A Brief History of Our 30 Plus Years
Through the years there have been many remarkable blessings of grace.
In June of 1990 Mike, Peggy, Ruth Anna, Michaiah, Rebekah, Rachel, and Michael Stanley move from Stilwell, Oklahoma to Cherokee Village with the intent to plant a New Testament Church in this area. The First Baptist Church of Clute, Texas votes to be the sending church for the Stanley family.
By September of 1990, preparations are made for the new church’s beginning when a small building is rented on Hwy 9 in Mammoth Spring. The Stanleys welcome their sixth child when Sarah Marie is born on the 11th.
On the first Sunday of October, the mission church opens its doors for the first time. One person visits in the morning. In the evening service Preston and Joyce Scott and family attend.
Sometime after this, the church held its first baptismal service in the South Fork River on Hwy 289 at Saddle. Those receiving baptism were Anthony Clark, Curtiss Scott, Rebecca Scott, and Micaiah Stanley.
In June of 1992, the church family attended Triple S Christian Ranch near Heber Springs for the first time.
In September 1992, the mission work is formally organized into a local church. The 23 original members were: Mike, Peggy, Ruth and Micaiah Stanley, Johnny, Ruth Ann, Mike and Eric Henry, Bob and Ruby Murphy, Preston, Joyce, Curtiss, and Rebecca Scott, Janice Collins, Bill Ramsey, Herb and Eva Gaines, Anthony and Joanna Clark, Marie Hubbard, Jeff Cagle, and Ken Waits.
In 1994, our pastor and church family began to pray about relocating and buying their own property. In January 1997, an offer was made and accepted to buy a building and three acres on Liberty Hill Road in Highland. The first service in the new location was held in February of that year.
On the first Sunday of August, 1997, a Bible Conference was hosted to invited pastors, missionaries, and others to Spring River country to be refreshed in the Lord. Pastors Wayne Hudson and Jack Stanley were speakers for this meeting. The conference became an annual event that continues until present.
In 2000 the church purchased an additional three acres of land.
Abram and Ruth Hanson were the first missionaries sent from Friendship. They began deputation in 2002.
In 2003, Jim and Edna Sanders family were sent from Friendship to plant a church in Tahlequah, Oklahoma.
By 2004, the church had grown in attendance to the point where a larger facility was needed. After much prayer and preparation, dirt was moved and construction began on our current building.
On September 23rd, of 2005 the first service in the new building was the wedding of April Magas to Micaiah Stanley.
In October of 2005 the decision was made to have noon meals on Sundays and to move evening service to the afternoon. This worked well and has been the standard practice until the present.
The Church began to host its own family camp in the summer of 2005 at Camp Cornerstone in Poughkeepsie.
In December of 2014, long-time Associate Pastor David Isaacs resigns to become pastor of Washington County Baptist in Lincoln, Arkansas.
In April of 2015, the Bryan McMorris family comes to Friendship to serve in the same capacity.
After severe flooding in South Louisiana in August of 2016, the church made its first disaster relief efforts with the REACH ministry team making multiple trips to aid churches in the stricken area. This was followed up with a REACH effort on the Gulf Coast of Texas in 2017.
In early October of 2017, the first annual Music School was held under the direction of Mrs. Tammy Hardy of Livingston, Louisiana.