Pleasant Grove Missionary Baptist Church
History & 1986 Tennessee Homecoming
1986 Tennessee Homecoming at the church photos
History of pleasant Grove Baptist Church & Cemetery
The land that is now within the 16th District of Weakley County, TN began to be settled after the Jackson Purchase of the land west of the Tennessee River in 1819. This land was a part of Gibson and Carroll County prior to 1837 when the S. Fork of the Obion River became the line making the 16th District then in Weakley County.
One of the earliest settlers was Elisha Fly, Jr. William Rogers Capps, Henry Capps and John Whitsett Cochran who were married to 3 of Elisha Fly’s daughters. They were Lucy, Anna and Rebecca. The Cherokee Indian heritage comes from the wife of Elisha Fly, Jr. thought to be named Rebecca Reed. From this name this general area has been referred to as “Flytown.”
Soon Flytown was beginning to thrive since there were more and better roads, not to mention the river traffic. It reached such proportions as a blacksmith shop, a millinery shop, a cooper, Goodlow School where children were taught the “Three-R’s” in a one-room log schoolhouse. The building was also used for the Missionary Baptist congregation to worship before they built their new church building. Goodlow School was located on Capps land that once was part of the Elisha Fly land.
Descendants of these early settlers Calton Travis Capps and wife Sarah Martha “Mattie” Cook Capps gave by deed land to the Missionary Baptist Church on Feb. 21, 1894, and on April 11, 1894 James Maneese Cochran deeded land to the Pleasant Grove Missionary Baptist church for the sum of $5.
During that year of 1894 the original church building was built. Over the years many additions and improvements have been made.
The following is from the Homecoming and book compiled in 1986 on the history of the church;
The people of Stafford Store first met for preaching in the old Goodlow School House, which was located west of the present church site on the Hubble property. Then C. T. Capps and J. M. Cochran gave the land the church presently sits on to build a church house to worship in.
At first, there was only one room and a wood stove for heat. Presently, there is a large auditorium with carpet, central heat and air, padded pews, a baptistery, a grand piano, Seven Sunday School rooms, three bathrooms, and a fellowship hall with complete kitchen facilities. The church is covered with brick and the parking lot is paved. The church owns a bus, fondly called “Old John”. There are currently 386 members.
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Pastors of Pleasant Grove Missionary Baptist Church
1923 C. C. Bullington (resigned Sept. 1923)
November 18, 1923 Jim Dunning
October 1924 L. R. Riley
October 1925 Ed Crocker
November 1927 Bart Arnel
February 5, 1928 ….. Ellie Hue Martin
October 1928 R. H. Hampton
March 1930 O. H. Joyner
September 1932 …Raymond Hampton (resigned April 1941)
May 11, 1941 O. H. Joyner
September 26, 1941 W. H. Hopper
October 1944 T. L. Glisson
February 1945 Clyde McCord (resigned September 7, 1945)
September 1945 ……T. L. Glisson
October 1948 Raymond Hampton
September 1950 J. T. Powers
September 1951 Arthur Greener
July 1953 Dennis Beal
September 1960 Vance Rushing
March 1966 Jack McClain
October 1967 Jerry Gallimore
October 1968 Alton Prather
November 1, 1970 Dennis Beal (resigned August 13, 1989)
December 17, 1989 Charles Rushing (October 21, 1990)
October 4, 1992 Claude Prince (resigned July 30, 1995)
September 17, 1995 Bobby Robertson (resigned March 4,2001)
September 2, 2001 Richard Allen
October 2004 ……Don Bowlin
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History of Pleasant Grove Cemetery
In 1969 one acre of ground-was purchased from James T. Hughes. This was the beginning of Pleasant Grove Cemetery. It was only a few months later that Mrs. Ivy Stafford was put to rest, being the first in the church cemetery. Time passed and others came to rest at Pleasant Grove; In the early cemetery joining Mrs. Ivy was Mr. Luther Stafford, Mr. Jack Crocker, Mrs. Frances Holt, Mr. Mike Holt and Mr. Gaither Luker. For several years the church had the responsibility and upkeep of Pleasant Grove Cemetery. In 1971 another 1 1/2 acres was purchased, from George Bridgewater, to extend the church cemetery. As time passed, it became evident that there was a great amount of money involved in taking the best care of the cemetery. Shortly thereafter, Pleasant Grove Church allowed the cemetery to be put in a perpetual care program. This meant that the cemetery upkeep would continue without interruption with funds provided through the purchasing of plots. A designated chairman & committee were appointed to carry out the required duties of the newly adapted program.
submitted by Joe Stout
Charlie Griffin & Wife were prominent in the Pleasant Grove Church
