HIGHLAND BAPTIST CHURCH

HIGHLAND BAPTIST CHURCH

The Beginning

This is not my original work but written by my mother to put in a booklet that was handed out at the 1976 Homecoming at Highland Baptist Church. I think the history is interesting and thought some of my followers might think so also. I will share this just as my mom wrote it. 

Psalms 127:1: Except the Lord build the house, they labor in vain that build it.

     In the late years of 1930 and early 1940's, the Lord was beginning to gather his children in the community of the Highland Homesites of Knox County Tennessee to help build a house of God in the community for his name sake, Jesus who is the head of the Church. Ephesians 1:22. All things working together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose, Romans 8:28. Like Abraham of Old, not knowing what was ahead, but being led by the Holy Spirit of God, Brother Ed Spencer moved in the community of Highland Homesites in June, 1941. On Edmondson Road, where he moved, was a widow, Mrs. Bertha Lansden, who had nine children who had no way of going to another community to church. Brother Spencer began loading his car with children and taking them back to Grove City Church with him for services. So God began his work by the Holy Spirit saying we need a church in this  community; and seeing the great need, Mr Spencer with his cousin, Ernest Warwick, who had moved next door to him, began to talk and discuss and Sunday School in the afternoons on Sunday and also Mr. Warwick said the Lord had called him to preach. So God knowing all things, the time came when Mr. Spencer and Mr. Warwick began to fulfill God's will.

     There was an abandoned Murphy's Chapel Church building on Luttrell Road belonging to the Methodist Conference and after prayer and faith, Mr. Spencer and Mr. Warwick went to see, along with Mrs Spencer and Mrs. Landsen, Mr Luttrell who had charge of the building and were given permission to use it. Mrs Spencer and Mrs. Landsen carried tubs of water in the back of the car and cleaned the building and got it ready for our first Sunday School which was the first Sunday and first day of February 1942. After Sunday School, Mr. Warwick preached.

     We had between 30 or 35 people present our first Sunday. The Lord began to bless the services so it was decided to have Saturday night services. We used oil lamps as we had no electricity. There was an old organ Mrs. Spencer played and people began to be saved and the work was abounding for about 4 1/2 months; and of course, the adversary, the Devil, was mad because of God's blessings so he sent the Bishop of the Methodist Church to tell us we could not use the building any longer, trying to discourage God's people and his work. But Romans 8:31, What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who an be against us? It was God working out his plan for a church in this community.

      One Sunday night Mr. Spencer started to Old Beverly to church and met Mr. Jim Davis coming to his home to discuss organizing a church.  Mr. and Mrs. Jim Davis and Mr. and Mrs. Joe Smith had moved on Babelay Road and had attended some of the services at Murphey's Chapel and God was speaking to them also since there was no church in the community. Mrs. Davis was very reluctant about buying in this community until Mr. J.C. Cameron who owned the Highland Homesites said he would give a lot for a church.  After discussing the need of a church and God laying on the hearts of people, the church was constituted on July 5, 1942, in the yard of Mr. and Mrs. Jim Davis. Other churches present were Lincoln Park Baptist Church, their pastor Reverend David Livingston, Grove City Church, with their pastor Reverend D. W. Lindsay, and many other churches which I can't recall. The church was constituted the Babelay Road Missionary Baptist Church, but was changed to Highland Missionary Baptist Church after the Highland Homesite additions the first business meeting. The church was not a mission from some sister church but was a full self supporting Baptist Church. The charter members were: Mr. and Mrs. Joe Smith, Mr. and Mrs. Ernest Warwick, Mrs Bertha Landsen, Miss Betty Rhea Smith, Alfred Martin, John Spencer, Mr. and Mrs. James G. Davis, Mr. and Mrs. James E. Spencer, Mrs. Elizabeth Davis Rouse, Mrs. Mary Smith, J.T. Smith.

     The Lord sent in people who had a mind to work and build the House of God. The first meeting was probably held in the new building the last of August, 1942. Reverend T.T. Lewis was called to be the first pastor of the church and was there five months. Mr. Lewis began preaching in the church by using a large oil drum for a pulpit stand until one was built. Ernest Warwick was called and pastored for six months. The Lord had called Mr. Spencer to preach about five years before, but he was trying to do everything but preach. He was the first deacon and also the first Sunday School Superintendent of Highland Church. After he became obedient to the call God had given him, the church called him as their pastor and he was ordained July 4, 1943. He pastored for five years until God called from House Mountain Church. He went there as their pastor and after three years at House Mountain Church, Highland called again and he pastored for another three years. 

        There has been many a problem and many  hills to climb and many valleys, but God has been with the church through them all. And the mountain tops have been so wonderful, you forget the valleys and press on to the mark of the  High calling in our blessed Lord and Savior Jesus Christ who is the head of the church and also knowing our labor is not in vain in the Lord, 1 Chronicles 28:20, And David said to Solmon his son, be strong and of good courage and do it; fear not nor be dismayed; for the Lord God even my God will be with thee, he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee, until thou hast finished all work for the service of the house of the Lord.

     Philippians 1:6. Being confident of this very thing that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ. Ephesians 5:27, That he might present it to himself a glorious church not having spot or wrinkle, or any such thing, but that it should be holy and without blemish. Revelation 14:13, And I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Write, Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth: Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labours; and their works do follow them. 

The is in entirety all that my mom wrote. A little lengthy post but a true account of someone who was there from the beginning. It has been brought to my attention and I want to make a clarification to this post without making any changes in my mom's original wording. She said that "One Sunday night Mr. Spencer started to Old Beverly to church...." She did not mean the church that is now the Old Beverly Baptist Church but rather the original Beverly Baptist Church before it was split and became Old Beverly and New Beverly.  That happened many years after Highland Baptist was organized. I hope that clears up any misunderstanding about the time frame.  I figure I was the second baby born after the church was built. The Warwicks had a baby named Nancy that was born in January of 1943 and I was born in  February 1943. I never thought that my son Byron would one day be the Pastor and that I again would attend and move my membership there. Below are some pictures of the church from the original building to the one I will be attending tomorrow. 

The Original Building

Finished Church

Addition to the side 

The Present Church