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The First Baptist Church of Flat River, Mo., was organized as the Lead Belt Missionary Baptist Church, by which name it was known for fourteen months after its organization.
According to the original minute book of the church, ten Baptists met under a large tree at the extreme north end of High Street on April 27, 1900, and constituted themselves the Lead Belt Missionary Baptist Church. Those ten people were Mrs. Geo. Fraser, Mr. and Mrs. Alfred Hunt, Kennett Hunt, Mr. and Mrs. J. H. Yeager, Milla Yeager, Etta Yeager and Mr. and Mrs. D. J. Fraysher.
These were members of the Farmington Missionary Baptist Church, which assisted them in the organization. The second meeting of the church was one month later, at the home of Mrs. George Fraser, and it was here that the church was named. In September, 1900, the church called its first pastor, Rev. C. T. Fortune, who was to preach on each third Saturday night, Sunday morning and Sunday night. A month later it was deemed advisable to have three deacons to look after the affairs of the church and D. J. Fraysher, Joseph Cloningen and Ed H. McClanahan were elected to the positions. It was in 1900 that the first house of worship was built on High Street. By 1905 the enrollment had grown to 316 and in June, 1905, brother E. V. Lamb was engaged to conduct a meeting at Elvins, which was sort of a mission field of this church. There were 82 conversions at this meeting and with about 50 members of this church, the First Baptist Church of Elvins was organized, and also the Owl Creek Baptist Church.
In 1907 the church purchased the present site and plans for a new building were
started. This was erected in 1910. On Feb. 25, 1920, this building was destroyed by a
fire, which broke out in the attic during a funeral service. [Click HERE to view article concerning fire.] The structure burned
to the ground. Only a few things were saved. The next day the new pastor, Rev. H. M.
Baker, arrived to find his church in ashes. He led the church in building a new house of
worship on the same site. Work was started in about three months and the people met for
worship first in the old Northern Methodist Church at High and Science Streets, and then
in the old Opera House at Coffman and Main Streets, [until] the basement of the present
building was ready for occupancy, and then later the complete building.
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The cornerstone of the present building [above] was laid Oct. 9, 1921. The building is valued at about $32,000, has a seating capacity of 900 with balconies bringing it to 1,000. It has seven assembly rooms and fourteen separate class rooms. The Sunday School has an enrollment of over 525 and an average attendance of about 300.
The only charter member of the church now living is Mrs. D. J. Fraysher, who attends services regularly.
The following pastors have served the church, in the order given, during its 38 years: Revs. C. L. Fortune, P. L. Kelly, J. W. Long, Watson, W. A. Devault, E. V. Lamb, H. F. Aulick, C. F. Whitlock, J. W. Anthony, Theodore Whitfield, J. L. Leonard, E. F. Curl, Geo. Steele, J. R. Carmichael, H. A. Smoot, C. E. Kennedy, F. M. Baker, Maples, E. H. Zipprodt, W. M. Hammond, and the present pastor, Rev. Abernathy.
Click HERE to view website of First Baptist Church of Flat River, Missouri, which includes list of pastors who have served since 1908.
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