PAST / PRESENT /FUTURE

The vision of Friendship Baptist Church is to live as a group of believers who actively show the love of Jesus to each other and to everyone with whom we come in contact.
 
According to local history, Bro C.S. Mullins had a vision for a new church while attending the Southern Baptist Convention in St. Louis, Missouri.  When he returned to Starkville he began to search for land to begin God’s plan.  He met two gentlemen by the name of McHann who directed him to the Craig Springs area.  He then proceeded to introduce God’s plan and himself to the people.  They were so excited that some donated chickens to be sold to raise money to purchase land for the church building.Having experienced the friendliness of the people, Bro Mullins decided to name the church after them.  Thus, Friendship Baptist Church was born in 1947. 
 
The building had dirt floors and the benches only had three slats for the backing.  The church had no built-in air conditioning or heat, but it had one outhouse.  An oil drum was used for heat in the winter and paper fans were distributed for use in the summer months.
 

In later years, the church added wood shavings to the floor and a potbelly stove.  As the church grew, butane heat was added and a concrete floor was poured inside the standing building by mixing concrete in wheelbarrows and smoothing it with brooms.

In 1994, after much prayer and planning, the old church building was torn down and the present sanctuary was built, followed by the construction of a children’s wing and new Family Life Center. 

God has blessed us with great facilities and gifted workers!  Our goal is to be good stewards of these gifts by sharing the story of Jesus and letting Him change lives! 
 
In all things, we strive to Love God, Love People, and Reach the World!

LEADERSHIP TEAM

 

JEREMY McCRORY

PASTOR
 
Bro. McCrory graduated from Kosciusko HS and has a Bachelor’s degree in Christian Studies from Mississippi College, Clinton, MS, a Master’s degree in Christian Education and a Doctor of Educational Ministries degree, from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary.
 
He and his wife, Laura, are Mississippi natives; he is from Kosciusko and she is from the Jackson area. Their children are Jonah  and Jack.
 
The McCrory’s love God, love people and relate well to all age groups. He enjoys running, camping, fishing, and writing. Laura enjoys reading and cheering on the Mississippi State Bulldogs in all sports.
 

TREVOR FULGHAM

STUDENT MINISTER
 
Trevor Fulgham, our student minister since 2018, came on in a full-time capacity in January 2020. His amazing wife, Tiffany, assists him with ministry and supports the vision that God has planted in his heart. They have three wonderful children, Deklan, Briggs, and Vaylor, and are so thankful for the opportunity to parent them and one day, lead them to Jesus. Trevor grew up at Friendship, and at  8 years old,  was saved and baptized.
 
After relocating to North Dakota in 2015 for a brief time, God led them back to Friendship. Two years later, God put it on Trevor’s heart to surrender his life to the ministry. 
 
“I pray that God will bless our ministry and His will be done at our church in the years to come. I look forward to growing our children’s, youth, and college ministries and helping them live out their faith daily.”
 

JEREMY BROWN

MUSIC MINISTER
 

Starkville native, Jeremy Brown has been a member at Friendship since 1996 and has served as Music Minster on a part-time basis since 2005. He and his wife, Savannah, enjoy working with the choir and teaching our Young Married Sunday School class together.  The Brown’s were blessed with their first child, Judah, in August 2013. And Levi rounded things out in October 2018.  Jeremy was ordained as a Minister of the Gospel in January 2012.