Our History
Established in 1908, the Cedar Grove Baptist Church had a humble beginning. Great servants of God: Rev. A. F. Fox, Joe Metcalfe, P. K. Henry, R. P. Denny and Joe Majors saw a need for a Baptist Church on this end of the city. The leadership was turned over to Rev. J. Ware. Some of the members were Sis. Dorthea Mumford, Bro. John Murry, Sis. Mitty Murry, and Sis. Lucinda Murry.
Through the grace of God and under the auspices of the following ministers: Rev. P. K. Harvey, Rev. J. Terry, Rev. B. J. Hopkins, Rev. B. Poston, Rev. W. O. Coleman, Rev. C. K. Reeves, Rev. N. A. Radford, Rev. R. L. Lewis, Rev. George Esters Jr. and Rev. Norris E. Mills, Cedar Grove has become the church she is today.
On May 19, 1960, the church held a call meeting and called Rev. C. K. Reeves to the pastorate. Rev. Reeves accepted the call and immediately began a building fund and tore down the old building. Several services were held at the Hopkinsville College of the Bible. On December 25, 1961, the members entered the new church building. December of 1978, the Lord blessed us to pay off the mortgage on the church.
Ill health caused Rev. Reeves to resign the pastorate of this church. He died in October 1984. Rev. N. A. Radford was our next pastor for two years.
On June 3, 1984, Rev. R. L. Lewis, became our pastor. January 8, 1991, Rev. Lewis resigned as our pastor.
August 1992, Rev. George Esters accepted the pastorate of Cedar Grove Baptist Church. In 1995, God blessed Cedar Grove to purchase the vacant property from Second Street to Howell Street and at this time, an addition to our dining room and an office for our pastor was under construction.
In 1996, the pastor baptized new members ten months out of the year, thus increasing the membership to over three hundred.
July 1997, Cedar Grove Baptist Church was incorporated and site plans were given to the planning commission for a new sanctuary.
July 1998, Cedar Grove Baptist Church named the existing dining room "The Esters Fellowship Hall" in honor of their Pastor and First Lady. Also in 1998, land was purchased on Second Street to be used as a parking facility.
Rev. Esters led the church into 1999 with the theme, " The Year of Jubilee." August 11, 1999, a called meeting was held to select a contractor. Groundbreaking for our new sanctuary took place the beginning of January 2000 and our building was completed in June 2000.
October 3, 2005, God called Pastor Esters home.
June 2006, Rev. Norris E. Mills became our Pastor.