Rev. Tyson -- Anne Moody's Former Pastor

His portrait hangs prominently at Mt. Pleasant

By Roscoe Barnes III
Chairman, Anne Moody History Project
Copyright (c) 2018

#AnneMoody

Rev. Robert J. Tyson Sr.

In the pulpit of Mt. Pleasant Missionary Baptist Church hangs a portrait of the Rev. Robert J. Tyson Sr., the preacher who is featured in Anne Moody's Coming of Age in Mississippi.

The photograph, now faded with age, is featured prominently in the church, which is located off of Highway 24 in the rural part of Centreville, Miss.

According to the Rev. LeReginald Jones, current assistant pastor at the church, Tyson is the same preacher who baptized Moody in September 1953 when she was around 13 years old.

"They called him Styling because of the way he dressed and carried himself," Jones said in a recent interview. "He pastored four churches in the area. He would often come and preach revivals at Mt. Pleasant for his brother, the Rev. David Tyson. Robert would travel from Pennsylvania often."

Tyson "came with a progressive mindset," Jones said. He explained that Tyson did a lot of good for the local community.

Tyson is one of several people immortalized in Moody's classic autobiography. In Chapter 5 of her book, she described him as the new minister who "was short, dark, and soft-spoken, just the opposite of Reverend Cason." She included excerpts from one of his sermons along with colorful, and sometimes, sarcastic descriptions of his delivery.

She wrote: "Since Reverend Tyson's sermon was only about twenty minutes long, I had thought that Mount Pleasant had gotten "modern," like Centreville Baptist, and would let us out early."

Jones said that Mt. Pleasant is proud of its heritage and its place in America's history. The church is also pleased to have played a role in Moody's life history, he said.

Jones' grandfather, the Rev. L.C. Weatherspoon Sr., is the current pastor of Mt. Pleasant.

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To learn more about Anne Moody, visit here. For more information, contact Roscoe Barnes III via email at roscoebarnes3@yahoo.com or doctorbarnes3@gmail.com. You may also follow him on Twitter: @roscoebarnes3 and @AnneMoodyHP