Our Story
O my people, listen to me! Hear my instructions; soak up every word of what I am about to tell you. I will open my mouth in parables; I will speak of ancient mysterious – things that we have heard about, things that we have known, things which our ancestors declared to us again and again. We will not keep these things secret from their children; rather, we will tell the coming generation ALL about the praise that is due to the Eternal One. We will tell them all about His strength, power, and wonders. He gave His holy law to Jacob, His teaching to the people of Israel, which He instructed our fathers to pass down to their children so that the coming generation would know them by heart, even the children who are not yet born. So that they might one day stand up and teach them to their children; telling them to put their confidence and hope in God, and never forget the wondrous things He has done, that they should obey His commandments always. – Psalm 78:1-7
In 1924, Pastor Ida B. Robinson (1891-1946) formed the Mount Sinai Holy Church of America, in response to a divine call to freely preach the gospel, while securing an organizational home where women would be given full rights or ordination. This organization was founded and led by this African American woman, with the support of men and women. Her separation from United Holy Church was one of mutual agreement. Leaders from her parent church organization were in attendance at the first Holy Convocation of Mt. Sinai when Elder Robinson was consecrated as bishop of this new and growing organization.
The growth of Mt. Sinai was rapid and quickly spread up and down the east coast of the United States. Elder Elizabeth Lloyd came to Snow Hill, Maryland in the mid 1920’s. She humbly, but boldly began holding services in a mission on the corner of Dighton Avenue in Snow Hill. Mother Lloyd, as she was affectionately called, came from Brooklyn, New York under the guidance of the Holy Spirit and leadership of Bishop Ida Robinson and planted St. James Holiness Church, which currently remains on Dighton Avenue in Snow Hill.
St. James Holiness Church was one of the first churches planted by Mother Lloyd in the lower eastern shore of Maryland under the auspices of Mount Sinai Holy Church of America, Inc. where Bishop Ida Robinson was the Overseer. It was through Mother Lloyd’s bold stand and preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ to the lost that the message found Viola Schoolfield Dennis. Around about 1933, Viola gave her life to Christ and became a member of St. James under this movement of “holiness.” Upon receiving the Pentecostal experience, she desired that her entire family would partake in the same. One of her greatest joys was having her husband, Orvin Dennis, Sr., join the church and become a deacon, while Viola’s commitment led her to answer the call to ministry and ultimately become an ordained Elder in the Church.
Deacon Orvin and Elder Viola Dennis, both born in 1900 in Snow Hill, Maryland, became the first generation in their family to become members at St. James Holiness Church. Early on they became one of the committed families in St. James and functioned in leading roles toward the vision and mission of the church. Orvin Dennis served as chairman of the Deacon Board and Elder Viola Dennis as the assistant to Elder Lloyd Bratten. In addition, Elder Dennis was a notable singer and teacher of the word of God. Orvin, Viola and their eleven living children (Ralph, Francis, Vaughn, Calvin, Bertha, Nancy, Mable, Nettie, Orvin, Jr., Viola, and Elsie) served, assisted, and worked to help meet the temporal and spiritual needs of the church.
November 1954, Deacon Orvin Dennis, Sr. passed away leaving Elder Dennis to continue in the work of the church with the help of her children. Two years after his death and in commemoration of the contributions made by her husband, Elder Viola Dennis began the Dennis Day Service in 1956. She carefully chose the weekend of Thanksgiving for the celebration, paving the way for the Dennis family and the church family to come home, come together, and come to worship with each other each year. This service ultimately became the Dennis family reunion and homecoming for many of the churches planted by Elder Lloyd Bratten.
In 1948, Elder Lloyd Bratten withdrew her membership from Mount Sinai Holy Church of America and organized what ultimately became Glorious Mount Sinai Holy Church of America, Incorporated. Elder Lloyd Bratten continued to serve as Overseer and senior pastor of St. James Holiness Church until her death in 1962. Under the leadership of Elder Clarenda Washington, Elder Viola Dennis became the pastor of St. James Holiness Church in 1963 where she was already serving faithfully. The church continued to grow under the pastoral leadership of Elder Dennis and Dennis Day continued to bring the family home and the churches together each year. This celebration of the church of God and families of God became a hallmark in the life of St. James Holiness Church and the Dennis family to this day.
Elder Viola Dennis served as the pastor of St. James until her death on July 22, 1978. All that Elder Dennis had received from the Lord, she faithfully emptied it into the hearts of her children and her children’s children and countless others. St. James continued to hold the Dennis Day celebration after her death. Dennis Day was organized and planned under the leadership of the second and third generation members of the Dennis family. In 2006, we celebrated 50 years of building a legacy of holiness and family through Jesus Christ. Our theme was “Raising up the Foundations of many Generations” – Isaiah 58:12.
In 2016, we celebrated 60 years of God’s faithfulness through family and friends in building a continued legacy of holiness and kingdom life. Our statement of faith is “Family – like branches on a tree, we grow in different directions, but our roots remain the same.” We are reminded in Isaiah 27:6 the Word of the Lord to the family of Israel – “He (the Lord) shall cause Jacob to take root; Israel shall bud and flower and fill the whole world with increase and harvest.”
After 99 years of church ministry and 67 years of gathering the Dennis family at St. James Holiness Church we continue build on our legacy of faith and family. In 2021, the third and fourth generation of Dennis’, led by our patriarch, Archbishop Ralph L. Dennis, and other family elders, responded to furtherance of our divine call as a family. Thus, THE ORVIN AND VIOLA DENNIS LEGACY FOUNDATION was organized and incorporated to not only gather, but to leave a legacy for generations to come.
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