The story of the Baptist faith in Finley, Tennessee, can be traced back to at least 1903, when a group of Christians from various denominational backgrounds were reported as worshiping in the old Union Church building on Jones Street. The Baptists within that group soon began organizing Sunday School classes and revival services that were often held in the old Finley School building. One of the most well documented of these early revivals was held in 1921. It saw 32 salvations, 9 additions to the congregation, and 5 baptisms. This growth led a group of men, who desired to see a Baptist church officially formed and organized in the village, to collect money and purchase the lot on which our sanctuary building now stands in 1927.
Due to the economic hardships of the Great Depression, it was not easy to collect the money needed to construct a church. The Baptists of Finley trusted the Lord to provide while raising money any way that they could. For a few years, they even raised cotton on the church lot and used the proceeds to assist in funding the building! By 1934, the funds were in place to construct the first church building.
Finley Baptist Church was officially organized on July 16, 1934, with services being held in the newly constructed church in January of 1935. Early baptisms were conducted in the Mississippi and Obion Rivers, and services were originally held monthly.
In the 1940s, a new frame church building was constructed with an education building added in 1957. In 1962, the current sanctuary was constructed on the original church lot. A fellowship hall building with additional classroom facilities was built in 2004, and a gymnasium was completed in early 2020.
While the history of the buildings of Finley Baptist is fascinating, the true story of this church lies in what God has done in, through, and for His people. This church has been at the heart of the Finley community for over 85 years and has impacted the lost in Dyer County and around the world. The church has sponsored mission congregations, countless mission trips, and local outreaches. Today, in addition to its support of Southern Baptist missions, Finley supports Worldwide Church Planters, numerous local ministries, and a school, church, and orphanage complex in the Philippines. The church has seen God’s faithful hand guide them time and time again as its members seek to be the salt and light that Jesus has called them to be.
Finley Baptist Church has been a spiritual home for many in Finley, Dyer County, and the Mississippi River region of West Tennessee and it continues to serve as an outpost of the Gospel of Jesus Christ today. The people of this congregation seek to carry this Gospel around the world while also living out the church’s motto of “Faith. Family. Finley.” which summarizes those things that are central to how they serve God in the area in which He has placed them. Today, the church is pastored by Bro. Trevor Sewell, and they are seeking daily to reach their community with the hope of the Gospel!