In 1893 a group left Briner Christian Church. They wanted their own building and baptismal pool. This was the beginning of Lovely Hill Missionary Baptist Church. The church’s early days were humble. Meetings were held under a grape arbor on Railroad Avenue. Later Reverend Joseph Mainard donated land. The first church building was constructed there.
Rev John W Wright Sr served as the first pastor. The congregation grew. Over the years many pastors led Lovely Hill Missionary Baptist Church. These included Rev Morris Wright Sr Rev Kerse Rev D S Wells Rev J W Collins Rev Eddie Davis and Rev H W Hooks. Rev Hooks also founded Hook Zion Baptist Church now known as Hill Zion Missionary Baptist Church.
Rev C J Adams and Rev Rhodes also served. A significant event occurred from 1961 to 1962. Rev J A Curry was pastor. During this time the current church building was constructed. A building committee oversaw the project. This included Rev Paul Haynes Mrs E P Keith Mrs Matilda Montgomery Deacon John Mazyck Deacon Ned Randolph Deacon George Washington and Deacon Frank Cain.
Later Rev Stroy then Rev A C Wright Jr led the church. Rev Wright served for 35 years. Under his leadership the church expanded. An educational building was added. This included a library a nursery classrooms and a kitchen with a dining area. Rev Wright passed away in 2000.
Rev F D Hunt became the interim pastor. He served for five years. During his tenure a children’s church ministry a summer enrichment program and a youth drill team were established. Significant renovations were made to the sanctuary. In 2006 Rev W J Frierson became pastor. He and his wife joined the church in 2011.
A major construction project took place in 2011. A kitchen and dining area were added. This was to accommodate the growing congregation and serve the community better. In 2012 Lovely Hill Missionary Baptist Church joined the World Wide Web. A website was created to share the good news. In July 2013 a ribbon cutting ceremony celebrated a new 7000 square foot multipurpose building. The building has a large dining area a kitchen showers and a media loft. It can serve as a shelter during natural disasters. Lovely Hill Missionary Baptist Church continues to grow and serve its community. Its story is one of faith perseverance and growth.