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History of Highland
Baptist Church as was written in the booklet, "Highland
Baptist Church in the beginning."
 
In the late years of 1930 and early 1940's, the Lord was
beginning to gather his children in the community of the
Highland Homesites of Knox County Tennessee to help build a
house of God in the community for his name sake, Jesus who is
the head of the Church. Ephesians 1:22. All things working
together for good to them that love God, to them who are the
called according to His purpose, Romans 8:28. Like Abraham of
Old, not knowing what was ahead, but being led by the Holy
Spirit of God, Brother Ed Spencer moved in the community of
Highland Homesites in June, 1941. On Edmondson Road, where he
moved, was a widow, Mrs. Bertha Lansden, who had nine children
who had no way of going to another community to church. Brother
Spencer began loading his car with children and taking them back
to Grove City Church with him for services. So God began his
work by the Holy Spirit saying we need a church in this
community; and seeing the great need, Mr. Spencer with his
cousin, Ernest Warwick, who had moved next door to him, began to
talk and discuss a Sunday School in the afternoons on Sunday and
also Mr. Warwick said the Lord had called him to preach. So God
knowing all things, the time came when Mr. Spencer and Mr.
Warwick began to fulfill God's will.
There was an
abandoned Murphy's Chapel Church building on Luttrell Road
belonging to the Methodist Conference and after prayer and
faith, Mr. Spencer and Mr. Warwick went to see, along with Mrs.
Spencer and Mrs. Lansden carried tubs of water in the back of
the car and cleaned the building and got it ready for our first
Sunday School which was the first Sunday and first day of
February 1942. After Sunday School, Mr. Warwick preached.
We had between 30
or 35 people present our first Sunday. The Lord began to
bless the services so it was decided to have Saturday night
services. We used oil lamps as we had no electricity. There was
an old organ Mrs. Spencer played and people began to be saved
and the work was abounding for about 4 1/2 months; and of
course, the adversary, the Devil, was mad because of God's
blessings so he sent the Bishop of the Methodist Church to tell
us we could not use the building any longer, trying to
discourage God's people and his work. But Romans 8:31, What
shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be
against us? It was God working out his plan for a church in the
community.
 One Sunday night
Mr. Spencer started to Old Beverly to church and met Mr. Jim
Davis coming to his home to discuss organizing a church. Mr. and
Mrs. Jim Davis and Mr. and Mrs. Joe Smith had moved on Babelay
Road and had attended some of the services at Murphy's Chapel
and God was speaking to them also since there was no church in
the community. Mr. Davis was very reluctant about buying in this
community until Mr. J.C. Cameron who owned the Highland
Homesites said he would give a lot for a church. After
discussing the need of a church and God laying on the hearts of
people, the church was constituted on July 5, 1942, in the yard
of Mr. and Mrs. Jim Davis. Other churches present were Lincoln
Park Baptist Church, their pastor Reverend D.W. Lindsay, and
many other churches which I can't recall. The church was
constituted the Babelay Road Missionary Baptist
Church, but was
changed to Highland Missionary Baptist Church after the Highland
Homesite additions the first business meeting. The church was
not a mission from some sister church but was a full
self-supporting Baptist Church. The charter members were:
Mr. and Mrs. Joe Smith
Mr. and Mrs. Ernest
Warwick
Mrs. Bertha Lansden
Miss Betty Rhea Smith
Alfred Martin
John Spencer
Mr. and Mrs. James G.
Davis
Mr. and Mrs. James E.
Spencer
Mrs. Elizabeth Davis Rouse
Mrs. Mary Smith
J.T. Smith
Go
to page 2 of History....
Click here for a record of Church
Ministers
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