Reeves Grove Baptist Church celebrates 150th anniversary

One of St Clair County’s oldest churches celebrated its 150th Year Anniversary on Saturday, May 14th with a reunion of hereditary members, Gaither Homecoming-style music, histories, fellowship and a tree planting ceremony. The reunion also included guest speaker Rev. Freedie Keener.

The Reeves Grove Missionary Baptist Church was built in 1872 on land donated by the McCorkle-Reeves families. The surrounding cemeteries predate the church with the oldest marked grave dating to 1853. Additionally, there are more than 50 unmarked early graves estimated to be from the mid 17th Century.

The church, now called Reeves Grove Historic Landmark, is on the Historical Registry of the State of Alabama. The marker was placed in front of the church this year to commemorate the 150th Anniversary. The site is now used for weddings, funerals, meetings, reunions and events.

The church has a volunteer committee to preserve the building, cemeteries and history with plans to complete the listing of individuals buried in Reeves Grove Cemetery in the Find-A-Grave.com archive. This has been a tedious process that requires numerous hours of volunteer research. The committee is composed of hereditary members: Linda Moyer, Acting Chair; Gary Hood, Property Manager; Macki Branham, Secretary; Donna Jones, Chaplin; Jeannie Beason, Treasurer;Jerry Payne, Restoration; Debbie Collins, Historian and Celia Hay, Marketing. The Committee has slowly restored the building and cemeteries over the last few years returning the church to its former glory for modern use.

The Committee is also in the process of writing a book, The History of Reeves Grove. It will include cemetery listings and stories of pastors, veterans and individuals buried there. The Committee welcomes anyone with information to share stories about events and memories connected with the church and community to be included in the book and for future generations to enjoy. Deadline for submissions is November 17, 2022. Submissions may be made to Macki Branham at info.reevesgrovecemetery.com, text or call 205-520-7108 for more information, questions or comments.