Bits and pieces of memories have been put together, much randomly, to build a loose history of the church. Details were taken from October 1959 recollections of Maggie B. Curtis, daughter of Alex Miller. Other details were graciously provided to me by a current church member, Chet Jackson.

Mt. Pleasant Community Church stands in the Mount Pleasant Cemetery surrounded by tombstones dating back before 1840, many now unreadable. The current building was built to replace a log structure formerly used as a schoolhouse and meeting place.

The property for Mt. Pleasant Church was donated by Peter Helvie and John Harman on January 7th, 1879.

In 1887, a Methodist minister, Andy Kiger, from Daleville, was the first minister remembered. Some of those present for that service were: John Harman, Peter Helvie, Samuel Priest, Thomas Neely, Alex Miller, John Shields, Billy Pitzer, Hugh Walker, Strawder Watson, Henry Boner and Dave Kilgore. Sitting on one side of the pulpit were the men with their rather long hair, and on the other side, sat the women with their little black bonnets. The youth and children sat in between. All sang, without accompaniment, from simple little hymn books.

On Children's Day, all the little girls, dressed in white, stood at the front of the church to recite an assigned verse. Afterward, they marched to the 'Old Settler's Ground' at the south side of the church. This high point overlooked the river and was also known as 'High Bluff'... Prior to this event, the men would set a day to mow the lawn and build a wooden platform, surrounded by wood railings, for the older folks to sit on. Everyone sang songs from large songbooks but sang notes instead of words. Later, dinner prepared and brought by each family, was served on blankets spread out on the grounds and, after supper, the members of the congregation convened inside the church where they decorated it with flowers for the evening service. During that service a collection was taken to send to China.

In the early days of the church there were two wood stoves for heat - one on the West side and one on the East side. The first person to arrive at church started the fires. The bell in the belfry beckoned community members to church but as the older folks passed away and later generations moved on, the church became inactive. California Lennington and her sister kept the church clean but only an occasional funeral saw people attending. Now and then community members would start up a Sunday school, usually without success. The old wood stoves weren't replaced with a furnace until 1939.

A gas well was drilled on John Harman's land around 1887-89, adjacent to the church property. Many men in the community formed a corporation, bought pipe and installed it to supply some of the area homes with gas. People who hadn't joined the corporation were charged $12 per year for unlimited use. Farmers had what was called a "flambo", a torch in their barn lot that burned all during the hours of darkness. Once thought abundant, the gas well lasted only 7 or 8 years when water penetrated the pipes.

The graveyard, land also donated by John Harman, grew thick with weeds until the latter part of each May when the men gathered with sickles to make it attractive for Decoration Day. Later, a cemetery corporation was formed at which time Rollin Lennington donated more land to the cemetery. The old ground was cleaned up, stones reset and repaired, new lots were platted in the new section and sold.

1907 brought a minister from the Christian Newlight Conference to hold a special service. Several young people joined the church at that time. Encouraged, the congregation quickly gathered funds and bought the church from the Methodist Conference and became a Christian Newlight Church. Trustees at that time were David Neff, Cary (Gary?) Cummins, and Rollin Lennington.

1918 brought an influenza outbreak and World War I - the church doors were closed.

The church was officially reorganized as the Mt. Pleasant Community Church in 1935, with Arthur Brindel as pastor.

In August of 1939, Mrs. California Harman, the oldest member of the church, lifted the first shovel of dirt to begin excavations for a basement under the church. Money and labor was donated, men arrived with tractors, wagons and shovels and a fine basement was dug to the full dimensions of the church. Monetary donations amounted to $1018.91, enough to pay for the basement, furnace and wiring. In 1942, a well was drilled to 240 feet at the cost of $421. In 1943 a new roof was put on and new blinds bought with donations of $247.15. In 1944 donations were received in the amount of $ 169.60 for the purchase of new paper, paint, varnish, pictures and a flag. Some money was also available for painting the outside of the church building. Chairs were bought at a cost of $110.68 and Mr. Prillman donated two chairs and carpeting. Mrs. Callie Lennington donated one large chair and Mrs. Fred Connelly donated an electric stove. Mrs. Leroy Schlagel purchased a piano for the basement and a Mr. Polhemus purchaced a large Bible and electric clock. Currently, the basement contains a restroom, kitchen and a spacious dining/Sunday school area. June of 1977 found the church replacing the old 14 foot long oak pews dating from about 1900.

Ministers who stand out in memory prior to the influenza outbreak are Rev. J T Newhouse, Rev. A D Addington, Rev. Rarick. After the church reopened, those remembered were: Harry Cooke (prox 1934), Arthur Brindel, Wilbur Shirey, J. Walter Gibson, Stan Beach and Clyde K. Hunter.