May we in our feeble efforts, and by the authority of Poyen Missionary Baptist Church, dedicate this history and the preparation of such, to all the praying faithful members, since 1889; who, having gone on before us, enduring hardship and poverty, good times and bad, carrying this great Christian heritage of faith, to each generation. May we always honor their memory, and give God the praise for a people having a mind to work.
 

"So built we the wall,- and all the wall was joined together unto the half thereof, for the people had a mind to work." Nehemiah 4:6
 
 

A written record of the history of this church dates back to June 5, 1889 when Elders William H. Floyd of Hot Spring County and R. M. Lindsey of Fenter Township, Grant County, met with seven brethren and sisters, holding church letters from other churches, for the purpose of organizing a church.
The following is an exact copy of the proceedings as recorded by Bro. J.N. Pierce, one of the charter members:

State of Ark., County of Grant. June 5,1889.
Be it known unto all to whom these presents may come that we, the undersigned ministers of the gospel, having been called upon to aid certain brethren and sisters in organizing a church, did meet with the following named brethren and sisters in County and State afore said at New Hope Schoolhouse in Fenter Township June 5, 1889 to wit: Brethren S. D. Byrd, J. N. Pierce, and William Bridges: Sisters Susan Lindsey, P. R. Roland, M. F. Webb and Mary Crippen.

Finding them to be members of the Missionary Baptist Church in good standing, taking the Bible as their council, the New Testament as their book of discipline, endorsing the abstract of faith of the Pine Bluff Assn, adopting the original covenant. After prayer and extending to them the right hand of church fellowship, recognizing them as a church.

Since there is no church record dating back before the above organization, it has been the opinion of many of us older members that no Baptist church existed in this vicinity before June 5,1889. However, Eld. LeRoy Polk, serving as historian of the Pine Bluff Assn, found a minute of the Assn. which met at New Hope Church in Saline County on Oct. 1 -3, 1 88 1. Among the other various churches represented at this association was New Hope of Grant, with a membership of 18. Messengers named in that minute were R. M. Lindsey, Johnson Bagley, and W. G. Harris. The pastor was Eld. Joshua Halbert and the clerk was William Bridges of Fenter Post Office. This record, together with information supplied by some older citizens of this community proves that a church was established here about the year 1880 and as mall frame building was erected near the Lindsey Cemetery and the church was named New Hope.
 
 

    Minutes of the Pine Bluff Assn. do not show that this church was represented after Oct. 1, 1881, thereby leading us to believe that the church ceased to function.

Soon after our present church was established, June 5, 1889, a series of meetings were held and our record shows 17 members received into the New Hope Church on recommendation. Evidently those coming in on recommendation were from the disbanded church.

This church went by the name New Hope Baptist Church until June 4,1930 when the name was changed to First Missionary Baptist Church of Poyen, Ark.

    Services were held in the Earls School House near the Cross Roads until about the year 1901 when it was decided that a church building be erected on a spot donated by W.W. Crippen just north of our present town site. Services were held in that frame building until it burned in June, 1913.

By that time the town of Poyen was laid out and a frame building was erected where our present building now stands. The old frame building was torn down and a brick veneer building was erected during April or May of 1930.

This sketch was drawn by Celeste Phillips Byrd.

    This building burned Saturday, April 18, 1952. We met the next morning in the Poyen High School Auditorium and received a $4,014 offering. We continued to have church service in the auditorium until our present building was completed. Our present building was erected and paid for within a few months after the other building burned. We moved into the new building in October of 1952 and held dedication services on April 12, 1953.

The following is a list of remodeling building, and extensions, as the church grew, and we needed more space:

East wing - March 9, 1966 - built Sunday School rooms and remodeled choir loft.
North wing - November 10, 1971 - Bro. Speer constructed Sunday school rooms.
Southern extension of the Auditorium - November, 1975, and remodeled choir loft.

    The Church change the name form First Missionary Baptist Church of Poyen to Poyen Missionary Baptist Church on Oct. 2, 1994.