Benevolence Baptist Church

Benevolence Baptist Church was constituted on May 16, 1840, succeeding Walnut Grove northwest of here, which had been organized as Mt. Paran in November 1831 with 9 members. In 1840, Missionary Baptists, feeling a need for a separate church, met and accepted 5 acres of land for a church and cemetery "with no charges ever" from Thomas Coram, the first settler at this site. For this generosity, Abner Ward suggested the name Benevolence for both the church and the community. Members hauled lumber from Dawson and built the first church building, which was dedicated on May 17, 1842, with Rev. James Matthews as pastor and A.M. Albritton as clerk. The first deacons were James Sherman and John Winfrey, and other early clerks were David Holman, Abner Ward, E. H. Keese, and G. W. King.

Georgia · United States