In April of 1885 James Joyce Mixson met with the Mount Arnow Church committee on the subject of erecting a church building at Flemington where some land was donated to the church from a church member.  A motion was made and passed to raise the funds for the building.   Over the course of the next year, trees were donated by citizens of the community and hauled to Cooper's Mill where they were sawed into lumber and the church built adjacent to the mill.  With the new church home in Flemington, in May of 1886 the Mount Arnow Church committee voted and changed the name to “Flemington Baptist Church”.  

The people of the church were very conservative at that time and disapproved of dancing and music.  According to church minutes, in February 1887,  “charges were preferred against” a member for dancing and in May, was excluded from membership.  In July another member was excluded for immoral conduct.  A committed was formed to “go talk to” another member about dancing, and later charges brought against a member for “playing the violin at dances.”  After some discussion, he was expelled for “refusing to conform to the rules of the church.”  Similar cases came up over the following years with one member asking his name be erased from the church roll “as he did not consider himself a fit subject for church membership”. His request was granted.

In October of 1897 J. K. Mixson the other committee members passed a rule “Deeming it the duty of all members to attend church services, we require a brother being absent on one Sunday to render an excuse at the next. Being absent two in succession without just cause, shall be considered an offense against the church; to be dealt with as may be thought best.” 

Updated: 19-24-2021

1889