Church records, Searcy Baptist Church, LaSalle Parish, La. Submitted by Bobby Gough ********************************************** Copyright. All rights reserved. http://usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://usgwarchives.net/la/lafiles.htm ********************************************** This History of Searcy Baptist Church was written by Mrs. Cora Gough who served as Treasurer for many years. This Church History was originally published in the Jena Times in the mid 1970s. It is being presented to the LADATA RootsWeb by Bobby J. Gough, born and raised in the church and son of Mr. and Mrs A.D. Gough who were members of the early church. Searcy Baptist Church was first called Mission Hill Baptist Church. It was located in the Ganey community west of Searcy, and south of the road to Little Creek. There was also a small congregation holding services in the Ganey School, which was located at the site of the present Searcy Church. Circuit riders passing through, regardless of denomination, served a preachers for the Searcy community. In 1925, Rev. R. E. Pearson, a Baptist Minister moved into the Searcy community just west of Campbell crossing. Rev. Pearson was interested in organizing a church and began making plans Since the Mission Hill Church was so small, it was decided that Mission Hill Church would combine with the Searcy congregation and form a new church. It was around this same time that the Ganey school was consolidated with Trout-Goodpine High School. The abandoned two-roomed school building was purchased from Mr. Jim Whatley of Eden for $400. The partition was removed from between the rooms and a platform was built at one end. Church benches were constructed from the lumber removed from the partition(This writer can still remember those original benches). Thus the Mission Hill Baptist Church of Searcy was organized in 1926 by members in both the Ganey and Searcy communities. The Church continued to meet in the old school until 1942 when a renovation effort resulted in a larger auditorium and additional class rooms. A small dwelling house was moved from Trout and renovated for a parsonage. It was later remodelled and was still in use in the mid 70s. On Wednesday night May 13, 1942, the name was changed to Searcy Baptist Church. Sometime in the early 1950s, the town of Rochell, LA. was essentially abandonned because the big lumber mill closed down. It was probably about the same time when the big mills at Trout and at Goodpine began to decline. Rochell Baptist Church disbanded and the Searcy church purchased an octagon shapped building for $500. This building, with Mr. A.D. Gough as head carpenter, was completely disassembled piece by piece and reassembled in like manner on the back of the Search Baptist Church. This octagon building was used as class rooms and fellowship hall. The old original benches were used in the additional class rooms. More modern walnut church pews were purchased from a church in Olla, LA.(I think Methodist). These pews were moved from Olla to the Searcy Church by flat bed truck belonging to the father of Mr. Woodie Cooper. Laborors for this effort were Woodie Cooper, Kenneth McCartney and Bobby Gough. During the 1960s, the congregation began saving for a new church building. On June 3, 1970 the church voted to borrow $25,000 toward the construction of a new building. Bro. A.D.Erwin served as chairman of the building committee. Bro. Lawson Stringer served a chief carpenter. The new brick structure was dedicated in 1973 under the leadership of Rev. E.W. Zimmerebner. A few of the deacons that have served the church over the years are: Clabe Ganey, George Jones, Tom Mobley, Charley Doughty, Mick Mills, Clarence Paul, Harvey Cureington, Odom Davis, J.S. Vinson, Em Stringer, Ellis Taylor(Little Cap), Robert Garrett, Lamar McCartney, Ottis Stringer, Rube Watson, Genie Cockerham, Lawson Stringer, A. D. Gough, Ivy McDowell, W.C. Doughty, Mack Cannon, Jeff Campbell and A. D. Erwin ( My appologies to any that have been inadvertently not included). Pastors that have served from the beginning to this writing are: The Reverends: R.C. Myers, 1926-31; R.E. Pearson, 1931-33; Doughty, 1933-34; Key Wilson, 1936-37; Townsend, 1937-39; Shadrach Brooks, 1940-42; Charles Blackmon, 1942-43; M.F. Doughty, 1943-44; R.E. Pearson, 1944-45; Steve Caskey, 1945-47; O. G. Cannon, 1947-52; Oscar Bradford, 1952-57; Harvey Smith, 1957-59; Grover Ganey, 1959-61; Donald Lemons, 1961-64; Ed Jelks, 1964-68; Aaron Paul Erwin, 1968-70; E.W. Zimmerebner, 1970-73; Hardy Bingham(interim), 1973; Leslie McCartney, 1973-75; Alton Fleming, 1975 to time of this writing. Two of the men were ordained as ministers by Search Baptist Church. Rev. Grover Ganey and Rev. Aaron Paul Erwin. Six of the pastors were single men when they came to the church. Three were married while serving as pastor. Donald Lemons married Sarah Beth Cooper; Ed Jelks married Glenda Cannon and Oscar Bradford married Melba McGuffy. Charles Blackmon, Shadrack Brooks and Aaron Paul Erwin married after serving as pastor.