A Bit of History

Our Foundation

About the year 1891, a group of Wilkes, Lincoln, Oglethorpe, and Elbert County ministers, deacons, and laymen felt a need for a religious organization.  The motive for this organization was to bring the Baptist in the above counties into greater relationship for Christian growth, spiritual development, fellowship, unity, for the uplifting of God’s Kingdom on earth, to bring to the focus of the people the importance of education in the Baptist Doctrine, and to religiously educate and train youth according to the Baptist covenant.

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This organization was to serve as a citadel of hope for people whose faith had been under-minded by the aftermath of the civil war and to encourage former slaves to become independent citizens and stalwart Christians.

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This group of interested and determined Christians met from time to time discussing important issues that confronted the group.  Strongly believing in the Baptist faith and Christian responsibility with churches and missions throughout the world, the founders, like John the Baptist and Jesus Himself may properly be spoken of as missionaries.  For truly, they had been sent to proclaim the will of God to man.  It is clear from the commands of Christ that everyone who would be a child of God must also be in some sense of the word a missionary.

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Realizing the need for stronger and more dedicated missionaries, this formed the basis for the naming of this organization, the Third Shiloh Missionary Baptist Association.  Through this organization, each member would be able to reach more people in their missionary work.  Realizing that every organization must have a group of officers, the members began to look among themselves to elect a slate of officers which consisted of a moderator, vice moderator, secretary, assistant secretary, and a treasurer.