New Hebron Baptist Church Funeral/Memorial Guide

The death of a loved one is a painful event. Before you can process the absence of your loved one, preparation for your loved one’s final arrangements must be made, which presents more questions for which you may not have answers. This document is created to help provide a step-by-step process for New Hebron Baptist Church members to utilize when preparing the final arrangements for your loved one.

1). Pastoral contact- Pastoral contact should be made as soon as possible but not later than 24 hours of death. If pastoral contact has not been made within 24 hours, don’t hesitate to get in touch with any of our Deacons at their preferred contact number.

Dea. Gean Page:(985)966-0558, Dea. Larry Tatum:(601)799-8734,  Dea. Jerry Frazier:(601)590-3745

2). Funeral Home Services- Funeral home service providers are available within the greater Picayune area. If you are unsure who to utilize for final arrangements, the church has a directory of funeral service providers available for your consideration.

3). Internment- Deciding where to intern your loved one is a personal decision. Interning at New Hebron Baptist Church’s Community Cemetery is available pending space and financial costs. Mr. James Smith serves as coordinator for internment at New Hebron Baptist Church’s Community Cemetery and can be reached at 601-347-3747 or contact Mr. Perry Nixon Sr. at 601-347-5024.

Costs associated with the opening and closing a grave are not included in the cost to be interned at New Hebron Baptist Church’s Community Cemetery. Mr. Smith can provide a directory of vendors who can perform this service upon request.

4). Funeral/Memorial Service Planning- Preparing for a loved one service can be a daunting challenge for families. Funerals and Memorial Services are considered worship services that the Pastor leads. The Pastor will work with the family to incorporate the family’s wishes into a service that honors your loved one and glorifies God. Creation of the obituary and order of service is customarily planned with the officiant.

Setting a funeral/memorial service date will be a high priority. Traditionally services are held on a Saturday, but scheduling conflicts may prevent this from happening. Funeral/memorial services can be held throughout the week.

Venues for conducting a funeral/memorial service will be coordinated between the Pastor and the family. Services can be held at New Hebron Baptist Church, the internment location, or a funeral home. Currently, health protocols due to COVID-19 may limit the size of funeral/memorial services held indoors.

Families choosing to hold services at New Hebron Baptist Church will be afforded the use of the sanctuary, restrooms, audio/video equipment, and other resources needed to support the funeral/memorial services.

5). Compensation

The Pastor offers his services as part of his pastoral duties; however, it is customary to offer the officiant compensation. The family should discuss this matter with the officiant/Pastor before the funeral service.

If music is desired during the funeral/memorial service, the family will be responsible for the musician(s) compensation.

Cleaning the church facilities is the responsibility of the family. The family can arrange for this service to be handled by the church’s custodian in advance. Compensation for the church’s custodian will be the family’s responsibility.

Printing of the obituary will be performed by the family. Your funeral home of choice can recommend vendors who perform this service. New Hebron Baptist Church can also recommend vendors for your consideration as well.

5). Repast- Serving a meal after a funeral/memorial service is traditional following the conclusion of the service. The venue for the repast should be coordinated with the Pastor and funeral home to be included in the program. Upon request, families may utilize New Hebron Baptist Church’s Fellowship Hall for a repast. The family will be responsible for providing any and all items associated with the repast, including food, drink, flatware, plates, cups, napkins, trash bags….etc. The family will be responsible for organizing volunteers to serve food and clean the Fellowship Hall.

6). Funeral/Internment Expenses- Significant costs are associated with funeral services for a loved one. Preparing for these costs early will help minimize the financial burden. Funeral home services and insurance companies offer affordable options for your consideration.

New Hebron Baptist Church provides to its membership, at no cost, the utilization of New Hebron Baptist Church facilities for funeral/memorial services and repasts.

Non-members may be assessed a nominal fee for utilization of New Hebron Baptist Church’s facilities at the discretion of the church’s leadership.

New Hebron Baptist Church’s Community Cemetery is a privately-owned cemetery maintained by New Hebron Baptist Church. An annual contribution per year for adults 18 and older is required for internment at New Hebron Baptist Church’s Community Cemetery. The current annual contribution is $60.00 per year. This cost may be adjusted without notice through actions of the cemetery committee and the Pastor. Children 17 and under will not be assessed for internment at New Hebron Baptist Church’s Community Cemetery. A one-time cost of $650 will be assessed for individuals not participating in the cemetery’s annual contribution for internment at New Hebron Baptist Church’s Community Cemetery. This cost additionally may be adjusted without notice through actions of the cemetery committee and the Pastor.

Interment at New Hebron Baptist Church’s Community Cemetery is limited to members of New Hebron Baptist Church, individuals actively maintaining the $60.00 annual cemetery fee, and current residents of the Carriere Community “residents living on Pat Street, Byrd Street, C.D. Walker Road, C.W. Moore Road, Church Street, Whitehead Lane, Jewel Raine Road, Clemons Road.” Non-residents requesting internment may submit a request to Mr. James Smith, which will be decided by the New Hebron Baptist Church’s Cemetery Committee and Pastor.

Grief Support- Closure is a process that begins after a funeral/memorial service. Each time we are touched by death, our experience will be unique. You may discover yourself needing additional counseling and support long afterward after the death of your loved one. Pastoral counseling is available upon request, or participation in a local grief support group may offer comfort and solace. New Hebron Baptist Church is here to help you cope healthily with the death of your loved one through support and fellowship.

Revised January 2023