Weakley County Baptist Association

CHURCH HISTORY

 

On December 10, 1879, James Smythe sold one acre for $50.00 to the Gleason Baptist Church. The deed was recorded on February 2, 1880, at 4:20 P.M. This one acre is the present site of the Gleason First Baptist Church.

 

In the fall of 1887, the Weakley County Baptist Association was formed and Gleason First Baptist was one of the charter members and listed as such in the first minutes. From the records the church must have been organized in the latter part of 1887.

 

The first pastor recorded was G. C. Hearn in 1888. The first mentioned salary for the pastor was $150.00 per year. The church met only once a month in those days. The total membership of the church was 33 and the associational minutes recorded the contribution of this church as $1.00. However, the entire association, consisting of 21 churches, contributed only $22.75. The church first entertained the Associational Annual meeting in 1892.

 

On July 1, 1922, the church decided to have a “house cleaning” by disbanding. They reorganized the same day and received those coming forth as the members of the new church. Bro. Willie Chadwick was pastor at that time.

 

On October 5, 1930 the church asked permission to withdraw from the Weakley Association in order to join the Carroll County Association. However the church returned to Weakley in 1937.

 

There have been many successful building programs conducted over the years including new worship centers. Many preachers have been ordained and sent out to preach the Gospel from First Baptist Gleason.