FLAT CREEK MISSIONARY BAPTIST CHURCH HISTORY
FCMBC History All information relative to the exact beginning of the church is not known. Although most of its history has been as a result of information passed down through the years by word of mouth, some records show that Flat Creek Baptist Church has been in existence since 1809.
Flat Creek was established in the Village of East Carondelet, Illinois, a small community of Christian families who relocated to this area from various parts of the country. The families’ need for fellowship and wanting a place to worship motivated them to find a common place to have services. Information gathered from the early pioneers of the community show that worship services were originally held under a brush harbor. It is unclear how long this lasted, but services were later held in the home of a Bro. Arnold, under the leadership of Father Fredrick Lunce. It is stated in scripture that where there is a gathering of two or more in HIS name HE is in the midst. The early Flat Creek church was a testament to this scripture.
Under Father’s Lunce’s leadership a log cabin church was built. Due to its location (Flat Creek Bottom), the people in the area began referring to the church as Flat Creek Baptist Church, although the members officially named the church, “The Missionary Baptist Church of East Carondelet”. It is not known how long the log cabin stood, the size of the congregation, or its financial stability at the time. Other members of the community saw this little mission struggling and offered to trade the land where the church stood for this site where it is currently located, along with a cemetery. On November 13, 1873, Mr. and Mrs. Henderson and Mr. and Mrs. Caldwell made the trade with Father Lunce and a deed was issued to Flat Creek Baptist Church on February 17, 1874. That same year, the congregation began to build a large frame church. Mrs. Bessie Walls sold a portion of the present site, which was to be used for parking space for the church.
In addition to the residents of the small village who attended the church, many residents from South Carondelet (in Missouri) crossed the Mississippi River via flat boats to worship with the congregation; some became members of the church. Some of the original members include Rev. Zach Harris, father of the late Mrs. Myrtle Officer, Mr. & Mrs. Bud Marshall, father of the late undertaker Bud Marshall, the Schwartz, Charleston, and King Wilson families.Father Lunce passed and the Rev. Frank Thornton became Pastor with Rev. Wall as his assistant. There were many other ministers who served as pastor of the early church. Although the exact dates of services are unclear, these Pastors included Rev. Farmer, Rev. Amos Parrish, Rev. Epps, Rev. T.J. Watson, Rev. J.W. Mcholmes, Rev. Epps, Rev. Sims, Rev. Ellis, Rev. Walkers, Rev. Elbe, Rev. M. L. Gorman, Rev. Simmons, and Rev. Walker.
Rev. William Pirtle became Pastor of Flat Creek from late 1949 to 1957. In the seven years of his leadership, the Church took a great step of faith by demolishing the old church building with plans to rebuild a new facility. With money being a scarce commodity, many members participated in keeping the Church going by volunteering time and personal labor in making this a reality. Even though faced with insurmountable odds and trepidation from some of its members, the congregation was blessed to be able to walk back into the newly constructed building within three months.
In 1957 Rev. Pirtle was called to pastor at Oak Grove Baptist Church and the search to find another undershepard ensued. During this period, several other ministers served as Pastor of the church. Rev. Herman Haynes served from 1958-1959; Rev. James. Jackson, 1959-1960; and the Rev. Amos J. Hill from 1960-1962. In January 1963, Rev. McKinley Logan became Pastor of Flat Creek. Under his leadership, the membership continued to grow and major improvements were made to the Church building, advancing from a one-room chapel with the old pot-bellied stove and out-door plumbing to a modern day sanctuary, with in-door plumbing and heating facilities, Pastor’s Study, office and choir room.
Unknown to Rev. Logan, there had been an investigation underway relative to documenting the history of black churches in the area. In July 1963 the Antioch District Sunday School and Training Union Congress (ADSTUC) of St. Louis, Missouri notified Rev. Logan that Flat Creek was the oldest church in this area, at One Hundred Fifty-Four (154) years old. At its 15th Annual Session, held July 29-30, 1963, the ADSTUC presented Flat Creek with a Certificate of Award commemorating this historic and blessed occasion.
Rev. Logan served as Pastor of Flat Creek for 26 years. Due to illness Rev. Logan resigned as Pastor on January 8, 1989. Sadly, he passed away in November 1989.
Our prayers for guidance and assistance, along with the assistance from mentor and long time friend to Flat Creek, Rev. Charlie Bell, helped to select a new Pastor. We were blessed on July 16, 1989, by Rev. Clyde L. Williams accepting the call to be our Pastor and humbly consented to do God’s will. Under the leadership of Rev. Clyde Williams, along with his wife, First Lady Annette E. Williams, and the prayerful cooperation of our church family, Flat Creek Missionary Baptist Church expanded its worship services to participate with other churches. We were truly blessed with great spiritual growth during the eight years that we shared with Rev. Williams and his family. In 1997, Rev. Williams was called to another church.
During this time of transition, the Lord was still blessing Flat Creek with increased membership. We had two Ministers to act as Interim Pastors, Rev. Ernest Hickman and Rev. Charles Hodges. Through these inspirational speakers, we were blessed to have several members who had been inactive were restored to full fellowship, and several new candidates were baptized. Rev. Hodges agreed to accept the position as our Pastor, but only served for approximately one year.
In July 1998 we prayerfully set about seeking a new leader. While without a Pastor, the Deacons continued our weekly Bible study sessions and prayer meetings. Our Sunday school classes and morning worships were conducted with the assistance of many wonderful guest speakers. On June 11, 1999, Rev. Don L Sanford agreed to be the Pastor of Flat Creek Missionary Baptist Church. Under his leadership, we experienced many rewarding times - our membership increased, our choir expanded, we participated in combined worships with other churches, and the church grew both spiritually and financially. Due to other obligations and opportunities, Rev. Sanford resigned in 2001.
In 2001 we were blessed to have a new Pastor in the person of Ramone L. Collins, a young dynamic speaker, leader and inspiring teacher. For two years the faithful grew under his leadership. After the illness of his grandfather he was called to be the Pastor of Calvary Baptist Church. At the recommendation of Pastor Collins, Rev. S. Gene Rhoden came to us as a visiting speaker. Shortly thereafter, Rev. Rhoden served as our Interim Pastor, and was later chosen as our Undershepherd. God had provided the replacement before we knew we needed one.
Pastor S. Gene Rhoden, an excitable, inspirational, energetic pastor, has been at Flat Creek since November 2003. Early in his leadership, Pastor Rhoden shared his vision for the church; in that one day we would have our own baptismal and fellowship hall. It wasn’t long before the congregation shared in his vision and was optimistic about it becoming a reality. Although the challenge seemed overwhelming, Pastor Rhoden was committed in his belief that his vision, our dream, would become a reality. In November 2008, Flat Creek celebrated the completion, followed by the grand opening, of its baptismal pool and new fellowship hall, including offices and a kitchen.
Throughout its history, Flat Creek Missionary Baptist Church has been a testament to the fact that the will of God will never take you to where the grace of God will not protect you. Flat Creek has served as a place of worship and refuge for many in this and the surrounding communities. We continue to pray for God’s blessings upon this little church by the side of the road.