Wrights’ Chapel Baptist Church Benton, Arkansas
I was called to preach in 1958 and entered the Missionary Baptist Seminary that year. While we were attending the Seminary, we worked as a mission team with Brother Albert Kyle and his wife in establishing Wrights’Chapel Baptist Church in South Benton. We were sponsored by our home church, New Friendship. There were a number of Baptist Churches in Benton, but God gave us a burden to plant a church "across the railroad tracks." This was a lower income area and the likelyhood of those living there going to church "up town" was slight. Since I was working full time at night while attending Seminary, it was necessary to use every moment possible to knock on doors in order share the gospel with those in this area. Brother Kyle and I worked as a team from door to door many afternoons and on Saturday. God blessed. Souls were saved and baptized. In our door knocking we met a great Baptist deacon, Mr. Wright, who owned property in the area. He also shared a burden to plant a church the people in the area would feel comfortable attending. God moved on his heart and he donated a piece of property with a nice cottage on it for our use. We had our services in this building. As the work progressed, we began to build a building close by. Wrights' Chapel Baptist Church was the result. This practical experience while attending Seminary has been very valuable in our church planting ministries in America and Australia.
Landmark Baptist Church, Bailey Springs, Road
Upon arriving in the area, we surveyed the situation and sought God’s guidance in a location for our first work. With the help of my father and a family banker, we located and purchased a property for sale by the Cumberland Presbyterian Church. The property entailed a church building on about two acres of land and a nice enough three bedroom parsonage. The church building required quite a lot of repairs and renovation, but served our needs nicely. Below: The church building and a Vacation Bible School group.
Avalon Avenue In Muscle Shoals
By 1965 our work in Florence was in possession of its own property and had the numerical and financial capacity to call and support its own pastor. We had built our house in Muscle Shoals in anticipation of planting a church there. We began services in our newly constructed house. Florence Boulevard called Brother Levy Cooper to be her first non-missionary full time pastor.
In 1968 Avalon Avenue was averaging over 120 in services and had the capacity to call and support a full time pastor. At this time we knew God had called us to go half-way around the world to Australia to win souls and plant sound Baptist Churches in that great land, we began deputation to do so.
Below: The "Mobile Church" building and its eventual replacement, Avalon Avenue Baptist church. The interiors of each.
