Olivet General Baptist Church is located in Twigg Township of Hamilton County, five-and-a-half miles southwest of McLeansboro. Olivet is known in Hamilton County as Anderson School Road, or “Thrill Hills.” The church stands on a hill. William Charles purchased the 40 acres from the government, from which came the church property. The land entry is dated Oct. 11, 1854. Some descendants of the Charl
es family claim the name was originally Mt. Olive. The first deed to the church is dated Aug. 31, 1872. This deed was made by William Charles and Charity, his wife, to the church trustees. But the first Mt. Olivet church building was standing on William Charles’ land long before 1872. In September 1870, Mt. Olivet became a member of the association to which it gave its name. The association divided, and the churches east of Illinois Central Railroad united to form the Mt. Olivet Association. The Rev. William Carlisle, pastor of Mt. Olivet, appears to have been the organizer of both the church and the association. The first building was 24 by 30 feet. It was a log structure, having pegs driven into split logs for the seats. The logs were hauled by oxen. The church had two or three small windows on each side. The door was on the south side, and there were two split logs for steps. A well provided water, and there was a box stove for heat. The building was in what is today the old cemetery. In 1886, donations were made toward improvements of Mt. Olivet Church and cemetery. In 1889, a dedication service was held for the new frame building. It was erected near the site of the original log building. About 1906, it moved farther north. That same year, the daughter of Charles made a land deed to the church. This 1.56 acres of land, situated just north of the original 1 acre, was bought for the sum of $75. The last deed to church property — the new cemetery — came about under peculiar circumstances. Ralph Gulley suggested that people load his Model T with egg cases and a chicken coop and canvas the community to raise funds to buy the plot of 6 acres adjoining church property on the west. Almost, but not quite, enough money was raised to pay the price of $40. Walter Cox, who ran a grocery store in McLeansboro, purchased the remaining produce and gave the church a donation. The deed is dated Dec. 17, 1932, with George Charles grantor; all deeds made to Mt. Olivet were by William Charles or one of his children. After 60 years, the second building was replaced. Under the leadership of the Rev. Fred Brockett, a campaign was started to raise funds to construct a new building. It consisted of a basement and block walls. The first service was held Dec. 15, 1946, in the basement. Alpha Harrelson was the pastor at this time and preached in this service. On May 30, 1948, the new building was dedicated; the Rev. H.M. Green was pastor at this time. The church was completed without any debt. In 1973, a new wing was added to provide room for additional Sunday school classes. All help was donated, and it, too, was finished and paid for. Soon after all was completed, Mt. Olivet, along with Cartwright and Braden Valley, were completely destroyed by fire on the night of Nov. 14, 1978. A building committee was appointed, and it was unanimously decided to start building immediately. The insurance company paid in full, and donations of work and money came in from everywhere. Soon, a 30-foot by 40-foot building was erected. This was used for worship until the spring of 1979, when a new sanctuary was built. In 1997, a vision was appearing to some that it was time to build again. The sanctuary was overflowing, with people sitting in the hallways just to attend worship service. On July 20, 1998, digging a hole for the basement started. Harold Hungate, along with his hired hands and many volunteers from the church, were there to help. A 60-foot by 60-foot basement was poured along with a sanctuary. On Sept. 12, 1999, the church held its first service in the new facility. In January 2000, the addition was finished, and the church began to hold services regularly in the new sanctuary. Also at this time, Mt. Olivet had a need to start a ministry for the younger children. Olivet Children’s Church began with the Rev. Wendy Reed as the minister. The Times Leader
Posted: Wednesday, December 4, 2013 5:14 am
