Old Kemper Baptist Church
(Photo courtesy of Jo Church Dickerson)

BRIEF HISTORY by Victoria Proctor

Located at Kemper. Organized in 1888 as Mt. Horeb Baptist Church at Gall Bush Schoolhouse, approximately one mile southwest of the present site, under the leadership of Stinson Ivey and the first pastor, John Connerly. Charter members included George W. Meares, George W. Elvington, Alfred Elvington, James R. Mears, Sallie Meares, L.E. Meares, Hannah F. Elvington and Martha Elvington.

In 1904, the church moved to the new village of Kemper, constructed a building on land donated by C.P. Hayes and L.C. McNealey, and changed its name to the Kemper Baptist Church.

During its early years , the church had cooperated with Mullins and Nichols in calling a pastor but after 1898 formed a field with Piney Grove, Fork, and Bermuda churches which continued until 1956. On March 2, 1975, the beautiful church and 50 percent of the adjacent educational building were destroyed by fire. On August 17, 1975, the new building was completed.

Sources:
--Stokes, "The History of Dillon County, South Carolina"

For a list of burials at the church cemetery, see Kemper Baptist Cemetery Transcriptions

Last modified: 5 Dec 2005.

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