Pine Grove Baptist Church
New Sanctuary of Pine Grove Baptist Church
New Pine Grove Baptist Church
Pine Grove Baptist Church Friends and neighbors around the Jackson and Sneadsboro Roads were gathering in homes, around about the community and having worship services to praise God for sparing their homes, loved ones and friends in the Civil War, which had just ended a short seven years before. On Saturday, January 5, 1871, while snow fell onto the ground, the men of the community gathered to cut logs and timber to make slab seats and so formed a brush arbor. On Christmas Day Sunday, January 6, 1871, broke cold and snowing. With plenty of snow on the ground, the men went into the brush arbor and built fires for an afternoon service. With cold feet wading through the snow, the people of the community gathered and waited the arrival of Rev. McInvaille of Hartsville, SC who was invited to help organize the church. The weather proved to be too rough for Rev. McInvaille’s trip from Hartsville. As they set there in that cold brush arbor, songs of praise were sung, prayers were made and hearts burned at the thought of the great challenge that lay before them. The charter members of the church were: Mr. and Mrs. A. J. Eddins, Mr. and Mrs. Nehemiah Eddins, Mr. and Mrs. Elisha Smith, Jesse Smith, Riley Smith, William Malloy, Mr. and Mrs. Benjamin Teal, Mr. and Mrs. Isaac Smith, Mrs. William Lee, Mr. and Mrs. W. B. Davis, Richard Powell, Ann Powell, Susanna Adams, Mrs. Griggs and Mr. and Mrs. Minor Hough. Richard Powell gave the land for the first church to be built and the church was on its way. (This land is near the location of the present cemetery.) At the first protracted meeting, fourteen more joined Pine Grove Church. They were: Miles Thurman, Viney Hinson, Betty Smith, Margaret Smith, Sarah Smith, Rosa Smith, Mr. and Mrs. Calvin Rivers, Loud Eddins, Mr. and Mrs. Atkinson, Mr. and Mrs. Sam Brock and Sam Evans. During the days that followed, the men joined together and brought lumber from various points. Not long afterwards, the building was erected and the church was serving the glory of God. Rev. McInvaille, from Hartsville, served as the first pastor of Pine Grove. His pastorate began in 1781. The people met for worship a number of years in this church, which was also used as a school. On Friday evening after school, the children would clean up the inside and outside for Sunday’s worship service. In 1896, the church drew together her people and they built a new church. It was across the road from the old one. (This Church would be in front of the present church.) The building committee consisted of Rev. A. J. Eddins, J. H. White, E. T. King, A. Rivers, and M. D. Melton. It seemed that everyone enjoyed seeing the new building go up. The children helped in a great way. The boys would carry the lumber to the men and the girls kept the scrap piles out of the way. The ladies brought the food and water to the hard working men. Many ways were used to raise the money for this building. In 1899 the church voted to dispose of the old church building and decided that it be used for a school if possible. The WMU president for the Chesterfield Baptist Association in 1909 was Sallie Eddins of Pine Grove Church. Pine Grove was the first church to organize a WMU in the Chesterfield Baptist Association. During the Rev. J. T. DeArmond’s pastorate, the men and women of Pine Grove added the Sunday school rooms to the church. On Sunday, March 19, 1956, Pine Grove Church broke ground for the new building (our present church [before 2005].) On August 12, 1956 the first baptism was held in the new church even though it was not totally completed. On November 4, 1956, the first service was held in the new building. A. J. Eddins had a short talk. His topic was “The Lord is my Sheppard, I shall not want.” Rev. G. C. Caulder’s sermon was entitled “David’s Song.” On June 12, 1956, the first homecoming was held in the new church building. In 1960 the members of Pine Grove burned the mortgage on the church. On October 5, 1975, Pine Grove Baptist Church began its radio ministry, “Victory in Jesus,” over WCPL 102.3 in Pageland, SC. In 1980 the church purchased additional land and built the Sunday school educational addition to the church. The mortgage on the Sunday school educational addition was burned on August 29, 1982. In 1984 the second phase of the Sunday school educational addition was completed. It added four large classrooms on the second level. New tables and chairs were purchased for all the Sunday school classrooms. In the summer of 1985, the large trees near the church building were cut and the trunks leveled, the grounds of the church were leveled and the sidewalks were added as well as landscaping with shrubs and small trees. In 1986 a new church sign was erected on the front lawn. On August 22, 1985, Pine Grove became incorporated by the State of South Carolina and shall be known as Pine Grove Baptist Church of Chesterfield. On January 25, 1987 Rev. Jackie Hinson resigned from Pine Grove Baptist Church effective February 22, 1987. A pulpit committee was formed and on January 10, 1988 Rev. Stanley Carver was voted in as the new pastor for Pine Grove Baptist Church. On August 4, 1991, Rev. Tom Rutan preached a trial sermon and was called to pastor the church. On November 22, 1992 the church observed Floyd Campbell Memorial Day with a service honoring him for two decades of being “door keeper” for Pine Grove. A permanent marker was placed at the foot of his resting-place. In 1993, Pine Grove started a Children’s Church, a summer Youth Program, and a scholarship fund. In 1994 Pine Grove completed its first church directory and completed a playground for the youth. Due to health problems, Luke Gulledge resigned on March 19, 1995 as church treasurer after 25 years of service. Penny Caulder Dixon was hired to work part-time as financial secretary. On February 23, 1997, Pine Grove elected a building committee to start working on the plans for a new sanctuary and fellowship hall. On October 29, 2000 Rev. Tom Rutan submitted his resignation to the church effective December 31, 2000. A search committee was formed the first part of the year to find a new pastor. A Dedication of Hymnals was held on April 1, 2001. The church changed from the Broad man Hymnals to the new Baptist Hymnals. On May 6, 2002 Dr. Paul Sullivan was voted to serve as interim pastor. After much work, extensive renovations were completed on the interior of the church and the parsonage. On Sunday, April 7, 2002, members were thrilled with all that had been done to beautify the sanctuary. Rev. Bobby Jones was called as the new pastor of Pine Grove on April 7, 2007. He moved here on May 16, 2002 and preached his first sermon on May 26, 2002. On April, 13, 2002, Pine Grove voted to purchase the land for the new Connie Maxwell Children’s Home to be built in Chesterfield. The facility will be on Zoar Road, within a mile of Pine Grove Church. On April 16, 2002 Pine Grove Baptist Church hosted the Association Spring Meeting. We now come to worship in a place where our forefather worshipped and we have built unto that which they begun. The foundation of this church has been our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, and with this foundation Pine Grove will prosper in the years to come.