Six emancipated slaves formed this congregation in 1871, and three years later it was fully organized, with the church erected in 1878. Its membership grew as African Americans searched for religious and cultural experiences. Tradition holds that Dr. George Washington Carver spoke to local farmers here in 1909, and it was the first site of the area's Rosenwald School. The cemetery's oldest marked grave is from 1873, although there may be earlier unmarked graves there. Those buried in the cemetery include veterans who served from the Civil War through Desert Storm. The church has played a vital role in shaping the community of Pleasant Ridge and the lives of its citizens.