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Miller's Chapel History Section Two
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During this time period, most small churches were on half-time services. Many churches meet on first and third or second and fourth Sundays. This caused a need for a nearby church, Oak Dale General Baptist, to help in mothering a church to encourage their congregation to have a place to attend on the days their church was not having service.
On September 10, 1954, Miller’s Chapel Church was organized with nine charter members. The church was organized by Rev. W. A. Davis, Rev. Vergil Willis, Rev. William Everette Lyles, and Rev. R.O. Cook. Rev. R. O. Cook was elected the first pastor and Bro. Oakley Harp was elected the first clerk. About two weeks later, the church was accepted into The Mt. Union Association during the 79th setting held at Pleasant Hill Church. There were nine charter members and eleven first members at the time the church was received into the Association. Bro. Kirksey Wix was among the charter members and one of the first deacons to serve the church.
Services were held in the schoolhouse until the first church was built in 1955. Miller’s Chapel School was named after the Frank Miller family that gave the land for the school. Delmer and Dean Frye donated the land where the church was built. This land was located across the road and diagonally from the schoolhouse.
The new church that was built in 1955 was a great community effort. An old house was donated to be torn down and the lumber to be moved to the site of the new church. Many Christians and non-Christians of the community helped in building the church. Bro. Wix was in charge of building the fire in an old pot-belly stove of the church each time they met and he walked about three miles at least two hours before service to make sure the church was heated. This church building was used until 1975. Bro. Kirksey Wix passed away in 1972 and his funeral was held at the little church that was so dear to him. During his funeral, the church was filled to standing room only and the building had gone past repair. Following his funeral the church decided to build a new church building. The new building was built in 1975.
Because of one man’s desire to see his family and friends of his community to be saved the church just celebrated its 45th year for the Lord and the last member to join the church was Bro. Wix’s great-granddaughter. He never meet her, because he passed away before her birth, but his love for his Lord caused the church to be organized and many members of his family found the Lord at the little country church.
Many additions and other improvements have been added through the years, but the greatest additions to the church is not to the building itself but is that of the many souls that have meet Jesus as their Savior at the church.