Pilot Grove Baptist Church (1852-Present)

Pilot Grove Baptist Church (1852-Present)

From Ford's 1936 History of Moniteau County, Missouri:

This church in the southwest part of the county was organized in 1852 and a building erected a quarter of a mile east of the present church. A spring nearby provided water, and the old California-Versailles stage line passed over the road by which it stood. The committee which selected the church site was Wm. Suggs, E. R. Howard, Isaac Hill, James Hill and W. Phillips. Wm. Robertson was the first pastor. The committee which erected the present building in 1899 was G. N. Hill, T. J. Thompson, W. M. Hall and T. W. Smith. The membership at this time is about 140.

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

The history of Pilot Grove Baptist Church dates back to August 30, 1852 when arm from Mount Moriah Baptist Church was extended to the Pilot Grove community to attend services that were being held in the school house. Mt. Moriah Church assisted Elder M. Brown and James Jones in drawing up the constitution and in conducting the business meeting. The name Pilot Grove Baptist Church was chosen, and M. Brown was chosen pastor. There were twenty-seven charter members: Edward Howard, Melissa Howard, Sion Petty, Nancy Petty, Jackson Petty, William Petty, G. W. Moore, James Hill, Melinda Hill, William Scott, Moses Suggs, Nancy Suggs, William Suggs, Lucinda Webb, Milly Foster, Williams Philippa, Nancy Philipps, James Suggs, Elizabeth Suggs, Willis Philipps, Millie Philipps, William Gem, Charlotte Gem, Presby Ogden and Alice Ogden.

In December 1852, the church decided to build a new church house and the site selected was just east of the Pilot Branch and just north of the present road near a big hickory tree which was still standing in 1952. The size of the building was to be twenty feet by forty-six feet.' Granville Moore, William Suggs, James Hill and Isaac Hill were named trustees to purchase the land and superintend the construction.

1n 1866, the church decided to build a new house, and M. B. Hall donated one acre of land located on the hill just west of the old church building on the old Latham-California road two and one-half miles from Latham The new building was forty feet by sixty feet and was completed in October 1868. In 1898, just thirty years later another building was built and dedicated in June 1899.

The first Sunday School was organized in l880 and met only during the summer months. In 1940, the church advanced to two Sundays each month and in December 1951, to full time.

In 1952, Sunday School rooms, a baptistry and a basement were added to the present building under the supervision of Rev. James L. Allen, pastor. A centennial celebration was held on October 19, 1952, with an all day service. The history of the church for the centennial was prepared by Mrs. A. P. (Linnie) Hill who was church clerk at that time.

Pastors serving Pilot Grove Church in the past are: M. Brown, J. P. Maxey, William Robertson, William Allee, J. Robbinson, J. B. Box, C. C. Shelton, Nick Allee, William Driver. H. T. Morton, B. F. Driscol, D. P. Roe, W. A. Bruce, T. R. White, B. M. Shacklet, R. L. Hood, B. Pennington, B. A. Christian, G. M. Baker, J. T. Osborne, M. S. Humphrey, C. O. Datson, F. Maxwell, N. E. Williams, Rollins Burhans, Robert Pratt, Rufus Crozur, Steward McDaniel, Denzil Albin, Amos Christian, Oral Woolery, Bobbie Potter, C. H. Murphy, Ray Martin, L. R. Ryan, James L. Allen, Norman Hammers, W. R. Hamline, J. F. Presely, Charles McKay, Harold Roberts, Earl Scott, Marsh Dorrell, Kenneth E. Gardner.

From the 1980 History of Moniteau County, Missouri published by the Moniteau Co. Historical Society:

The history of Pilot Grove Baptist Church dates back to August 30, 1852, when an arm from Mount Moriah Baptist Church was extended to the school house. Mt. Moriah Church assisted Elder M. Brown and James Jones in drawing up the constitution and in conducting the business meeting. The name Pilot Grove Baptist Church was chosen, and M. Brown was chosen pastor. There were twenty-seven charter members: Edward Howard, Melissa Howard, Sion Petty, Nancy Petty, Jackson Petty, William Petty, G. W. Moore, James Hill, Melinda Hill, William Scott, Moses Suggs, Nancy Suggs, William Suggs, Lucinda Webb, Milly Foster, William Phillips, Nancy Phillips, James Suggs, Elizabeth Suggs, William Phillips, Millie Phillips, William Gem, Charlotte Gem, Presby Ogden, and Alice Ogden.

In December 1852, the church decided to build a new church house, and the site selected was just east of the Pilot branch and just north of the present road near a big hickory tree which was still standing in 1952. The size of the building was to be twenty feet by forty-six feet. Granville Moore, William Suggs, James Hill, and Isaac Hill were named trustees to purchase the land and superintend the construction.

In 1866, the church decided to build a new house, and M. B.Hall donated one acre of land located on the hill just west of the old church building on the old Latham, and California road two and one-half miles from Latham. The new building was forty feet by sixty feet and was completed in October, 1868.

In 1898, just thirty years later, another built and dedicated in June 1899. The first Sunday School was organized in 1880 and met only during the summer months. In 1940 the church advanced to two Sundays each month and in December 1951 to fulltime.

Pastors serving Pilot Grove Church in the past are: M. Brown, J. P. Maxey, William Robertson, William Allee, J. Robinson, J. B. Box, C. C. Shelton, Nick Allee, William Driver, H. T. Morton, B. F. Driscol, D. P. Rae, W. A. Bruce, T. R. White, B. M. Schacklet, R. L. Hood, B. Pennington, B. A. Christian, G. M. Baker, J. T. Elsborne, M. S. Humphrey, C. O. Datson, F. Maxwell, N. E. Williams, Rallins Burhans, Robert Pratt, Rufus Crozur, Stewart McDaniel, Denzil Albin, Amos Christian, Orval Woolery, Bobbie Potter, C. H. Murphy, Ray Martin, L. R. Ryan, James L. Allen, Norman Hammers, W. R. Hamline, J. F. Presely, Charles McKay, Harold Roberts, Earl Scott, Marsh Dorrell, Kenneth E. Gardner, Jerry Palmer, Norman D. Potter.

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