OUR HISTORY

Jonesboro Baptist Church started out as Jonesborough and it was an interdenominational church probably as far back as 1806.  It was the first house of worship, built of brick, and named Jonesborough Free Church.  It was the oldest church in the western half of Nelson County and the only Baptist church in the entire county prior to 1833. 

In 1845 the Baptist decided to separate from the Methodists and build their own Jonesborough Regular Baptist Church.  Church minutes indicate that finances were a major problem.  The minutes also indicate that both men and women were brought before the church at business sessions to answer charges which usually resulted in their being expelled for unchristian conduct.

On June 27, 1857 the fist Sunday School and Prayer Meeting was organized.  A Sunday School Library began the same year.  In 1857-58 the church rules of faith and order were revised.  They also became aware that the building was in a decaying state and they began to raise pledges for a new house of worship.  The frame for the building was erected but work stopped for the Civil War.  A storm blew the building over with such sever damage that following the Civil War it had to be re-cut and erected the second time.  The church was not completed for eighteen years that being 1868. 

Based on records the church remained unfinished until 1871 when $150.00 was raised to begin work on the building again. Completion of the building was delayed so long that the roof started leaking, the floor was not laid and the windows were not in.  Pledges were made and enough money raised to complete the walls, repair the roof, and build seats for the church in 1877.  The deed to the property still had not be secured.

In the fall of 1878, the final construction of the building was completed.  Preparations were made for the Abermarle Association to meet at Jonesboro in 1879.  The first contribution to the Board of the General Association was $10.35 made on August 11, 1882.  By then the church was more then fifty years old. 

It should be notes that during and after slavery, the church had on the roll as many as 231 black members.  They had seats in the church gallery and voted on receiving and expelling black members.  Four of these men went on to become preachers.

In 1883 the first envelope system was begun.  In October of 1883 $13.29 was collected to start a fund for an organ and a promise was made to raise the pastor’s salary to $100 a year.  (The organ that was later purchased still remains in the church.)  In 1888, a new roof was put on.  In 1889 the pastor’s salary was increased to $150 annually. 

The Ladies Aid Society organized in 1889 to help raise funds for the cemetery.  In January of 1892 the committee reported the purchase of three acres and 137 poles purchased for the cemetery at $20 an acre.  The deed was recorded and the grounds were to be enclosed.

Between 1893-94 Jonesboro had three branch Sunday Schools, Tyro, East Branch and Rocky Lane.  The first recorded record of Jonesboro WMU was October 1, 1895.  At this time Jonesboro was still in the Abermarle Association. 

At a church business meeting the church members took a solemn stand against certain prevailing sins: whiskey, bar-rooms, card playing and dancing.

In 1898-1902 Rev. J.O. Sessoms served as pastor.  As the church had no parsonage, a home was provided in the J. A. Hughes home.  The church voted to buy the home, but no payment was ever made.  Rev. Sessoms also served as pastor of Mount Shiloh.  He moved to Lovingston where he brought the Nelson County Times and became editor.

Rev. Sessoms sold the Nelson County Times to Rev. M. J. Webb, who also preached at Jonesboro until June, 1903.

1903-1907:  During this period the Piedmont Baptist Association was organized in the Jonesboro church and met for the first Associational meeting at Jonesboro in Tuesday and Wednesday before the third Sunday in August, 1903.  In 1903 the first Sunbeam Band, reported as Sunbeam Society, was organized and gave $12.20 to missions

In 1908 the first Young Women’s Auxiliary was formed.

All records of Jonesboro Church for the period of 1909-1919 were destroyed by fire when the home of Robert Bowling Sr., church clerk burned.

Following a revival, the church realized a need for more space for Sunday School.  The possibility of converting the galleries built for black members was discussed.  A contractor was hired as well as an architect from Lynchburg, who surveyed and drew plans for the building in 1913.  The building was to cost $10,734 with church members laying all the foundation stones, used from the old building and hauling all materials from Arrington depot.

The old building was torn down.  The old building had a division down the middle pews, with men sitting on one side and women members on the other.  The black galleries were above.  Tobacco habits required spittoons to be place during services.  This building stood for 45 years. 

After the old building was torn down, the church met at Fleetwood High School and the Oddfellows Hall in Massies Mill.  In April 1914, the Sunday School Auditorium was ready and used for worship. 

In 1915 a graded Sunday School, with twelve classrooms, was organized in May.  On Sunday, July 25, 1915 the church was dedicated, debt free, with a crowd estimated at over 1,500 attending.

In June, 1916, plans began for a church parsonage.  Work began on the building in June, 1917, and it was completed in the fall at a cost of about $2,000 including well and outbuildings.  This home was jointly owned by Jonesboro, Rose Union and Woodland.

In 1922, Mrs. John Massie led the church in buying a piano.  In 1923, new pews replaced chairs for a cost of $1,400.  In 1925 additional land was bought from Shaffer Vaughn for the cemetery and a woven fence enclosed the cemetery. New Pulpit furniture was also brought for the church.

Between 1942-1944 an electric pump was installed at the parsonage and Jonesboro held its first Vacation Bible School.

Between 1944-1949, new carpet was installed in the sanctuary, new brick steps replaced the original wooden ones and landscaping was added.

Between 1950-1952 A basement fellowship hall and kitchen was constructed under the Sunday School departments of the church and a nursery and restrooms under the choir loft of the church.  During this time the fist unified budget was adopted.  A business meeting was held on February 2, 1952 in which the church voted to go full time after June 1, 1952. 

In 1953 the remaining debt on the church basement was paid in full.  Rose Union and Woodland were paid for their share in the parsonage.  New memorial pew to match the sanctuary pews were installed in the Sunday School Auditorium.  The church interior has been painted several times.  In the early 1950’s the church cemetery grounds were cleared and seeded with the help of many hours of donated work by the men of the church.  An electric organ was installed in the church in 1958.  The cemetery roads were paved in 1960.  A parsonage furnace was installed and later a new bathroom added.  The road to the parsonage was pave in 1960.  In 1960 Homecoming was held.

In 1962, the entire exterior of the church was covered with new shingles.

In 1965, all exit doors were replaced with new ones and eight acres of land was added to the cemetery.

In 1966, the Sunday School reached an enrollment of 266 the highest in the church’s history.  A committee was appointed to use a gift of $1,000 to replace the original canvas curtain that dived the auditoriums, make repairs on the church and the parsonage heating system. 

On January 22, 1967 a motion was made and accepted to start a fund to build a new parsonage.  On February 12, 1967 the church voted to build a new parsonage on the lot behind the church.  Three acres were added to the church property.  The old parsonage was sold for $10,000.  The new brick parsonage was erected in December, 1967.

In 1969 a gift was received that was used to buy a much needed piano for the church.

In August of 1972 the entire debt for the parsonage was paid for $28,000.

On February 3, 1974 the church voted on a location for a proposed addition to the church.  The addition would be located at the back of the church, would contain Sunday School classrooms, nursery, kitchen facilities, new restrooms and a large assembly-dinning room.  It was completed December, 1974.

Since 1974 the shingles have been replaced on the church, carpet in the auditoriums have been replaced and doors replaced on the main part of the church.  In 2017, major renovation was done to the addition on the back of the church bringing it up to what is there today.

Old outdoor sign from early church.