History

Clear Fork History

YESTERDAY

The Beginning

“Having lost our former clerk by death and with him the records of the church, it is agreed that we appoint our brothers, Frances Covington, D.C. Covington and Thomas Badget a committee to make inquiry and furnish the church with all the names of members that may come to their knowledge.” So reads the first entry in the oldest available church records of Clear Fork Baptist Church dated April 14, 1866.

In a history of Providence Knob Baptist Church written by William Gladdish and printed in the  1907 minutes of the Warren Association of Baptist was the following notation: “ In 1833, D.L. Mansfield, pastor of this church, had a great revival. It seemed to be continuous. They received members every meeting that year, 162 being received, nearly all by baptism. Out of this revival Clear Fork Church was organized with 33 names on the list.”

This was the creation of Clear Fork Baptist Church and on Dec. 5, 1833 the church was organized with those 33 members. The first pastor was D.L. Mansfield and 38 other pastors have been at Clear Fork Baptist through today.

One acre for a log cabin building was deeded to church trustees on the 4th of September 1834 by John R. Spillman for the sum of one dollar, for the love that he had for his neighbors and the great anxiety that he had for the worship on the Almighty God.

In 1870 a one acre plot adjoining church property was purchased for the purpose of building a new house of worship. The new church was completed in 1872 and a large Bible was presented to the church by B.F. Barnett and is still displayed to this day.

In 1929 because of declining membership and low attendance Clear Fork Baptist church closed it’s doors. In it’s centennial year, on Oct. 6th 1933 the church was reorganized and opened it’s doors once again. It was reorganized by nine members from other area Baptist Churches and gained 18 new members.

In 1957 the first addition to the original 1872 building was completed with eight educational rooms were constructed. A fellowship hall was built on the site of the original log church in 1967. Since this date several additional construction projects have taken place including an addition to the front of the church in 1974, an educational building in 1980, church parsonage in 1988, the steeple added in 1985 and and addition to the fellowship hall in 1986.

TODAY

Today we still are a growing church and continue to spread God’s word and work through our community.

In 1999 the church voted to begin a building fund for future construction projects.

On July 23, 2006, the church voted to build a new sanctuary that would connect to the existing building.

In November 2008 our congregation had it’s first Sunday morning worship service in a new building. This building would include 7 new Sunday School rooms.

TOMORROW

Jesus said in Matthew 6:34 ” Take therefore no thought for the morrow; for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself.”

We are not promised tomorrow but will continue to proclaim the gospel and share the message of Christ to our community.