MT Joy Baptist Church
Seeking The Lost and Teaching The Found
Welcome to Mount Joy Baptist Church, located in beautiful Chattanooga TN.
In the year of our Lord 1863, the Mt. Calvary Baptist Church was the first light shed in the minds of the organizers of this church. The Mt. Calvary Baptist Church was located on Dent Farm near Allen Hill, which is now part of the TNT Plant. The actual location was what is now known as Noah Reid Road, near Chickamauga Creek. This was a box like structure with shutters for windows and log pews.
This church served five communities, namely: Turkey Foot, Tyner, Chickamauga, East Chattanooga and Magsby’s Pond. The churches serving these communities currently are respectively Mt. Calvary (the Mother Church), Hawkinsville, Pilgrim Rock, Rock Island and Mt. Joy. Because of distance, poor transportation, and bad weather, these respective churches organized in their respective communities.
Mt. Joy held it’s first services in a Brush Harbor around the year 1874. In later years, services were held in the Magsby’s Pond Elementary School. Our first Church Edifice was built in 1901, located near the Magsby’s Pond which is known as Benton Drive. In 1944, the frame building was demolished and another building was erected at the same site. Services were held until 1956 when relocation was necessary because of the building of Highway #153.
MT Joy Baptist Church - 4335 Bonny Oaks Dr, Chattanooga, TN 37416 (423) 892-1361
Services were held in Bonny Oaks School Chapel for approximately nine months while relocation property was sought. The late Mr. J.L. Espey and his wife, Mrs. Laura P. Sleigh-Espey, sold the church their garden spot, where the church is presently located. The Rev. J.L. Radford was pastor during the relocation and building of the present structure which was completed in 1958.
From the small insignificant Brush Harbor, with a small number of members,lacking in detail of so many things, but with the banner of Christ ever hanging high that men may see and follow. The sincerity of purpose, the warmth of the pioneers, their motives with strength of their support, has made out of a few boards, some brick, and a few small windows, a great temple of worship, for the rich, the poor, even the wayfaring who pass this way.
We salute the pioneers for their efforts; namely, the families of Wadsworth, Neal, Wood, Espeys, Shepherd, Reed, Hawkins, Threets, Roseman, Leonard, Evans, and Young, who without a doubt put “God” in front, and in spite of small financial gains, were able to hold on, to carry on, and push forward to here.
There wasn’t much fashion, but devoutness; there wasn’t much light, but the Bible gave light for the way; there was very little warmth, except for maybe one stove; but thee was deep in their hearts, the warmth of God’s love and the love they had for each other.
The church today, Mt. Joy Baptist Church, located in Chattanooga Tennessee, with its leadership and its background of loyal followers, stand as a city that sits on a hill whose light, through its various ministers, namely, Revs. Tillman, Cook, Byrd, Radford, Ervin and presently Rev. Willie A. Stephens, who was called on September 3, 1997. His first sermon as pastor was preached on September 3,1997.
They have shed and are shedding rays of light throughout this land. As we have been helped along the way by those who have served and gone before, we too must so inspire those coming on that light will continue burning through them, until a new generation has caught the gleam and will go steadily marching on.
As proud as we are of our church, we are constantly asking “God” to give us the strength to continue to work on and improve, may we stay humble what we may be for service so that the Master may be able to point with pride to us, and those “who have kept the faith” and who, one by one, will answer to the higher call from a “Righteous Father.”
