Germantown Baptist Church
Germantown Baptist Church dates back to 1838 in Germantown, Tennessee and is a large Southern Baptist church, formerly categorized as a megachurch. The church is 179 years old, and since its founding has moved from its location in downtown Germantown to an over 300,000-square-foot (28,000 m2) building complex on a 64-acre (260,000 m2) campus near the border of Germantown and Collierville on Poplar Avenue. As of October 2009, the church has an average Sunday worship attendance of 2,064 and an annual budget of $7,564,896. The original building for the church still stands on Germantown Road. Built twenty-one years before the beginning of the Civil War, Germantown Baptist Church is the second oldest church in the city of Germantown.
Western Tennessee was still Indian Territory until 1819, but soon after that date Shelby County was open to settlers. By 1825, a Kentuckian, William Twyford, had settled on the banks of the Wolf River, near the Neshoba area. Early records of the church were destroyed by fire on a couple of occasions. The earliest reference concerning the church is in the September 1838 issue of "The Baptist" (now "Baptist and Reflector"). It was named New Hope Church in 1838 before the incorporation of Germantown; and in that year the church reported a revival in which 49 members united with the church, including 45 for baptism. Also in 1838, the church petitioned to be seated at the meeting of the "Big Hatchie Association" and reported a membership of 69.
Early in December 1841, Mr. Wilks Brooks deeded a plot of ground next to the church. The Brooks family was active in the church for many years. Joseph Brooks and wife Agnes later donated the church parsonage. On December 30, Germantown received its charter of incorporation, and the name of the church was changed. In 1842, the church was listed in the Association as Germantown Baptist Church, with Reverend L. H. Bethel as Minister, James Brooks and J. B. Winders as messengers. The membership had grown to 84 (70 whites and 14 blacks). The church had a Bible class, and that year was host to the Big Hatchie Association. By 1845, the last year that Reverend Bethel's name appeared, the membership had grown to 132 (98 whites and 34 blacks).
A report in "The Appeal" dated July 23, 1862, reported "The little town of Germantown has been sacked and burned by a band of stragglers from the Federal Army." Both Germantown Methodist and Germantown Baptist churches were burned. A neighbor upon seeing the church burning, sent a servant to request the pulpit Bible. The request was granted and has been preserved to the present.
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