Church History
In 1886, the Hickory Grove Baptist Church began to offer services in Mount Holly.
The next year when they called a new pastor, JT Morris, he was instructed to include services in Mount Holly as often as convenient. Mount Holly Baptist Church was organized January 2, 1890 with 68 charter members. This occurred in the Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd and the church met there for the first few years of its existence before building a small white Chapel on Main Street in Mount Holly across from First Presbyterian Church.
In 1924, the church built the present sanctuary.
The Ladies Aid Society, now known as the WMU, provided much of the money to build the sanctuary. The members made quilts for sale, sold pies and ice cream, and cooked meals to sell.
Sadly, the church faced serious financial distress during the depression. The church could not meet its payments on the sanctuary and had to sell its first parsonage. Members had to sign notes to provide financial assurance for church pews and even coal for the furnace. At least one church member offered to sell his home to donate money to save the building. Many members gave sacrificially when money was very scarce.
During the three-decade pastorate of Rev. JD Williams, the church built the education building and added the pipe organ.
In 2001, after celebrating the church’s 110th Anniversary in October 2000, the church voted to build new a Fellowship Hall and office suite and to make our buildings handicap accessible. The new building was dedicated in 2003
On July 21, 2016, a fire caused by workers fixing a roof leak caused severe damage to the 1924 sanctuary and some damage to the 1954 education building. In late 2020, we were finally able to come back to our renovated sanctuary. The sanctuary was rededicated in September 2021.
Our invitation at First Baptist Church, Mount Holly, is that you would join us to embody a living faith of loving God, loving one another, and loving the world.