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Olivet Free Will Baptist Church
History |
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A Brief History of Olivet
Free Olivet Free Will Baptist Church
began in the early 1870s when a group of believers in the community started
a non-denominational Sunday School with David Lockert as the Superintendent. Services
were held in a cabin at first, then in a tobacco barn. When In 1889, the group was organized
into a Free Will Baptist church by the Rev. John L. Welch, Sr., while still
meeting in the schoolhouse. The group began making plans to build a church, and in March 1891, Sylvester A. Murphey deeded
one acre of land to
the church trustees for $12.50. The men of the community built the
church with timber donated by William H. Biggar. The present sanctuary is
that original building. Until the 1940s, an old
pot-bellied stove stood in front of the pulpit, and on cold days, the people
would gather closely around it. The restored pulpit stand still bears several charred marks where some careless fire-stirrer
placed a hot poker
while he poured in more wood or coal. Sometimes some of the Sunday
School classes met outside or in the school across the road, but often all
would be meeting at once in different corners of the sanctuary. Since 1947, three major additions have been made to the building
as well as other
improvements. In 1963, a brick parsonage was built next to the church. We found the names of these
organizing families in the old records: H.D. Elliott, D.E. Elliot, W.H.
Biggar, John R. Gower, Richard Reding, James B. Nichols, H.T. Hinton, Sam
Power, J.E. Fortson, David Lockert, and John Powers. We praise God today for all
those who had a part in starting Olivet Free Will Baptist Church, and those
who have kept it going through the years. Many different people have preached and taught God's Word within these walls, and
many different people
have heard the Word, been saved, and have grown spiritually. Praise the Lord for 120 years as
a Free Will Baptist church!
Olivet Free Will Baptist Church 3363 Rossview Rd. Clarksville TN 37043 |
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