And I say also unto thee...upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. (Matthew 16:18)

As we reflect on the many decades that God has blessed generations of Chestnut Grove family members, we see that Chestnut Grove has gone through a series of births and deaths as a church. Nevertheless, our faith has seen us through. Chestnut Grove Baptist Church is based , rooted and grounded in Christ Jesus as the foundation. With Christ remaining as the head she has made great strides for If God be for us, who can be against us? (Romans 8:31). The church was rebuilt in 1970 and is currently located at the corner of Timothy Road and Epps Bridge Parkway in Athens, Georgia. Chestnut Grove Baptist Church has stood for over 125 years as a centennial, pointing men, women, boys and girls to the heavenly way in the midst of world turmoil. As God gave Peter the assurance, He likewise gave it to all believers that He would not abandon His church or His people.

Faith is the key ingredient for believing, claming and receiving God's promises for over one hundred years. For with God nothing shall be impossible. (Luke 1:37) Throughout her history twelve men have been called to pastor the flock at Chestnut Grove. Charlie Harris, Adams Bell, N.T. Walker, Luther Durham, L.H. Stinson, J.T. Harris, J.T. Dorsey, C.S. Jackson, R. Moncrief, William H. Johnson, Terry Porter and our current pastor, Wilson Lattimore, Jr. God led Pastor Lattimore to Chestnut Grove and he became pastor on May 19, 1996. We believe that Christ is the head, the Pastor is the leader and as members we are the followers.

The church body has continued to grow spiritually showing what God can do in the lives of men and women, boys and girls who are stayed on Him. As members of Chestnut Grove Baptist Church we are SURRENDERED to God through Jesus, STRENGTHENED by the Holy Spirit through prayer, study and fellowship and rendered to SERVE through gifts of ministry. We praise God for keeping Chestnut Grove Baptist Church. We thank God for working through this body of Christ for over 125 years and humbly ask His blessings for continued service.

The Historic Chestnut Grove School was built in 1896. It is the only surviving restored example of a one-room schoolhouse for black children in Clarke Country, and one of the few such schools remaining in Georgia. The schoolhouse has a hipped roof with a decorative composition shingle pattern covering. The schoolhouse, located between Chestnut Grove Baptist Church and a small cemetery, is used for multiple purposes. It is an instrumental part of the services and ministries of Chestnut Grove Baptist Church. At any point in time, you may find the schoolhouse being used for bible studies, tutorial sessions for elementary, middle and high school students, drama/dance practice, fellowship, and many other purposes. It is truly a building that is standing tall in God's name.

And remember, this is just a brief introduction.

Here's an overview of our beliefs:

• THE SCRIPTURES. We believe that both the Old and New Testaments are verbally inspired by God and are inerrant in the original writings. (Ps 19.7; 2 Tim 3.16; 2 Pet 1.21).
  
  
• GOD. We believe that there is only one true and living God existing in three Persons--Father, Son, and Holy Spirit--each a distinct Person, but all of one essence and all having the same nature, perfections, and attributes, and each is worthy of precisely the same worship, confidence, and obedience (Gen 1.26; Jer 10.10; Matt 3.16-17; 28.19).
  
  
• JESUS CHRIST. We believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, begotten by the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary, shed His blood on Calvary as a vicarious substitute, was buried, rose again bodily, and ascended to the Father according to the Scriptures (Isa 7.14; Matt 1.18-25; 1 Cor 15.3; Heb 4.15).
  
  
• HOLY SPIRIT. We believe that the Holy Spirit is the third Person of the Trinity, very God, co-existent with the Father and the Son. The Holy Spirit is the chief agent in the regeneration, the chief convictor of sin, and the chief comforter of the believer. Simultaneous with regeneration, the Holy Spirit baptizes the believer into the body of Christ (Matt 28.19; John 16.7-11; Acts 5.3-4; Rom 8.9; 1 Cor 12.12-14)
  
  
• MAN. We believe that man is the direct creation of God--body, soul, and spirit--and is not in any sense the result of evolution but is made in the image of God. Adam, the first man, sinned by disobedience. This act resulted in the fall of mankind and incurred both physical and spiritual death for all (Gen 1.26-27; Rom 3.10,23; 5.12).
  
  
• SALVATION. We believe that all who, in faith, receive the Lord Jesus Christ as Savior are born again by the Holy Spirit and thus become the children of God. Salvation involves redemption, regeneration, sanctification, and glorification (John 1.12; 3.3; 17.17; Rom 8.29-30; Eph 2.8-9; 4.30; Tit 3.5).
  
  
• HEAVEN. We believe in the eternal abode of God and the holy angels, where Jesus intercedes for His people on earth and where the spirits of departed saints await their resurrected, glorified bodies. Heaven is a literal place of conscious bliss to which all saints go upon death and from which the Lord Jesus Christ will come to receive those saints who are alive at His coming. To depart and be in heaven is to be

We are so delighted to have you visit the web site of Chestnut Grove Baptist Church. It is our prayer that you were led by God to this site and will find Christ presence on every page.

Chestnut Grove Baptist Church is a bible-based and believing church. The bible is our guide in all things. Our mission statement is to lead individuals to surrender to Jesus and grow in a committed relationship with Him. The ministries of the church are focused on winning the lost to Christ and strengthening Saints to do the work.

Chestnut Grove Baptist Church has a long and rich history in serving the Athens community. The church was organized in approximately 1886. Despite its many years of service, it is far from traditional in its approach to ministry and operations. It embraces the best of the old and receptive to God leading into new areas and ways of ministry.

We believe a church is not only what a church says but what it does. We believe God saves and calls believers to work. On the Ministries page, it gives you a brief overview of the church's ministries and some of the work He is doing through us. We strongly encourage you to visit and participate in any of the weekly activities/ministries of the church.

I thank God often for the privilege of serving Him as pastor of Chestnut Grove.

Dr. Wilson Lattimore, Jr.
Pastor