The founding history of Weldon’s six historic churches that began in the 1800s will be the topic of Weldon In Action’s Irvin Francis Kyle III Speaker Program, a free public event on March 20 from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m.

The event  will be held at Halifax Community College room 825, Building 800 in the Advanced Manufacturing and Corporate Training Center.

One church was built on the banks of the canal, and another met under a brush arbor. Attendees will learn which church was first to build on Washington Avenue. Another formed under one name but changed its name when it built its building. At least three of the churches were impacted by the same family.

Representatives from Weldon Methodist Church, Grace Episcopal Church, Weldon Baptist Church, First Baptist Church, St. Matthews A.M.E. Church, and St. Peter Missionary Baptist Church will present the early history of their churches and then be available for questions.

George Joyner and Rev. Sue Owens will represent Weldon Methodist Church. Tom Wellman and Eddie Lee Elks will present the history of Grace Episcopal Church. Rev. Randy Martin and Nat Vaughan will represent Weldon Baptist. Dr. Stanley Edwards will represent First Baptist Church. 

Dr. Florine Bell will wrap the session with a description of Churches in Weldon today. 

The speaker program is now named in honor of the late Kyle, a pastor and founder of the Weldon Heritage Speaker Series, which began in 2022.

This will be the sixth event hosted by Weldon In Action, and is being sponsored by Kyle’s brother, Bernard Francis Kyle.