Davant AveLongview Heights Baptist Church grew out of a bible study that began in the home of Mr. and Mrs. B.J. Smith on Davant Ave. in what is now the Longview Heights neighborhood of South Memphis. The church was organized on October 11, 1927.
At the time, Davant Avenue was more than a mile outside of the city limits in a sparsely settled community. Bro. Tom Rice was the first pastor leading this congregation that quickly outgrew their original home location. The group moved their meetings to a larger home and as scripture was taught, God added to their numbers. |
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4501 Goodman RdBy the late 1960’s the church sought more land for future growth and in spring of 1970 several acres in Desoto County were purchased and a new building was erected.
Additional buildings were added in 1990. By 1995 the original group of 20 meeting in Mr. Smith's home had grown to over 700. |
Church within a ChurchIn 1998 a new 1000 seat worship building was constructed. A creative and unusual architectural method was applied whereby we built the new building over the existing building. We continued to meet in the original worship sanctuary. Toward the end of the new building's completion the original structure was disassembled and pulled out from under the new structure.
God continued to provide additional members who united with us in efforts to reach our community and who committed themselves to go on mission with God across the street and around the world. 
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In 1999 our Family Ministry Complex (FMC) was constructed--adding a gymnasium for recreation ministry and additional education classrooms. By 2002 our congregation had grown so that we were having 3 worship services on Sunday morning. Soon after we sent many volunteer families to Hernando to participate in our first church plant and Longview Point was birthed. |
Our Four Friends Special Needs Ministry was started in 2002.
Continued growth required us to become involved in our last building program. A new 2000 seat worship center, a 400 seat fellowship hall, Senior Adult education, and an entire floor dedicated to Student Ministry were all completed in 2007.
Our Trekkers after school care ministry was started in 2006 and currently has an enrollment of 150.
In the years since Longview Heights started emphasizing church planting within our congregation, our Lord has birthed several churches out of and sharing the same heartbeat. Some of these include Lifepoint, Riverbend, Crosslife Church and several others. From 2010-2014, the One8 Church Planting Network was a significant resource for church planting in North Mississippi. In 2014, One8 was consolidated into the Mississippi Baptist Convention Board's statewide church planting efforts.
Continued growth required us to become involved in our last building program. A new 2000 seat worship center, a 400 seat fellowship hall, Senior Adult education, and an entire floor dedicated to Student Ministry were all completed in 2007.
Our Trekkers after school care ministry was started in 2006 and currently has an enrollment of 150.
In the years since Longview Heights started emphasizing church planting within our congregation, our Lord has birthed several churches out of and sharing the same heartbeat. Some of these include Lifepoint, Riverbend, Crosslife Church and several others. From 2010-2014, the One8 Church Planting Network was a significant resource for church planting in North Mississippi. In 2014, One8 was consolidated into the Mississippi Baptist Convention Board's statewide church planting efforts.
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Pastoral History 1927-1928 Tom C. Rice 1928-1930 L.E. Brown 1930-1932 W.V. Walker 1932-1934 A.P. Moore 1934-1937 L.A. Myers 1937-1941 Bobby Palmer 1941-1946 R.B. Patterson 1946 A.B. Harrison 1947-1957 E.T. Smith 1957-1961 Bailey Stone 1961-1964 Dale Palmer 1964-1965 E.F. McIlwain 1965-1972 Interim Pastors Albert H. Cullen Earl C. Whitsett Ervin Brown 1972-1981 Armond Taylor 1982-1985 Sam Gash 1986-1994 Steve Delony 1994-2018 Wayne Marshall 2018- Whit Lewis |
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