Poynor was laid out by the Texas and New Orleans Railroad when it reached the area in 1901, and after the post office opened the next year the town quickly grew. Early residents worshiped in a Union church building, and two congregations soon formed there, one Baptist and one Church of Christ. On August 21, 1904, seven Poynor residents organized a Missionary Baptist congregation led by Elder W.W. Hall, with James P. Thrasher serving for many years as the first church clerk. Pastors preached once a month until 1925, when a second service was added. In 1923, members purchased the land where the church building stood and over the following decades expanded with additional land and new facilities. Membership increased after Hunt Oil Company opened a nearby gas plant, helping younger members remain in the community. Congregants were active in both church and town life as educators, community leaders, mayors, city council members, and postmistresses, and they also provided religious education for all ages and holiday programs for the community. By its centennial, the church was still growing, using funds from the estate of Mae Thrasher Hamilton, who died in 1991, to expand its amenities and programs for members and the larger community.