Established to serve the rural residents of northeast Panola County, Shady Grove Baptist Church was in existence by 1880. The first pastor, the Rev. J.R. Alexander, continued to serve the congregation until 1907. The original one-room wooden church structure was replaced by a second frame building used as a church and school. A new brick facility was built in 1954. The adjacent Shady Grove Cemetery contains burials from as early as 1892. Shady Grove Baptist Church continues to serve the community with worship, education, and out-reach programs.