Shelbyville Mills Baptist Church

"HISTORY"

Shelbyville Mills Baptist Church was organized June 20, 1937, in the Agnes Roberson Community House of the Mills Village. The Village is on the West side of Shelbyville and is a competent part of. the area known as U. S. Rubber Textile Mill (now Uniroyal) -hence the name Shelbyville Mills. The charter members were: Mr. & Mrs. E. A. Rich, Irene.Rich, Vaunetta Rich, Johnnie Rich, Mr. & Mrs. J. W. Rich, A. H. Rich and Lovie Rich, L. A. Foster, H. A. Foster, and Mrs. Cecil Clanton.

Action was taken October 23, 1937, to build a new church building. Tom Segroves was elected chairman of the building committee. Plans were drawn up and a new sanctuary was erected on a lot just East of the Mills Elementary School. During this time of progress, Hershel Cox served as chairman of the finance committee: Mrs. Rollin Altman served as clerk, and Cecil Clanton as treasurer. Rocks for the foundation of the new church building were cut out of the rock quarry near the ball park. Most of the labor was done voluntarily by the men of the church; the building actually began in the Spring of 1939. On the opening date of the new building 100 were in attendance for Sunday School. U. S. Rubber Company contributed liberally toward the construction of the new building. The building was constructed largely by voluntary labor under the supervision of Charlie Payne.

Many useful items have been added during the years of progress and growth. In 1947 the Church voted to broadcast its evening services over Radio Station WHAL and is still doing so. A church bus ministry was begun in l950 and is now operating five buses on four routes with an average of 177 riders per Sunday. The pastorium, built in the Cedars by the men of the Church, was dedicated on March 30, l952: on June 6, l954, a new educational building was dedicated. In 1966-67 the Church renovated the sanctuary including central air-conditioning and heating, brick veneered the educational building and made other improvements at an approximate cost of $25,000. Continual building maintenance and small-scale renovations in keeping with time and growth are factors in establishing the present property value of $200, 000.. In January, l972 a weekly advertisement of the church services was begun in the Friday edition of the Times-Gazette. Children’s Church was started April l5, 1973, with a total attendance of 96. Average attendance per Sunday is now l53. On March 13, 1974, the Church called Rev. George McGlothin to become Associate Pastor with specific duties as Youth Director, Music Director, and Assistant to the Pastor.

For the first eight months of this associational year the average Sunday School attendance has been 374, 61 have been baptized and 45 added by transfer of membership. A new attendance record of 56l in Sunday School was established March 10, 1974, and a new monthly average attendance of 418 in Sunday School was also established in March, 1974.

In March of 1987 the membership of Shelbyville Mills accepted God’s call to step out again in faith with a vote to relocated the church on Highway 41A North. The first worship service in the new building at 900 Union Street, was Sunday, March 25, 1990. The indebtedness on the new building was retired August 1995. Due to membership and attendance increase, the church voted to enter another building program. Construction began May, 1996 for additional education space, a new kitchen, fellowship hall, media library, and an office suite. The building project was completed in April, 1997.

 

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Proverbs 4:18 But the path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day.

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Pastors Of  Shelbyville Mills Baptist Church

  1. Jehu Rich                           June 20, 1937  -  June 1938

  2. W.  E.  Roberts                    July 1938   -  September 1939

  3. James Reece                     October   1939  -  December  1941

  4. J.  Oscar Limpkin             February 1942  - October 1942

  5. Buford Bull                       April 1943  -  July 1945

  6. Harold Kilpatrick              October  1945   -  October  1955

  7. P.  B.  Kinsolving              December  1955   -  October  1958

  8. Hiram LeMay                   November   1958  -  May  1961

  9. Ray B. McCall                 October   1961  -  August  1971

  10. Shelton Smith                   November   1971  -  March 1975

  11. Dave Warner                   August  1975  -  October  1975

  12. Bob Ledlow                           1976   -  1978

  13. Charles Brown                 1979   -  March 31,  1985

  14. Charles Williams             July 7,  1985   -  June  1991

  15. Darryl Craft                     October 11,  1992  -  1999

  16. Jonathan W. Sims            January  2000  -   present