A Brief History of the
Bridges Creek Missionary
Baptist Church
(also known as Baptist Hill Church)
Bakersfield, Missouri

God Shed His Grace on Thee, by Terry Redlin
From the America the Beautiful series.

      Bridges Creek Missionary Baptist Church, also known as Baptist Hill Church, was organized on September 7, 1874 with about ten charter members. Some of these members were John Wiles, Julia (Wiles) Howard, T.P. Wiles, Simp Wiles, and Margaret Wiles.  Robert Wiles was the first pastor.

       The first church was built on four acres of land that was deeded to the church by Marion and Lydia Pence.  The building was made of logs and stood at the west end of the cemetery. This building was used for abot eighteen years. Around 1892, a frame building was erected on the site of the present church building.  This building caught fire and burned during Sunday School about 1912.  Church services were held at nearby Plum Hollow School until another building could be built.  The present building was completed in 1917.  The front porch was added in 1965, and the classrooms were finished in 1985.

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