Arkansas Ties ... A Little Bit of This, a Little Bit of That, and a Whole Lot of Arkansas

New Hope Missionary Baptist Church Desha County, Arkansas     New Hope Missionary Baptist Church Jim Kelley, a slave, organized this church in 1860. His owner allowed the use of this plot of ground on which to build a church. On May 15, 1873, Mr. and Mrs. William B. Street deeded the property to the trustees of the church. New Hope Missionary Baptist Church claims to be the oldest Black Church in the State of Arkansas.