The Plainview General Baptist Church apparently began as a mission project of the New Harmony Association of General Baptists. The New Harmony Association, which no longer exists, was formed in the late nineteenth century and reported annually to the General Association until the late nineteen twenties or early thirties. On October 5, 1911 Mr. Barlow Bileu and his wife Poca deeded an acre of ground to the home mission board of New Harmony Association for the building of a church house. The Plainview Church organized in 1911 with Rev. B. D. James as pastor. There is little information to be found about the early days of the Plainview Church. Older citizens of the Logan County community can remember when there was a school in the hollow some distance behind the location of the present church called the Happy Hollow School. A Sunday School was organized at the school house in the late nineteenth century and no doubt continued to prosper after the school was moved from the hollow to higher ground in plain view of the neighborhood. Perhaps this is how the church got its name. As was common in those days, the Plainview Schoolhouse was probably used as the meeting place for the church as well as brush harbors for revivals in warm weather. In October of 1920 the Home Mission Board of New Harmony Association deeded the acre of ground given by the Bileus to the Plainview General Baptist Church. In early 1921 a house of worship was built, but that building was destroyed by a tornado that same year. Plainview General Baptist Church being rebuilt in 1922, after having been destroyed by a tornado. |  |
Addie and Cecil McPherson in front of Plainview Church in the early 30's, this structure was destroyed in a fire in December 1951 |  |
The first record of the church reporting to Long Creek Association is in 1921. They may have presented themselves a year earlier for membership without an annual report. The church was host to the Long Creek Association in September of 1922. A new building was erected that same year. However, tragedy again befell the church because that building burnt on Sunday, December 16, 1951 following the morning worship service. A new building was erected at a cost of $7,500. Services were held in the new sanctuary in March of 1952. Surely the members of the church “had a mind to work”. This building has gone through several remodeling programs adding four additions since its construction. Sunday School rooms were built in 1955 and four more rooms were added in 1962. A fellowship building was built in 1966 and an educational wing was built in 1979.  In the early nineteen thirties Mr. Jesse Thomas deeded an acre of ground to the church and community for a cemetery. The Plainview Cemetery is about a quarter of a mile from the church on the opposite side of the road.
The congregation voted to build their first parsonage in 1958. Edd and Mattie Rittenberry gave a corner of their farm for the house. In 1970 a new parsonage was built on ground purchased by the church adjacent to the church property. The church remodeled and updated the parsonage over the years. All records prior to 1920 were destroyed by the tornado, but the following have served as pastor of the church since 1911: | 1911-? | B. D. James | 1920-25 | J. T. Chaney | 1925-26 | R. O. Jones | 1926-28 | J. T. Chaney | 1928-29 | A. C. Hoover | 1929-32 | C. J. Carroll | 1932-35 | B. A. Carroll | 1935-38 | William Mallory | 1938-40 | B. A. Carroll | 1940-41 | William Mallory | 1941-44 | William “Willie” Bullock | 1944-51 | B. A. Carroll | 1951-52 | Johnny Wilson | 1952-54 | B. A. Carroll | 1954-55 | B. A. Mercer | 1955-57 | William Blake | 1957-58 | B. A. Carroll | 1958-63 | Johnny Wilson | 1963-72 | Walter Evitts | 1972-73 | Bill Orr | 1973-74 | Leon Smith | 1974-81 | Robert Bullock | 1981-92 | David Youngblood | 1992-95 | Glenn Jenkins | 1995-98 | Timothy Green, Sr. | 1998-2007 | Hobart Eaton | Jan 2008- | Russell Chitwood |
Source: History of Long Creek Association of General Baptist 1894-1997 |