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The noted Baptist missionary Z.N. Morrell and others formed the Trinity River Association in this area in 1848. On August 5, 1854, in the community of Shiloh, which had been established by 1840, seven men and women joined together to organize the Shiloh (Shilo) Baptist Church of Christ. Of the members, Thomas Eaton became the first ordained pastor, A.W. Mauk the first clerk and William Clark the moderator. Clark and Clay Cobb served as the first deacons. In addition, George Fullen, Charlotte Cobb and Susannah Cobb were charter members. In 1856, Bryant W. Cobb donated two acres of land to the church, and it affiliated with the Trinity River Association. Members conducted early baptisms in tanks and creeks, and the church grew as others joined the congregation over the next decades. Families active between 1854 and 1909 included the Andersons, Barnetts, Boltons, Cobbs, Mauks, Neeleys, Packs, Smiths and Youngbloods. Church minutes from 1911 until 1940 are missing, but it is known that the congregation moved in the 1920s to land donated by the Barnett family. In the early 1950s, a church building committee made plans to construct a new sanctuary, which members dedicated at this site on April 10, 1955. Over the years, they added other facilities, including a family life building and a baptistry. During its long history, Shiloh Baptist Church has contributed to many local, state and international causes, including the Buckner Baptist Benevolences and foreign mission work. Members have been active in community functions, and the congregation remains a spiritual support center for the surrounding area. (2006) |
