New London — The walls of Trinity Missionary Baptist Church were shaking Sunday afternoon as drums boomed, voices rang out and feet stomped the ground.

The church's congregation, with friends in tow, was busy celebrating the payment-in-full of its $250,000 mortgage — which actually occurred last September — with a mortgage-burning ceremony.

"One of the things I was told," said the Rev. Wade Hyslop Jr., pastor of the church, "is when you burn the mortgage, make sure you do not burn the original."

Laughing, he pointed out that the two pieces of paper to be burned were copies of the mortgage and its release form.

Throughout the ceremony, several people spoke, including Mayor Daryl Justin Finizio, who thanked the church and its members "for always making me feel so very welcome."

Reading from a proclamation, Finizio thanked Hyslop (who also happens to be City Council president), the church's missionaries and its congregation "for their profound contributions to the people of the city of New London" and offered his congratulations.

In existence since November 1977, the church purchased its home at 60 Blackhall St. in 1979.

Hyslop has been pastor of the church — an outgrowth of Shiloh Baptist Church — since its beginnings.

"I thank and praise God that this day has finally come that we're going to burn our mortgage," Hyslop said shortly before introducing the Rev. J. O'Dell Bradley.

Bradley, who delivered the sermon, is the pastor of Friendship Baptist Church No. 2, located in Nichols, S.C.

"You couldn't have done it by yourself," he said, congratulating the congregation for its perseverance but asking them to remember that they had help from God.

"God has been good to us," Hyslop would later agree.

Surrounding a mobile fire pit, those who helped set aflame the two pieces of paper included, among others, original 1977 adult and youth members, two major fundraisers and Missionary Jessie Hyslop, the only surviving charter member. (Jessie is married to Wade Hyslop.) Smiles lit up their faces throughout the process.

"They've been steadfast," the Rev. Sulton Stack said of the congregation in a prayer. "They've had the stick-to-it-ness. Even through the good times and the bad times, they didn't let up ... and now, God, it is time for celebration."

In addition to celebrating, Hyslop said, there was another goal.

"As I've often been told, this is a historic event in the African-American churches, because many churches never get to this point," he said, as members of the congregation clapped and cheered. "We want to be an encouragement to our sister churches."

l.boyle@theday.com

Twitter: @LindsayABoyle