Remembering 'Mama Priest' -- 100 Years As Our Family's Spiritual Matriarch

Today is memorable for me. It is appropriate that Mother’s Day falls on the 100th anniversary of when the matriarch of my family experienced a personal awakening that changed the course of our family.

On May 10, 1909, my great-great grandmother, Clara McHann Allison Priest, received the Pentecostal baptism of the Holy Spirit accompanied with speaking in a language she did not know. She then became an evangelist, church planter, and pastor in the Church of God and Church of God of Prophecy in Mississippi and Louisiana. Our family continues to receive inspiration from the life testimony of “Mama Priest”.

And, I was able to speak of her in a speech I gave this weekend in my own graduation ceremony (earned a Ph.D. in Organizational Leadership from Regent University). I desire to be faithful to my calling and allow God to use me to minister to others (both in corporate and religious settings) as did my great-great grandmother in the communities where she lived.

When the Church of God was first introduced into Mississippi in 1909, my great-great grandmother was among those first participants. She lived in Cascilla, Mississippi, near the Stonefield Tabernacle where the services were conducted by Reverend L.P. Adams, a Church of God minister from Memphis, TN.

The revival continued for many weeks, and on May 10, 1909, the tabernacle was crowded as the service began. Clara McHann Allison, a member of the Stonefield Holiness Church (then a Free Methodist congregation), entered the service with her husband and daughters. Finding no place in which to sit, they made their way to the altar and sat while listening to Reverend Adams deliver the message.

Clara later remembered that during the service “a peculiar, yet wonderful, feeling came over” her. As she worshipped, she began to speak in a language unknown to her. It was then that she realized what was taking place. In her willingness to yield to God and her deep desire to receive a greater portion of His Spirit, He came in and spoke for Himself as she listened to the Word and yielded her tongue to Him. The people in the church had never before seen anyone receive the Holy Ghost baptism and called for the area doctor. Upon the physician's arrival he asked Clara how she felt, to which she replied, "Doctor Franklin, I never have been so happy in my life!" She then began speaking in tongues, shouting, and dancing all over the tabernacle as she worshiped in the Spirit and praised the Lord. That day the Lord used Clara for about 4 hours in the Spirit. Her sister-in-law, Maggie Simpson McHann, also received the same experience, at which point an old Spanish soldier living in the area and attending the service told everyone she was speaking in Spanish, which language Maggie did not know.

The first service after the revival ended and Reverend Adams returned to Memphis, the meeting at Cascilla began as usual with prayer, singing and testifying. However, when it came time for the message the pastor shared he would not preach anymore until he had received the baptism of the Holy Spirit. It was then that the congregation called upon Clara to preach. Although unprepared, she made her way to the pulpit and read for her text Revelation 22:17: "The Spirit and the Bride say come and let him that heareth say come and let him athirst, come and whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely." As she preached several individuals in the congregation also experienced the Pentecostal baptism, and that morning’s service did not conclude until about 3 o'clock in the afternoon as people eagerly responded to the Holy Spirit.

When Clara’s husband died of typhoid fever in 1913, she raised five daughters on her own—working in the fields and preaching when she could. Family stories abound of how they would have no food left and then gather around the table and ask God to provide. Often strangers would knock on the door and say, "I thought you might be able to use this" and give them crates of food.

In 1917 Clara married Reverend James Thomas “J.T.” Priest, the young Church of God pastor assigned to the Stonefield church. Tommy and Clara Priest spent their remaining years pastoring and planting churches with the Church of God, and then with the Church of God of Prophecy. (They continue to have descendants active in both denominations). For the rest of their marriage they began and ended each day with Bible reading and long prayers, in which all individuals staying in their home had to participate, including the numerous drifters who were brought to their home by local police regularly.

J.T. Priest also served as the overseer of the Church of God of Prophecy congregations in Louisiana, and Clara coordinated the state activities for raising funds for world missions. Following the tenure as overseer of Louisiana, they planted a church in McComb, Mississippi, where they remained pastors until their health failed. They relocated to Morgantown, Mississippi in 1958 to be near their children. Clara died at Morgantown in April 1959 at age 78, just a few weeks away from the 50th anniversary of the spiritual experience which changed the course of her life, that of her family, and many to whom she ministered so faithfully.

Today, 100 years after my great-great grandmother’s spiritual experience I reflect on her life and call her blessed. How appropriate today is also Mother’s Day!

The first photo is of Clara Allison Priest in the early 1950s. The second photo is of 4 generations in 1948 (L-R): Feldon "Bud" Morgan holding his son (and my dad) Larry, Audrey Allison Morgan, and Clara McHann Allison Priest.