Forest Hill Baptist Church is celebrating 105 years in existence at services Oct. 7 at the Sunday morning services.

Pastor Fred Morrow is inviting members and former members of the church to attend the special homecoming services. Morrow is back serving the church where he served in the 1970s and 80s. Morrow served as the Wood County Tax Assessor/Collector for many years while pasturing local Baptist congregations in Wood County, including Sharon and New Hope Baptist churches.

“I thought I might be through pastoring, but the Lord had other plans for me and I am back at Forest Hill,” Morrow noted.

The church got its beginnings in 1913 when several members of the Forest Hill community met at the Jones Schoolhouse to discuss founding a Baptist church. The Forest Hill community is located three miles north of Quitman on Highway 37.

Pastor J.R. Reid was a local circuit preacher who helped establish several Baptist churches throughout Northeast Texas. Reid was holding services at the Jones Schoolhouse, where many forest Hill community members attended. The congregation made the decision to have their own place of worship. The following people were enrolled as charter members of the new church. They were J.H. and Mary Baker, J.W. and Amanda Baker, M.J. and Irene Kennemer, L.M. Zimmerman and Ruth Jennings. After reading the Articles of Faith and the Church Covenant, the right had of church fellowship was extended to each other.

On Nov. 2, 1913, J.H. Baker was elected pastor and moderator with J.W. Baker elected clerk. The new church was named Forest Hill Baptist Church of Christ. On Sept. 5, 1914, Forest Hill Baptist Church voted to unite with the Wood County Baptist Association. During those early years, services were held in the Jones Schoolhouse. During good weather, services were held outside until 1917 in a brush arbor tabernacle.

In 1917 under the direction of J.H. Baker, the first church building was erected. By 1958, the church had grown and a building fund was started in hopes of building a new brick structure. The new building was done in time for the 1960 Homecoming services and was dedicated Oct. 24. J.C. Pollard was pastor at that time.

The church continued to grow and in 1963, under the direction of Pastor Jim Helton, the west wing was constructed as well as a new parsonage.

Over the years, the church became even larger, and on Nov. 30, 1975, Pastor Fred Morrow and members of the Forest Hill building committee presented a plan to the membership for a new building, and the membership approved. On April 4, 1976, the first services were held in the new building.

Morrow is glad to be back in the pulpit at Forest Hill.

“I saw so much growth here when I was here many years ago. The Lord has led me to other places, but for now, he wants me right here at Forest Hill,” Morrow noted. “We are going to work hard to build this church and we hope many of our friends and members from the past and present will come out and worship with us at these special services Oct. 7.”