Pocahontas Baptist Church

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The Pocahontas Baptist Church was located in Tazewell County, Virginia. The church was a mission church because of its location in a distressed mining town. The history of the church began in the late 1700’s when Reverend M. A. Wilson held a rival meeting to teach his Baptist faith. Many Baptist from neighboring towns came to the rival meeting to hear the Reverend evangelize. Several conversions to Christianity resulted from the breathtaking sermon. The newly formed Baptist congregation decided to construct a church in the heart of the town so that the Reverend Wilson could hold revival meetings. The funds for building the church were lacking, but faith kept the congregation together. The church was constructed and in a few years it was paid for by noble men such as John Baber, Walter W. Odor, Fredrick H. Baker, Henry Smith Sam B. Cook, James S. Hensley, William W. French.

Another well known mission church was built in the mid 1800’s by Powhatan Baber. Powhatan Baber was a Baptist minister of the largest Baptist Church in Princeton, West Virginia. Powhatan and his wife Caroline Tuggle Baber lived in Monroe County, West Virginia.

Powhatan Baber graduated from Bethany College, Bethany, W.Va. and was a minister in the Disciples of Christ Church. His first church was in Princeton WestVirginia., then moved to Central Christian Church in Clarksburg, West Virginia, and next to Clarksville, Tenn. Because of Mr. Baber's poor health the family moved to Roswell, New Mexico, where he died. When the church in Roswell caught fire, Rev. Baber ran into the smokey church to save articles of value. He had a lung hemorrhage and died three days after the fire.