ABSTRACT
Religion was important for the African American slaves who moved into the pioneer community of Jones Valley in the early 1800s. Most slaves in Jones Valley lived and worked on farms where there were only a few slaves. At least two plantation slave churches existed in Jones Valley. One of these was what is called today the Mt. Joy Baptist Church of Trussville that traces its beginnings to 1857. Methodist churches in Jones Valley were similar to the Baptists in their treatment of slaves. Besides Baptist and Methodist churches, at least one other church in Jones Valley left records of their slave members, the St. John Episcopal Church. The Civil War and Reconstruction disrupted life in Jones Valley and severed the traditional relationship between masters and slaves. The formation of African American churches followed several patterns in Alabama and throughout the South. In some cases, they left on their own immediately after the Civil War.
