Pleasant Hill Baptist church was orgainzed in the year 1876, and it
is the oldest church to be organized that is in the Turner Baptist Association.
The first records that can be found of the Church Minutes are dated July
31, 1876.
The following information is taken from History of Turner County.
"In or about 1866, Rev. James R. Fields, who was a missionary, organized
a church called Emmeus which was near Davisville. He then 'extended
an arm' or formed missions in several places, and the following churches
were organized in or about 1876: Pleasant Hill, near Rebecca (then Grover);
Big Creek, near Irwinville; and Salem, near Rochelle.
Rev. Fields was the first Pastor of Pleasant Hill and also served as
pastor of other churches at the same time as Pleasant Hill met only one
week-end each month. Conference was held on Saturday and preaching
on Sunday.
Most of the land of the Church and Cemetery was donated by Wiley Nasworthy,
and the deeds are dated August 24, 1888; and recorded in the Clerk's office
of Wilcox County, Georgia, as Rebecca was in Wilcox County at that time.
This is probably when the present church building was erected, but records
to confirm this cannot be found. Another acre of land was prchased
in 1926 from W. K. Holt to be used as part of the Cemetery.
According to older members of the Church the first meeting place was
in a brush arbor. Many people have referred to the Church as "Old
double Run", but in the old Minutes the heading of each Minutes reads "Pleasant
Hill Baptist Church, Wilcox County, Georgia."
The Church was in the Little River Baptist Association from 1876 until
1923 when it moved into the Turner Baptist Association.
Rev. T. R. Bullington was the first preacher to be ordained in the Church
(October 2, 1877). Rev. Bullington has many descendants in and around
Turner County.
Some of the first members of the Church were Mr. and Mrs. T. R. Bullington,
Mr. and Mrs. Lawson Smith, James B. Smith, Thomas Gibbs, Isabella Rainey,
and Susie Rainey. These are names signed on the first Church Decorum.
The following is copied from the first decorum:
1. We believe it to be the duty of all male members to attend monthly
conference, and sisters as often as convenient.
2. Any male member failing to attend monthly conference for the first
time, he shall state the cause of his non-attendance at the next conference.
For the second in succession he shall be admonished as not living in discharge
of his duty as a Christian member, and for the third time he shall be cited
to give satisfaction to the Chuch for his non-attendance.
3. There shall be no case brought in the Church as a matter of dealing
with a member except it be brought in Gospel order.
4. Any member wishing to speak upon any matter under debate shall rise
from his seat and address the moderator.
5. There shall only one speak at the same time upon any subject under
debate.
6. No peron shall rise more than thrice and speak on the same subject
without lief of the moderator.
7. No person shall be interrupted except he depart from the subject.
8. There shall be no whispering and laughing in time of public speaking,
nor reflections cast upon the speaker.
9. No member shall absentee himself from the conference without lief
of the moderator.
10. Every motion made and second shall come under the notice of the
Church except it be withdrawn by the member who made it.
11. No member shall be interrupted when standing and speaking until
he shall have given his views except he depart from the subject.
12. The moderator by filling his seat may give his views on any matter
brought before the Church before putting it to a vote.
13. If any member of the Church shall give a party of dance at any party
or give aide to any party, their presence in any way, they shall consider
themselves cited to conference.
14. If any member shall refuse to commune they shall make the cause
know to the deacons of their refusal.
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