The History of The
Pathway Church of God
The Pathway Church of God began in 1978.
It was founded by seven men.
Including our Pastor, Bro. Harrison Williamson.
His brother Eldred Williamson soon joined with them.
And a host of others came and went,
some of who have gone on to be with the Lord.
The Church began in an old washhouse built by Ed. Adkins.
They took out the partitions and expanded it.
Then it held 15 to 20 chairs and a small homemade stand.
The windows of the building had been painted white sometime before.
The church stayed there until they were able to purchase two lots form Ruth Rogers.
Then construction began on what is now The Pathway Church of God.
In the beginning services were held only in the basement of the church,
until they were able to finish the upstairs portion.
Over time another lot was purchased and construction began on the fellowship hall.
Looking back, it is easy to see that the Lord brought Bro. Harrison back home from Ohio.
Just to start the church.
As time has past and people have came and went,
each one seems to have been placed at the Pathway Church for a time and a purpose.
No one has just stumbled in;
God has been at work in the church.
When researching the history of the founding of the Church of God,
for our monthly newsletter.
I was amazed at how many similarities there were between the founding of The Church of God
and The Pathway Church of God.
In both cases seven people left a church and started a new one.
And in both cases there was a mountain used for praying to Lord.
In the case of the The Church of God,
the mountain was known as “Prayer Mountain”
(located in the Fields of the Wood Park, in Murphy, NC).
A.J. Tomlinson prayed about the church on that mountain,
and received God’s assurance that this was God’s plan.
In the case, of The Pathway Church,
the mountain used was located in WV.
It was located between two mulberry trees, about 1/3 of the way up the mountain.
At a place that was very personal to Bro. Harrison,
It was the spot that was used by Bro. Harrison’s late dad,
Bro.Ranson Williamson
(years earlier he had a garden located just a little way further around the mountain,)
and he would stop there and pray,
as he made his way to and from his garden.
Later in life Jim Mosley, who was friends with Ranson’s sons and went with them a lot,
cleaned up the side of the mountain and made what became known as the “Mulberry Chapel".
Jim later said that Bro. Ransom had a major impact on his life.
As he watched him live his life for the Lord Jesus Christ.
It was there
(in the same spot were years eariler their dad prayed daily)
they, prayed many prayers about the new church they were forming.
One has to wonder if at any time when Bro. Ransom was praying for his lost sons so many years ago.
If he every felt that not only would all his children be saved!
But that two of his sons would become minsters.
Our prayers are; that we will continue to walk in the “old pathway” and to above all to listen to our heavenly father.
