Originally called Mount Zion Baptist Church, formed in 1806, it took the name of Milledgeville Baptist Church in 1834 when it withdrew from the Ocmulgee Association and entered the Central Association. James Barrow was one of the principal founders.
      Although assigned a building lot on the south public square, the first location of the church was on the North Commons at the intersection of Montgomery and Liberty. This church, as well as the Presbyterian, Episcopal and  Methodist churches was built on State House Square by an act of the General Assembly approved December 6, 1822, which authorized all Christian denominations to build upon the State house square houses of worship on half acre lots. These churches were  located on Greene St. facing North.  See Statehouse pictures and 1830 Map of Milledgeville. The second location was the North gate Capitol Square by 1830, burned in 1886. The foundation for the new church was laid in March 1887 and completed in 1888. It was  located on North Wayne Street, north of Masonic Hall.   On December  7, 1952 the church with a membership of 1,200 moved into its present location on South Liberty St.  across from Memory Hill Cemetery.
     Some early pastors: Edmund Shackleford, Adiel Sherwood, Iverson L. Brooks, C.S. Mallary 1834-1836, S.G. Hilyer 1838-1844, John Francis Dagg 1847-1850, William Clay Wilkes 1850,S.G. Daniel 1850-1855, Napoleon Alexander Baily after 1865, Edward Butler 1868-1877, A.J. Beck 1878 - 1885, J.D. Chapman 1887 - 1894, John A. Wray, Lamar Sims, J.F.Singleton 1911, Harold Major, J. C. Wilkinson