History
On August 13, 1958, a dream was realized. Earl Anderson had dreamed for years about a Southern Baptist Church being formed in Piney Flats. The Reverend Don Strother, pastor of First Baptist Church of Bluff City, heard about Mr. Anderson's hope for a church and offered his help.
On August 17, 1959, the first meeting of what was to become Piney Flats Baptist Church was held at Mary Hughes School. The congregation consisted of people from Rocky Springs Union Church, Piney Flats Union Church, First Baptist Church of Bluff City, and others in the Piney Flats community. First Baptist Church of Bluff City sponsored the church as Piney Flats Baptist Mission; and their pastor, the Reverend Don Strother, served as Pastor.
Property was purchased in January 1959, from W.D. McDermott; and Mr. and Mrs. Dee Hicks donated to the church lot eight of the subdivision. A one-story brick structure was constructed as the church building, and the first meeting in the new facility was June 17, 1959. The building was wisely designed with a flat roof to accommodate future expansion. The first pastor for the mission, the Reverend Gene Mathis, began preaching on February 21, 1960. Additional land was purchased from R. H. Carrier in August 1961. In 1963 the church voted to become a Southern Baptist Church and elected its first deacons. On September 29, 1963, the mission was constituted a Southern Baptist Church with 97 charter members.
Additional property was purchased from Mr. and Mrs. Dee Hicks in February 1964, and a parsonage was constructed. Pastor Gene Mathis decided to return to his home state of Florida, and the Reverend William Duncan was called to be the second pastor. During Pastor Duncan's pastorate a new brick utility building was built in 1967, additional land was purchased from Mr. and Mrs. Dumas Walker in March 1968, and the first expansion of the church was completed in 1969. Pastor Duncan led the church until his untimely death in 1975. The Reverend Ed Scarbrough served as interim pastor until the Reverend Elmer Tate was called to be the third pastor in 1976. On August 13, 1978, the church had its twentieth anniversary and a note-buring service.
The Reverend Mike McCloud became interim pastor in 1983 and served until January 1984, when the Reverend Gary Thacker was called to be the fourth pastor. The second addition to the church building was completed in 1987. Pastor Thacker resigned in April 1990. Dr. Allen Davis became interim pastor in August 1990, and was called to be the fifth pastor of Piney Flats Baptist Church in July 1992. Shortly after Dr. Davis was called as pastor, a grocery store building and adjacent property were purchased to serve as an activities building for the church.
As the congregation continued to grow, the need for a new sanctuary was evident. Additional land was purchased from the Dumas Walker estate in October 2001; and a grounds thanksgiving and dedication service was held on January 27, 2002. In January 2003, the church changed the name of Piney Flats Baptist Church to Piney Flats First Baptist Church. On Easter Sunday, April 20, 2003, a groundbreaking service was held for a new sanctuary. Construction began in July 2003, and the first service in the new sanctuary was August 15, 2004. As the congregation continued to grow and the church became a home to large activites, community events, and church-wide gatherings, the need for a larger activities facility became great. In March of 2013, the church broke ground on a large multi-purpose facility. In November of 2013, Piney Flats First Baptist Church's Christian Life Center opened, with a large kitchen, additional classooms, and a gymnasium. In 2013, the Reverend Scott Greene was called as Piney Flats First Baptist Church's first assistant pastor. The church continues to grow in size and spirit, and Dr. Allen Davis still serves as senior pastor.