Church History

Six score and three years ago (1873), a band of Black Christians came together to start a Christian church, somewhere near the remote town of Lumberton, North Carolina. The earlier tradition was that Blacks could worship in the “white” churches. Therefore, upon request from the Black worshipers of the First Baptist Church, Walnut Street, permission was granted to organize their own church.

A plot of land was purchased about 1.5 miles south of the Lumber River, which later became the present site of Sandy Grove Baptist Church. Some of the known founders were Sandy and Rachel Smith, Eric and Florence Cobb, Pierce Powell and Emanuel Fulmore. It is believed that the Smiths, especially Sandy, and Pierce Powell were in early leadership roles of the church. The church was named Sandy Grove Baptist Church and has continued to maintain its identity. The members claim the motherhood of Black Baptists in Robeson County, North Carolina. All of the existing churches of the same faith, in the city, later grew from our church, Sandy Grove Baptist Church.

See More...