Cottonwood Baptist Church

Just outside of Dublin, the small farming community of Cottonwood was established on the banks of Cottonwood Creek. The church that first met in the school is now a blooming church serving the community. As the years passed, the community began to grow and, in 1908, they organized the Cottonwood Missionary Baptist Church. Forty-six people joined the church at the time of the organization including T.H.P. and Mary Ann Thackerson’s family. Reverend Lee Gilbreath became the first pastor and served until 1910. Throughout the early years of the church, the entire community of Cottonwood met together with each denomination preaching once a month. The Baptist, Methodist, Church of Christ and Presbyterian ministers each had a Sunday once a month to give their sermons.

By 1928, the school consolidated with the Dublin public schools, and many families moved away. The church, now named Cottonwood Baptist Church, grew small and most became too discouraged to continue. Six teenaged girls: Fannie Stroud, Johnnie Bea Stroud, Merle Stroud, Bonnie Culver, all descendants of T.H.P. and Mary Ann Thackerson, and their two friends Mary Queen and dot smith continued to meet faithfully each Sunday. Eventually, people began to return and the church began to grow again. On February 23, 1959, Mrs. P.E.T. Culver, daughter of the Thackersons and the last surviving charter member, performed the ground breaking ceremony for the new church building. Throughout the next half century, the church ministered to those in their community and continues to serve worldwide.