In this era in its history. less than 10 years since Abraham Perdue passed away. the congregation was held together thanks to the efforts of Sister Mary E. Bell. Following her death in 1920. church members immortalized Sister Bells lifetime good work for the Lord by naming the church the Bell AME Zion Church. Faced with declining membership. Bell AME Zion ended weekly services in 1914 and remained closed for several years. But an invigoration of AfricanAmerican emigrants from the South. seeking jobs at local farms. allowed the church to reopen its doors in 1922. and the African Methodist Conference sent Rev. William E. Wright to serve as pastor.
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emigrants