The cemetery is directly across Owley Road from the Church. Use to be the Owley school. June 2000.
"As the 21st century begins, these rural churches are symbolic
of a simpler time. They are places of great meaning and precious memories."
The cemetery is directly across Owley Road
from the Church. Use to be the Owley school. June 2000.
The Sweet Home Church about a mile further north on Hwy 27 from the Whittington Cemetery, about four miles from the Mt. Ida. The Church was dedicated in 1908. The cemetery book says there are four graves behind the church. I couldn't find them. Appears that no regular services are held here. There is a good painting of the church hanging up in the hallway of the courthouse. The gravel road to the right, South Fork Rd, at the church will take you two miles to the McKinney Cemetery and Lake Ouachita. June 2000
Story had three churches in May 2015.
Near the Breashears Cemetery turn on Hwy 298.
Pleasant Hill Primitive Baptist Church, Hurricane Grove (east of Mt Ida). 1996. This building was an old school building from Mt. Ida. Built 1932. The clerk of the church only has the records back to 1950. The previous church building was located across the road, about 100 yards near a spring. Baptisms have taken place at different locations. On Williams Creek and down on the Ouachita River in the past and now on Collier Creek. This church has a membership of 18 members in 2001 and Preacher Tim Montgomery commenced two years ago. Services are held here the first and fourth Sunday with meetings in Oden the 2nd & 3rd Sunday. Ersel Tillery was the preacher here since the mid fifties and for 47 years. Obituary.
Brother J.W. Standridge was a grandson of Elder Flemon Bates who established the Primitive Baptist Church in 1864 two miles south of Mt Ida. About 1890 this church divided and Brother Jim Bates and Mandy, his wife; Celia Cogburn, and Brother Jim W. Standridge established the Pleasant Hill Primitive Baptist Church at Hurricane Grove. W.M. Alley was in 1901 and baptized by Elder McGough. Posted July 2001.
Oct. 2015. Mt Ida adjacent the Dairyette. The Catholic Church is opposite the Dairyette.
Crystal Hill, Church.
Pentecostal. Pastor Joseph Rowland.
This use to be the old school.
The Pine Ridge Baptist Church.
There are two churches at the cemetery. This one
is across the road. The other one is a brick building.
Black Springs Church.
Black Springs Baptist celebrated 125th
year in 2005
Black Springs settlement was on the Old Dallas and Hot Springs Rd, running west
to east. People camped here and held bush arbor meetings for weeks at a time.
The Baptist Church was organized and built in 1880 and the cemetery was also
organized in 1880 and now one of the largest in Montgomery County, AR. The
founders of the Black Springs Baptist Church were Elijah Smith, Sarah Prowse and
G.W. Cook. The original Baptist Church was a simple one room, wooden frame
building, that cost $900, where old fashioned singing, testimonies and prayers
were encouraged. It was located on the hillside in the cemetery and torn down
c.1923 and moved to its present site, to be more accessible and to make room for
the Baptist Cemetery on the left (west) side of the road. Early pastors were
W.W. Carson, H. L. Wasson, H.H. Bridges, H.T. Howell, J.J. Prowse, C.C. Roberts,
E. Abee, J.D. Butler, Sam Sherman and J.B. Liles. The church is a member of the
Southern Baptist Association and the local Caddo River Baptist Association.
In 1918 Elder J.M. White of Black Springs was the moderator of the CRBA
convention, Ernest Berry of Sims, clerk and W.H. Guthrey, of Black Springs,
treasurer. During the year 8 were baptized, 81 members, the church property was
valued at $300, and the pastor's salary was $62. The pastor's salary at Oden was
$15 and at Mount Ida $92 and $150 at Womble.
In 1942 the Black Springs Baptist Church Register: 1928-- Record of Members,
Vol. 1 was in custody of Miss Belle Rhinehart, clerk, Black Springs
.
Montgomery County News, Thursday, 15 Sept. 2005, front page, photo.
The existing Black Springs Baptist Church was constructed in the late 1940s. The
east wing consisting of a kitchen, fellowship hall and restrooms were added on
in the early 1970s. The west wing was added in the early 1980s to accommodate
classrooms. Vinyl siding, air conditioning, carpet, padded seating and a sound
system have been added over the years. There is a pavilion on the east side of
the church for outdoor activities. The church in early Y2K purchased a property
on the south side which includes a parsonage. The pastor in 2005 was Joel Moody.
Montgomery County News 21 April 2005
Caddo Gap Baptist Church was established in 1905. The driving force behind the
founding of the church was Bro. B.D. Millsapps who became the congregation
pastor. The original deacons included S.A. Hanna, W.C. Benson and C.C. O'Neal.
According to church records the first building fund began when the females of
the congregation met at the home of Mrs. W.H. Howard and formed a "Baptist
Ladies Aid Society."
The church's original building burned. A new structure was erected in 1926 and
continues to serve the congregation, although it has undergone several
expansions and remodeling. The most prominent addition is the fellowship hall,
which was built in 1997 by "Church in a Day." Church members raised money to buy
materials for the building by holding yard sales and bake sales. Church members
sold "Feeding the Flock" a commemorative collection of recipes complied from
members.
The church building has always had a picturesque quality, situated on a
hillside, but a rock wall always helped hold the grounds in place. In the late
1990s the wall needed repair. In 1999 a new rock wall replaced the old one. An
extension was added to the wall in 2001.
Even after a century, some features of the Caddo Baptist Church remain the same.
The bell tower still continues to ring out to call the faithful to services. The
church has no baptistery, but it does have the nearby Caddo River.
Although the trend nationally may be for mega-churches with hundreds of members,
Caddo Gap Baptist remains a true country church. Approximately 70 names are on
the membership rolls. The oldest living members are Boneta Davis, who now
resides in Hot Springs, and Ora Mae Horn, now of Fort Smith.
Among the (very) active members, Ruby West has been a member of the Caddo
Baptist for 45 years, while Louise Ponder has been a member for 40.
The present pastor is Darren Green.
Norman First Baptist
Montgomery County News, Thursday Sept. 4, 2008, front page
The First Baptist Church of Norman, celebrated its Centennial Anniversary on
Sunday, Sept. 7, 2008. Dr. Emil Turner, delivered the message. Rev. Doug Wills,
was the current Pastor of Norman FBC.
The church was organized in 1908 with 12 charter members. It met in a public
building until 1912, when the first sanctuary was built. A Sunday School annex
was added shortly thereafter, and the church building was painted a bright blue.
A parsonage was built across the street from the church in 1941. In 1966, an
educational building and fellowship hall space was built with a kitchen and
nursery. In 1971 the church added an organ through donations given in honor of
Eleednor Maxey, the oldest charter member at the time A church bus was purchased
in 1971. In October 1975, the church voted to build a new church, breaking
ground June 6, 1975. Mrs Berry Davis, a charter member, and Tom Avra, Building
Committee Chairman, turned the first shovel of dirt. The first service in the
new church was held on October 31, 1976. A bell tower was built to house the
bell from the old church building. In 1984, under the leadership of Pastor James
Hughes, the church added a van to the bus ministry. In September 1985, the
church voted to build a new fellowship hall, converting the former fellowship
hall into classrooms. A new church van was purchased in 1997, and additional
classrooms, restrooms, and storage space onto the fellowship hall in 2000. In
2002, the church called Bro. Doug Wills as Pastor, and purchased a home in Black
Springs to serve as the parsonage for the church. The old parsonage was
converted into Youth activity space. In late 2002, the church began a Wednesday
Evening Ministry to children and youth.
Barr Memorial Presbyterian in Norman. 2nd image taken 28 Dec. 2021.
Gretta Barr &
Rev. John T. Barr, Norman.
Church Profile.
History.
Caddo Valley Academy
Mt Tabor Church.
Joplin Methodist Church 2001
The Oden First Baptist Church
is a member of the Southern Baptist Convention and was organized in 1916, with
C.C. Roberts as the first pastor. The first building was destroyed by a storm in
1924. A new building was constructed by J.H. Edwards in 1924 and used until
1948, when the church started erecting the present building, which was completed
in 1954. Later a kitchen was added, along with central heat and air, and a
baptistry. A mission was established at Pencil Bluff in 1958. Three months later
they voted their approval to become a church.
The first parsonage was built in 1944, but it burned in 1972. Another building
was purchased for a parsonage and in 1978, it was completely renovated. It too
succumbed to nature and in 2012 the church purchased a house on Taylor St. for a
parsonage. The building has been completely renovated.
In 2005 Richard Posey was interviewed. The church is one of five in Oden. The
other congregations are Independent Baptist, Missionary Baptist, Primitive
Baptist and Methodist. "We've pretty much got them covered," he said of the
community's 220 or so inhabitants.
Pastors
David Teem 2013-2016
Daren Drury 2008-2010.
Richard Posey. Oct. 2000 to 2007. Our longest serving pastor. (wife, Marilyn
Posey)
Eddie McCord -_2000
Bernard Rusert 1976-78
Jerry Hargrave 1967-70 and 2011-2012 (wife Brenda Hargrave)
Thurlow Lee 1956-58. (son, Jason Lee)
Alamo
Missionary Baptist Church on Logan Gap Rd.,
April 2021
Montgomery County News 9 August 2001
Prairie Grove Church of God serving the Fannie Community will
celebrate fifty years of growth on August 12th, 2001. The church is
located five miles east of Story on the north side of Highway 298.
The church was organized August 10, 1951, by Rev. Frank Summit &
Rev. Ira Jones. Church cookbooks "Devine Dishes from Prairie Grove
Church of God" will be on sale. This book will be in memory of
Bernice CLENNEY (MamMaw Ber) and Bro. Jodie ANDERSON. There was
thirteen charter members: *Flora Jane CLENNEY, *Cortez DUNCAN, Jess
D. JOHNSTON, *Dona Clenney JOHNSTON, Willie D. CLENNEY, *Bernice
White CLENNEY, ANNIS KINSEY, Retha Savell MINTON, Arvin SAVEALL,
Bernice JOHNSTON, Ruby JOHNSTON, Monroe and Myrtle BRESHEARS.
Men and women of the community worked to construct the building. The
land was donated by Herbert and Louise MINTON. Present pastors of
the church are Rev. Bill SINGLETON and Rev. Marcus PHILLIPS who is
the lifetime pastor.
Prairie Grove Church
I'm a little country church just like so many you may see,
settled on the edge of what was a field under a big shade tree.
I was conceived by this community out of their great need
for a house of worship, close by, in which God's flock could feed.
Land was donated, timbers were hauled, and all the materials they
could gather
they worked tirelessly and built me up... Them and the Lord
together.
I entered into service as one small room and at times the members
were few,
but, stepping out on faith, they continued God's work and eventually
the membership grew.
Over the years, rooms have been added and I've changed somewhat in
my appearance.
I've welcomed saints and sinners alike and lost some who were so
dear once.
I've witnessed many miracles and felt the cleansing tears that were
shed upon my alter.
I've heard messages delivered in strength and faith that didn't
falter.
Men, women and children have come forth to lay their burdens down.
I've watched them released from sin that had their spirits bound.
For fifty years, I've marveled at God's abundant love and grace,
and I've seen that love and glory reflected on a new covert's face.
When my members come together to praise his name in word or song,
somehow, the Lord will make his presence known before very long.
I'm just a plain wooden structure without heart, mind or soul.
Ah...but, I'm filled with God's own spirit when he enters my doors
with his fold
and even though I'm small and consist of mostly of aging board.
I stand humbly, yet proudly, because I have housed the Lord.
Joyce McKay, July 14, 2001.
Montgomery County News Thursday, May
3, 2012 page 5
Pine Ridge Union Church to celebrate 100 years in service May
12, 2012 (no author)
We welcome all interested people and all pioneer families
that helped settle Waters, later changed to Pine Ridge, the
community that it is today. Plan now to be present for this
historical worship service which will not only reunite us with each
other, but also remind us of those who have gone on before.
Several denominations worshipped together in the beginning,
Methodists, Baptist, Church of Christ, and Holiness. Bro. John
Simpson, the Methodist minister, came from Highland was one of the
preachers, and Bro. Nelson Hoover held service for Church of Christ.
In the year 1914 Mrs. Emmaline Doyel and Gilbert Doyel
returned to Waters bringing with them Wilford Hampton. They held
meetings in a brush arbor, that meeting lasted 13 weeks.
In 1915 the first Union Church was built at Waters. The
church was built under the hill just north of the Pine Ridge
Cemetery with the front facing north. Logs for the church were sawed
by Craig's sawmill, located north of Pine ridge, and the community
donated labor at the mill.
A board made up of one representative from each denomination
governed the new church. Each denomination could hold a two-week
revival at any tine, other denominations giving their Sunday when
needed, and the board would extend their time. Each denomination had
one Sunday a month and on the fifth Sunday they had singing.
The second Sunday of May was set aside as an annual day of
decoration, Mothers Day and Children's day, graves were decorated
with children giving recitation and singing songs honoring mothers.
Dinner was served on the church ground, and the afternoon was spent
singing.
In 1958 the old church was torn down and a new one built west of the
old one and with the front facing the East. The present church has
recently been vinyl sided, new windows, pews, upholstered new ramp,
new metal roof, floors redone, new front doors, sound system and
A/C, thanks to donations by caring and interested people.
The church bell will ring one hundred years. In the past, it
was rung for the Sunday school to start, and toiled when there was a
death, letting the community know. It was tolled one year year year
lived, and in an emergency it was rang to let people know.
We will have singing, different people giving genealogy of families,
and any interesting events pertaining to the church and community,
also history of the church will begin the event. Refreshments will
follow the meeting. [this was in 2012]
Montgomery County ArkansasGenWeb Project
In 2004 there were about forty-five churches in
Montgomery County.
In 1988 there was a total of 58 churches: 57 Protestant, 1 Catholic
Church should last beyond 11 but not noon on Sunday.
Sulphur Springs Baptist Church. A pretty little church with a red roof. The church was built in 1912. Joseph Hughes built the pews and his son Joseph Raymond Hughes was a preacher there.
