Our History

Mountain Springs Baptist Church had it’s beginning in a schoolhouse that was built in 1857. Over the next three years, Sunday morning worship services were held and various denominations met together with an average attendance of more than 200, many walking five or six miles to attend services. At the request of the brethren and neighbors of the Mountain Springs School house, a ‘protracted meeting’ was begun on the 3rd Sabbath in October of 1860 and continued to meet in the school house.

In 1878, the church body purchased 2 acres of land beside the school from the Methodist Episcopal Denomination (records indicate that his land was always set aside for worship services, never having been owned or deeded to any other than church organizations). While written records as well as pictures prove the existence of a second church building, the date of its construction remains a mystery. But church minutes document repairs and enlargements to the ‘shingled building’. On October 14, 1941, this building was totally destroyed by fire. Worship services were held in the old Woodman Hall building located on land adjacent to the church property. The church persevered through a most challenging fourteen month period after the fire. We must admire and be encouraged by the spirit of that generation who were determined, under the leadership of the Holy Spirit, to rebuild a church at this place, despite the many difficulties involved in obtaining supplies during wartime. A new church building was erected and dedicated on March 14, 1943. By 1958, about fifty boys and girls were attending Sunday School classed in the Woodman Hall every Sunday besides the other classes that needed to be divided. The decision was made to build an educational building. Those buildings later served as our church fellowship hall and educational space, with an auditorium that was build and dedicated in 1968. The sanctuary was renovated extensively in 1995.

In 1857, God blessed the group who met to worship. In 1860, God blesses the constitution of these believers as Mountain Springs Baptist Church. When there was destruction by fire in 1941, He provided a place to worship until a new building was built and completed in 1943. In, 1958, when the congregation grew too large for the existing buildings, He provided a larger place to worship. In 1968, He made it possible to build a new sanctuary. He is still working in Mountain Springs Baptist Church. In 2002, the need for larger facilities became evident once again. Discussions began about the future needs of the church. In March of 2004, 8 acres of land were purchased across the street from the current facility. By October 1 of that same year, the land was paid for in full. The next month, an additional 7 acres of land adjacent to the previously purchased 8 acres became available and the church purchased that land. On April 19, 2006, the church raised the funds to pay off the land debt.

On Sunday, June 1, 2008, Pastor Tracy Ivester led Mountain Springs in a ground breaking ceremony on the site of their new church facility. On Sunday, January 10, 2010, the congregation held a Transition Service, where they worshiped in remembrance at the old facility, worshiped in transition as they marched up to the new building, and then worshiped in expectation in the new sanctuary. The new facility consists of 16 classrooms, offices, kitchen, designated areas for youth and children and worship space seating for 350 with choir and music facilities. The building was designed by Neal and Prince Architects of Greenville and construction by Cely Construction of Greenville.