It all started when...
August 3, 1955, the members of Dry Hollow Free Will Baptist Church met for the purpose of deciding whether to buy two lots on McGhee Street to build a new Church building. The vote was to purchase these two lots for $900.00 from Earl and Bonnie Wood. On August 14 a meeting was held to elect 3 trustees. Those elected at that meeting were Bob Summers, Alfred Steffey and Charlie Nelms.
October 29, 1955, the first meeting was held in the basement of the new Church. At that meeting, Rev. J.C. Barnette was elected Pastor. Two previously ordained deacons were elected to serve, Cecil White and Charlie Lane. The name given to the Church was West View Free Will Baptist Church. The Church began that night with 28 charter members. By the end of the year there were 43 members. By the end of 1958, 115 persons had joined the new Church but 13 had already dropped from the roll so the total membership was 103. Services continued to be held in the basement until the main sanctuary was completed.
Rev. Harry Fannon and Rev. Ray Gott conducted the first revival at the Church. The revival began on December 4, 1955. Several of the youth were saved at the Vacation Bible School in the summer of 1957. The first youth group of the Church was then formed. The group began singing in Church April 1958 and a long tradition was begun. The youth group that was formed sang at many revivals in churches of the surrounding area as well as at services in the home Church. The first service held in the completed sanctuary was August, 1958.
Rev. Tom Sproles held a revival in the spring of 1966 in which 50 souls were saved. A baptizing was held, Sunday, June 19 of that year and 20 of those were baptized that day.
The Church voted on Friday, September 15, 1972, to purchase the Fairview Presbyterian Church building in Midfields Addition. The first service was held at Midfield Free Will Baptist Church on November 5, 1972. The attendance that morning was 145. Rev. Arthur Luster brought his message from Genesis 19:26 with the text, “Don’t Look Back.”
The note on the Church was paid off on April 20, 1977. Plans were set in order to build a Fellowship Hall, January 18, 1978. The building was completed in 1980. The stained glass windows for the Church were voted on October 25, 1989, installation was completed in February 1990.
Our Church has a history of sending ministers into service. Since 1959 there have been 10 letters sent to Quarterly Meetings recommending men for licenses to preach. Of those, the Church has also sent 7 letters recommending ordination.
The youth group of our Church has been a training ground for most of those ministers and has been a training station for other singers and workers in our Church.
The Pastors of the Church:
J. Carson Barnette:
October 29, 1955 - March 4, 1961
Euguen Minton:
March 22, 1961 - June 16, 1963
Arthur Luster:
October 19, 1963 - March 24, 1974
Sherman Grace:
June 1, 1974 thru July 28, 1975
Bobby Olterman:
March 7, 1976 - August 8, 1993
Billy Gragg:
March 6, 1994 - April 26, 2009
Tim Roach (Interim):
January 2010 - March 2010
Adam Miller:
May 12, 2010 - February 16, 2014
Josh McKinney:
February 1, 2015 - PRESENT DAY