History of Unity Baptist Church - Woodruff

Unity Baptist Church had its beginning as an arm of Friendship Baptist Church.  Ceremonial proceedings were held in February 1805 and Unity officially became a mission of Friendship Baptist.  The original Meeting House became the center of worship for the Presbyterians, the Methodists, and the Baptists.  Unity Meeting House was also known as Floyds Meeting House.

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On August 14, 1818, Unity Baptist Church was constituted with 116 members dismissed from Friendship to Unity.  Miles Rainwater and Thomas Weathers served jointly as first pastors after the Unity Church became constituted.

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The first house of worship used by Unity was a log building about half a mile from the public road.  In 1833, a new framed house was constructed near the site of the old log building and was completed in 1840.  There is an old cemetery near the site of the original Church.

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In September 1884, steps were taken to erect a new building.  A new location was secured about 1 mile from the old one on the public road leading into Woodruff.  The new building was completed in 1885.

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The first record of missionary activities among the ladies was in 1885 when the congregation agreed to appoint a group of sisters to collect money for missionary purposes.

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The last interment in the old Unity cemetery was Nancy Skinner who died March 2, 1913.  The first interment in the new Unity cemetery was Nancy E. Ravan who died August 2, 1885.

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The pastorium was built and the first Training Union begun in 1919.  Over the years, improvements were made to the building including adding Sunday School rooms,`

electricity and bathrooms, and bricking both the church and pastorium.  In 1977, a new educational section was added.

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