Church History

In 1988, Dorsey Wayne Franklin, a member of First Baptist Church of Rogersville, set out to record the history of the Church. He, along with the Church, privately published two volumes of the church’s history in two books titled, First Baptist Church Rogersville, Missouri, 1908-1993 Volume I and subsequently adding Volume II for additional information.

In his dedication, Franklin writes, “These volumes are gratefully dedicated to the countless workers of Rogersville’s grand old First Baptist Church of the past. In an environment where struggling was the norm, they reached beyond their means again and again to nurture and bring to life a church that for lack of love, would have perished. It is dedicated to the workers of my generation who picked up the tools of those who fell under that load, and with their youth and strength, and the Grace of Almighty God, brought the church in full bloom to the threshold of the Twenty-First Century. It is dedicated to the workers of all the tomorrows who will pick up the lamp with renewed strength, and labor with unyielding faith and love for the Lord until He returns…”

Franklin goes on to write, “No man is born with the knowledge of history of his environment. It comes from books, and libraries, and cemeteries, and magazines, and newspapers, and from the hearts and minds and keepsake boxes of those who lived it. Information from outside sources is two dimensional, and can only breath and attain its glow and semblance of life when some human bends your ear and says---‘Let me tell you how we paid for those pews’, or ‘I heard Mrs. J.R. Johnson shout ‘GLORY TO GOD’ when her daughter was baptized back in 1908.” (Volume I, page i)

Franklin discusses how the church struggled in the early days financially stating, “The little struggling church in the heart of Rogersville tried rummage sales, café style dinners and a host of other schemes in the early days to keep the church solvent. Quite frankly those efforts failed. Later they acquired some property that looked good for rental income. They soon learned it needed a bathroom, hot water heater, painting and some roofing and flooring, and a cellar/basement full of water at times. Not to mention the problems they had keeping it rented, and then rented collecting the rent. And someone had to take care of the rental property lawn.” In addition, the church owned a parsonage as it also needed constant attention. Franklin discusses in his writings, how it was remodeled each time a new pastor moved in. (Volume I, page ii)

Franklin made note that many records were lost, or as he heard, destroyed by fire.  There are no records from the years 1908 to 1920 and the years 1929 and 1930 were missing as well.  According to Franklin from his interview with Pearl Galloway (who was there when the building caught fire), "Smoke began coming in to the building where the stove pipe entered the flue at the ceiling.  The preacher kept preaching; the congregation listened patiently and watched the smoke as it came into the church.  Finally Mr. Hamilton got up, went home, changed clothes, and brought some buckets for a brigade.  Before long the preaching was over and the fire was out." (Volume I, page XV)

The Pastor Timeline and Church History Timeline on this website page were created from Dorsey Wayne Franklin’s discoveries from past church records that he recorded in his books.