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In the years following the Civil War, residents of this rural area realized the need to organize a church to feed their spiritual lives. The Reverend James Carroll Koonce (1815-1889 established a church in 1884 and served as the first preacher. The church held services on the first Sunday of the month, providing the weather was good for members to travel by foot, wagon, or horseback to gather. In 1891, John Hatton Sr. and his wife, A.R. Hatton, deeded two acres of land to H.H Wall and A.F Hughes, trustees of Providence Baptist Church. The first church building was erected in 1891. The original church name was usually styled "The Baptist Church of Christ at Providence." "Missionary" was added in 1905 and "Of Christ" was dropped in 1955, making the church's name, Providence Missionary Baptist Church. In 1943, the church voted to begin meeting twice a month. In 1957, a new church building was erected. The next year, the name Providence Missionary was formalized. By 1969, the church was meeting every Sunday. In October 1972, Wednesday night bible study was added to the services. Once a newer sanctuary was built, the 1957 structure was remodeled into a fellowship hall. The church later added a classroom space as with many rural settings, the church provided a center point for the community. Calendar events have included yearly Fall festivals with games and hayrides, Christmas program, and card exchange, and vacation bible school. An enduring tradition is a fifth Sunday service led by the church's youth. For more than a century, Providence Missionary Baptist Church has provided religious instruction and fellowship to the people of this tight-knit rural community. (2021) |
