William and Sis. Carrie Hooper
Bro. Albert and Sis. Alberta Jones
Bro. William and Sis. Ella Hubbard
Bro. Lewis and Sis. Minnie Corsey
Bro. John and Sis. Velmar Murray
Bro. James and Sis Leolia Hubbard
Bro. Wilbert and Sis. Bessie Murray
Bro. James and Sis. Viola Butler
Bro. Arthur and Sis. Mary Stanford
Bro. Carl Jones
Bro. Coley Jones
Bro. Leroy Cephas
Rev. Henry Strawberry
Sis. Evelyn Webb Coleman
Sis Viola Boyce
Sis Nora Green
Sis Nettie Cephas
Sis. Meally Wrightson
Bro. Harrison Stanley
PAST STEWARDESS
Nora Jones
Mary
Stanford
Viola Boyce
Bessie Murray
Bertie Jones
Velma
Murray
Viola Butler
Francis Deshields
PAST STEWARDS
Ida Johnson
Arthur Stanford
A.C. Jones
William Hooper
Leroy Murray
PAST TRUSTEES
William Hooper
Leroy Murray
Ralph W. Jones
(Later) Leroy Cephas, Frances Corsey, Phillip Thomas, Enoch and Gertrude Mitchell, Elizabeth Hubbard, Lottie Hooper,Rosetta Johns, Anita Stanford,