Jamestown Baptist Church (Merger of Union & Mt Zion)

Jamestown Baptist Church (1821-Present)

Merger of Union Baptist Church (Est. 1821) & Mt Zion Baptist Church (Est. 1845)

From Goodspeed's History of Moniteau. . . Counties, Missouri (1889):

Union United Baptist Church, the first religious organization in the county, is said to have been established about 1822, by John B. Longan. The building was located at Union Springs, one and one-half miles west of Jamestown, on Charles Bodamer's farm. Among the members was Snelling Johnson (son of Philip Johnson, a settler of 1819, who died in 1820), who afterward preached here, some fifteen years. There were ten members: Isaiah, Mary and Frances Vivion, Martin and Mary Moad, David Chambers, Mary Inglish, John Mulkey and Elizabeth Howard.

This church has built four houses of worship; the first, a log structure, in 1822, at a cost of $50, was burned in 1832; the second, of logs, in 1834; the third, a frame, 36x50, in 1859, cost $1,500; the fourth, a frame, in 1888, 32x44 feet, cost $1,200. The first pastor was J. B. Longan, followed by Snelling Johnson, M. W. Duncan, John Wood, J. B. Box, J. P. L. Maxey, I. V. Johnson, M. O. Lane, E. M. Lumpkin, and the present pastor, J. S. Price. There have been received into the church about 500 persons, of whom 144 are now members.

The present (1889) house was dedicated October 14, 1888, by Elders I. V. Johnson, E. M. Lumpkin, M. W. Duncan and J. B. Box.

From History of Concord Baptist Association (Cole, 1973):

This church is a merger of two weak and struggling open-country churches - Union Baptist Church which was organized in 1821 and was situated a short distance southwest of what is now Jamestown, and Mt. Zion Baptist Church which dates back to 1833 and was located north and east of Jamestown. These two churches were struggling for survival for several years, so in 1960 under the leadership of Rev. Tom Jackson, they decided to merge and move into Jamestown, changing the name to "Jamestown Baptist Church."

The Union Baptist Church Building was moved into town and became a part of the present building, while the Mt. Zion building was donated to the cemetery bearing the same name. The new church voted to add a basement for a fellowship hall and an educational wing in 1962 to care for the increase in the congregation. In February 1973, the church had a note-burning service, signifying that it is debt free, and on the same day held dedication services for new pulpit furniture and an attractive new church sign.

Under the leadership of its present pastor, Rev. R. V. Wilson, Jr., this congregation is growing, not only in number, but in the grace and knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ, as it serves God and ministers to the people of the community around Jamestown.

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