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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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