History, page 2

God used the women of the community to become the founders of the church. Predicated by the need for a central place of worship and a desire to raise their children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord, the idea was born in the mind of a new community member, Mrs. Henry Broughman. Mrs. Broughman, along with Mrs. J.L. Allen and Mrs. Julius Miller, sough advice from a local minister named Earl Grose. He encouraged them to first survey the community to see if enough interested existed for form a church. Services were planned for the following Sunday, September 28, 1941, at the homes of Broughman and Miller to test the response. Amazingly, fifty people attended and this grew to sixty-nine by the third Sunday. The services had to be moved on the fourth Sunday to the basement of the grocery store owned by Mr. & Mrs. Dover Daniels (which later became Turner Store and still exists today as the first home on the right at the intersection of Teel & Maxwell Hill Roads).

The Maxwell Hill Baptist Church was officially organized on February 22, 1942, by a council representing the Raleigh Baptist Association. The association received the church into full fellowship later that year. There were twelve charter members: Mrs. George Cline, Mrs. J.L. Allen, Mrs. Henry Broughman, Betty Jane Schultz Broughman, Ferrell Jo Dixon Worrell, Mrs. Mildred Dixon, W.G. Hughort, Henry Kent, George Cline, Mrs. Earnest Broughman, and Rev. & Mrs. Harry L. Stevens. (We currently have two members of the original church with us - Gladys Anglin and her daughter Mary Williams.)

Construction on a new church building began on July 25, 1942, as Dale Dixon plowed the first furrow with a horse owned by Herb Tolley. The building was not fully completed until December 1947, because the war created financial difficulties and many of the needed building supplies were not available. The basement was completed, though, and the first services were held on December 24, 1942.

Next Page >
Page 1 • Page 2 • Page 3 • Page 4

Back to More Information page