Batesville, Ark. — Rehobeth Baptist Church marked its 200th anniversary on Oct. 3 with a day of celebration, drawing more than 70 congregants and community members to its grounds. The day included worship, games, and a catfish feast in honor of the church’s long history, which spans from humble beginnings in a log cabin to its current home in a renovated schoolhouse.
The church’s origins date back to around 1826, when members first gathered at the Vance Schoolhouse, a clapboard-shingled building located a few miles east of Batesville near Blue Creek. Over the years, the congregation relocated several times, eventually moving into its current building in the early 1960s.
According to historical records, the structure housing Rehobeth Baptist today was originally built as a school in 1938 under the Works Progress Administration (WPA), a New Deal program spearheaded by President Franklin D. Roosevelt. The WPA is credited with constructing more than 600 schools in Arkansas between 1933 and 1943.
Church member Johnney Rounds reflected on the transformation of the building over the decades, noting that significant renovations were made to adapt the space. “It had terribly high ceilings,” Rounds said. “We’ve lowered portions of the ceiling to make for classrooms, but the auditorium and everything is kind of almost the same as it was when it was a school building.”
Jim Leggett, who has attended Rehobeth Baptist since the 1950s, recalled how the building took shape through the labor of local workers, some of whom transported materials by wagon. “A friend of mine’s father remembers going to school in that schoolhouse and watching wagons, mules, and wagons pulling gravel to build this,” Leggett said.
Looking to the future, Leggett expressed hope that younger generations will continue to sustain the church’s legacy. “I’m 79, so my years here are numbered,” he said. “But hopefully there will be some younger ones here to carry it on.”
The church’s bicentennial celebration served as a testament to two centuries of faith, community, and perseverance in Batesville.