Batesville, Mississippi
Born on February 14, 1914 in Darling, Mississippi, Mike Newsom grew and learned to farm in Quitman County. He and Jewell Reeves attended school and graduated and then were married. They then had three children, Mary Ella, Margaret Elnora, and a son, who sadly passed at the age of ten months. After marrying in August 1957, at the age of 43, Brother and Sister Newsom along with their then adult daughter, Margaret “Toedy,” and son-in-law, Clinton Holley, arrived in Batesville with a burden to build a church. With great effort, they obtained a temporary building which formerly housed a cafe.
Through the hard work and sacrifice of Brother and Sister Newsom at the cotton gin and Clarksdale Hospital, respectively, land was purchased for their congregation which had already grown at a fever pitch to over 100 members. After a short stint in a tenant house beside Brother Newsom’s brother’s farm, the church was prepared to build. They moved into their cinder-block-walled, dirt-floored building project complete with an unfinished ceiling, outhouse, and poster board for a door while finishing it.
The Newsomes’ other son-in-law, Brother Kenneth Dyson, and their daughter, Mary, preached many revivals in the church. The church, nearing the two hundred-member mark, required a new addition. Soon, this was outgrown as well, and another addition was made. Known for his hard work, perseverance, and magnanimous personality, Brother Newsom lead Faith Tabernacle, then known as First United Pentecostal Church Revival Center, for thirty-three years until his passing in December 1990. His commitment to the Lord and his reach in this community led Batesville to be known as “The Pentecostal City.” At that time, Brother Steve Cannon assumed the pastorate after many years of faithfully serving the congregation as Assistant Pastor. He and his wife, Rita, along with their daughters, Vangi, Kandi, and Mauri, lead the congregation for 22 years when Brother Cannon accepted the position as General Sunday School Director for the United Pentecostal Church International.
Brother Jay Teague were elected as pastor in 2012. He and his wife, Rachelle, and their daughters, Alaina and Alyssa, arrived from Missouri with a vision and a burden for lost souls. In keeping with the culture of faith surrounding it, the church was renamed Faith Tabernacle. Brother Teague worked to inspire the church to grow in God and reach for and include the youth.
The time came when Brother Teague felt the call of the Lord to return back to his home state of Missouri. It was then, in August 2019, that Brother Troy Smith became pastor. He and his wife, Amanda, and his two sons, Jeremiah and Josiah, have led the church through the unprecedented first half of the year of 2020 (the coronavirus pandemic).
Throughout the years, the Batesville church has been a beacon of hope in this town. There is not hardly a person around that does not have some connection with the Pentecostal Church in Batesville.
Many churches today have connections with Batesville, but none more-so than the First United Pentecostal Church of Sardis, which began as a daughter work of our church. Brother Jim Scruggs and his wife, Debbie grew up in the Batesville church and felt the call of God to plant a work in Sardis and thus Faith Tabernacle has branched out over the years to reach the surrounding communities.
Our vision for the future of Faith Tabernacle United Pentecostal Church is not unlike our predecessors. We are fervently preparing for a building program that will see a brand-new campus constructed on Highway 35 in Batesville. The Lord has promised us revival and he will not fail. We are thankful for his blessings and his provision.