The late
Mother Bell Bostick, the first saved, was the founder and teacher
of a Prayer House in Scotia, South Carolina. Others saved were:
Mother Katie Hodge, the Bostick Family, and late Mother Martha Edward
and Family, the Polite Family, and the Brantley Family. All having
Baptist and Methodist background experience. There were no holiness
churches around, and saved people were not smiled upon.
In 1950, the late Deacon Matthew Aiken got saved and received the
Baptism of the Holy Ghost in a prayer service conducted by Mother
Bell Bostick and Mother Katie Hodge. Prayer services were also being
held by the late Martha Edward and Deacon Matthew Aiken. They heard
of Deacon Marion Polite's daughter being blind, and they asked if
they could come over to the Sandhill, to have prayer for her. In
the prayer service, the Lord saved and healed her. This stirred
up the Polite and Bostick families. They decided to start a church.
They had their services by the permission of Mr. Eugene Pinckney
to use the old school house for prayer services, which was called
the Garnett-Sandhill Schoolhouse. They were with one accord.
The congregation grew, the Lord spoke through Mother Hodge and
said according to Malachi 3:7, Even
from the days of your fathers, ye are gone away from mine ordinances,
and have not kept them. Return unto me and I will return unto you
saith the Lord of Hosts. But ye said, where in shall we return?
The reply that Mother Hodge gave was Holiness.
Deacon Matthew Aiken, Mother Martha Edward, and Brother Sam Edward
went to Savannah, Georgia after hearing about Bishop W. H. Solomon,
preaching on the radio. Bishop Solomon came to the Garnett-Sandhill
schoolhouse and became the pastor. There were approximately 30-35
members that joined that Sunday.
Another building was added onto the Garnett-Sandhill schoolhouse
due to growth. The saints worked hard. They had services, sold chicken
and chittling suppers, as well as fish sandwiches on Saturday evenings,
to raise money to build a church. They went from house to house
(as found in the early church in the book of Acts).
When
the church was completed it was named after the pastor, Bishop W.
H. Solomon, which we now know as Solomon Temple Church of God in
Christ, Robertville, South Carolina.
The late Bishop W. H. Solomon pastored until the Lord called him
from labour to reward. The Lord gave Superintendent Kirkland Ruth
the Position of pastor to carry on the work from 1968 to March 2001.
Elder William Borum, Jr., was appointed and officially installed
as pastor on August 28, 2001.
The dedication of the early pioneers and their commitment to Solomon
Temple was evidenced as they raised their families and their children
got saved and received the baptism of the Holy Ghost and received
their foundation at Solomon Temple. The offspring and fruits of
these pioneers are yet serving in this grand old Church of God in
Christ and churches across this country. Some are yet serving at
Solomon Temple even to this day. Some of the early pioneers were:
Deacon Jimmie and Mother Bell Bostick, Mother Katie Hodge, Mother
Martha Edwards, Deacon Matthew and Mother Maybell Aiken, Deacon
Willie and Mother Jannie Polite, Deacon George Washington, Deacon
Marion, Ada Bostick, Mother Laura Stevenson.
