Pleasant Primitive Baptist Church [originally known simply as Pleasant Church] is the oldest congregation in present-day Berrien County. It was constituted on 27 June 1835 with charter members James Connell, Sarah Connell, Jeremiah Shaw, James Price, Resby Wilson, George Harnage, Anna Harnage, and Logan Sanders. E. J. Williams served as the first clerk and Elder Nelson Thigpen was the first pastor. The name “Pleasant” seems most appropriate as it’s located in one of the most scenic and beautiful areas of the county. Though the present structure is not original, some of the original timbers remain inside the framework.
Rules of Decorum for the church were fairly typical of the era. Some might seem unusual today: Rule 1: Church meeting or conferences shall be constantly and duly attended by every member, more especially the males to whom government more particularly belongs...Rule 10: No member shall whisper, talk or read in the time of a public speaking, but give due attention. John P. Webb, Sr., who compiled a historical sketch of the congregation in 1956, noted: This church carries on the customs of old with footwashing and communion once a year with wine from the vineyard prepared by the deacons and using unleavened bread prepared by the wives of the deacons…At Pleasant Church, the pastor sometimes lines out the songs, a practice that started when there were not enough song books. A member still will heist a tune to which the song is to be sung (books do not have musical notes)…
