Oak Grove Missionary Baptist Church
A History
Oak Grove Missionary Baptist Church of 1430 McCollum Rd, Austin, Arkansas was organized in September of 1891 in Hill School House by Elder Thomas Hutson (The above information was drawn from a diary of W.B. The following were charter members: Layafet & Bettie Jackson, R.H. and Jennie Wallace, C.A. & Bettie Howell, F.D.M. (Frank) & Mary Jane Smith, Jo
hn H Duffey and his mother, Charlotte Jane Duffey, Jimmie & Mollie Childers, Dora Reed, Alice Reed, and J.E. Howell gave 10 acres of land for the construction of a church building and a cemetery. John H. Duffey and Frank Smith rode horseback to near Des Arc, Arkansas, a distance over 25 miles to a sawmill to obtain lumber for the new church building. They spent the night with Mr. & Mrs. Jerry Edwards, a sister of John H. Duffey and parents of Mrs. Maggie Edwards King, the oldest member of Oak Grove Missionary Baptist Church at the present time. Several men went back to the sawmill, with wagons, to haul the cypress lumber and shingles for the new church building. A lot of rain fell and the creeks & bayous were too deep to ford, so the men set up camp and waited for the waters to recede, which caused them to get back to Oak Grove on a Sunday morning. In the year 1893, fifty-two members were added to the church, most of them by baptism. For the next 13 years, the church grew and prospered spiritually and in member under the leadership of Elder J.M. Davis. In October of 1902, W.B. Howell, Effie King and Charlie Pearson were messengers to the General Association at Searcy, Arkansas. There were messengers sent to the Caroline Association almost every year. On April 1, 1920, a tornado blew the church building down and services continued in the school house while plans were being made to build another church building. September 10, 1920, the church made plans for a new building on the old foundation, constructed of wood and in two weeks the first service was held in the new building. The church sent messengers to Grand Prairie Association but withdrew from it and sent messengers to England, Arkansas to help organize a Missionary Baptist Association, and on September 30, October 1-2, 1921, the first annual session of the Lonoke Missionary Baptist Association met and Oak Grove Missionary Baptist Church still fellowships with and in the Association. On October 31, 1959, the church voted to build a new church plant on concrete slab with five Sunday School rooms, two rest rooms, of Roman tile blocks, at a cost of $10,000.00. The money was raised by the church members and a lot of work was done by the church members. The new building was dedicated on Easter Sunday, April 14, 1963. The church history was given by Elder O.R. Baldwin and the Dedicatory Sermon by Elder Buddy Taylor. Over the years a new electric organ and padded pews were purchased and central heating & cooling installed. In 1975 a parsonage was built while Brother Melbourne Hill was pastor. Since then, the church building has been added to and remodeled several times over the years as well as the addition of a fellowship hall. The church is active in outreach and has supported a number of works throughout the years, including Texarkana Orphans Home, Missionary Baptist Seminary & Institute, Budd Creek Camp, the Tanzania Missions of Bro. Lambert Livingstone, and the needy of our church and community.
