Aunt Annah Duncan and Ida MacAbee were among the founders of Laurel Branch Baptist Church.

The building was started around 1930 or 1931. The church treasury had $2.75 in it at the time and Aunt Annah was the church clerk. She took the $2.75 and bought enough 2x4's to frame and building.

The work was done by the members free of charge. Russell Jones and his brother, Bill, were two of those members that helped build the building.

The ladies quilted and sold the quilt to help make money to buy the material to build the church house.

Cambria Coal Company was working good at that time and the company store had what we all called "Trade Day" the first and fifteenth of each month. Aunt Annah, who was my grandmother, and Ida MacAbee were there at the store asking for donations for the church building program.

Aunt Annah passed away in 1965 at the age of 89.

There are several members living that joined the church when it was established and they are Irene Cox, Grace Hickman, Margaretta Simmons, Lucille Fox, Bertha Taylor, and Lola Beach.

The church celebrated fifty years as a church July 18, 1982. The following transferred into the church and served the church until their deaths:
Tommy Patterson (1940)
Melford Lawson (1945)
and Bill Adkins (1956)
Homer Seiber transferred into the church in 1956 as an active deacon.

Pastors who have served Laurel Branch Church are:
J.B. Bullock (1932 - 33)
John Lumpkins (1934)
F.A. Alcorn (1934 - 41)
John Phillips (1941)
Lee Phillips (1941 - 44)
O.S. Dugger (1944 - 53)
Roy Patterson (1953 - 56)
Edwin Phillips (1956 - 71)
Moss Beets and Edwin Phillips (1971 - 91).

These people served the church as clerk:
Noah Harness
John Bradshaw
Thurlo Bradshaw
Joe Bray
Oscar Braden
Billie Woods
Tommy Patterson
Melford Lawson
Shirley Smiddy
Ernest Duncan
and Calvin Patterson.

Other events of interest are:

*1958 -- Church goes to full time.

*1959 -- Sunday School rooms were built.

*1960 -- Joined Clinton Baptist Association.

*1967 -- Baptistery installed and new choir and rooms built.

*1980 -- Completely remodeled, roofed, and bricked the church outside; restrooms were installed.

Total membership of the church is over 300.

We can look back over the years and see some good times and maybe some bad, but can we not help but think of Matthew 16:18 -- "And I say also unto thee, that thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it."