“A seed was planted and a dream was born.” These words capture the very beginning of Oak Hill Baptist Church. It started over sixty years ago with a small group. They wanted to form a Southern Baptist Church. This was in the Oak Hill-Melody Hills area.
Let’s step back to January 24, 1960. The group met in Mr. and Mrs. John Hughes’ home. C.E. Wiley, an area missionary, organized the meeting. Dr. E.H. Moore, State Executive Secretary, was the guest speaker. This meeting sparked the idea for Oak Hill Baptist Church.
In June 1960, the group met with Keck Avenue Baptist Church’s Missions Committee. The committee agreed to sponsor the new church. On July 10, 1960, Oak Hill Chapel was formed. Twenty-five people attended the first service.
Rev. Paul Bowles became the mission’s first pastor in September 1960. He served for two years. Keck Avenue helped the mission buy its first property. They began worshiping there in August 1961.
In March 1963, Rev. William Tucker became the second pastor. This was after Rev. William Weedman served as interim. During Rev. Tucker’s time, the mission bought more land. It was at the corner of Oak Hill and Bergdolt Roads.
October 6, 1963, marked a big day. Oak Hill Chapel became Oak Hill Baptist Church. It was officially a Southern Baptist church. Sixty-eight members joined. The church broke ground for a new building in September of that year. Rev. William Carter became pastor in August 1964. The new building was finished in April 1965.
Oak Hill Baptist Church continued to grow. In March 1985, Rev. Glen Flowers became pastor. Before him were Rev. Joe Hasson, Rev. Roy Jones, and Rev. Irvin Parrett. The church expanded its educational facilities in January 1988. This was part of the “Together We Build” program.
In 1998, Oak Hill Baptist Church added more educational space. Members built it with cash and volunteer work. In 2000, the church started a weekday childcare ministry. OHBC Childcare still cares for over 100 children daily.
Rev. Glen Flowers retired in 2006 after 21 years. Rev. Alan Scott became the next pastor. By early 2008, the church needed more space. They began building a multipurpose worship and education space. It was dedicated in October 2008. This allowed for more worshipers, bible study groups, and children’s programs.
Between 2006 and 2014, worship attendance more than doubled. The church donated over $100,000 yearly to missions. They also sent mission teams to various locations.
Oak Hill Baptist Church partnered with Trinity Missionary Baptist Church in August 2010. Together, they built a new food pantry. In 2012, the OHBC Food Pantry served over 2000 people.
As Martha Russell said, “God has truly blessed Oak Hill Baptist Church.” Oak Hill Baptist Church had a dream that became reality. And as Pastor Alan said, “God has even greater things for us to do!” Oak Hill Baptist Church continues to serve its community today. You can see their commitment in every program they offer.