Phillips Mill Baptist Church Founded May 7, 1785 in Joes Phillips Grist
Mill
Milstones are original from Joel Phillips were imported from the Paris Basin
in Europe
Rock are from the First Church Pillow.
Marker given in Memory of Mrs. Matte S. Johnson erected in memory of Silas
Mercer
"The Phillips Mill Baptist Church was founded June 10, 1785, by sixteen members who met at the home of George Lea. The first meetings were held at the grist mill owned by Joel Phillips. On August 5, 1786, church member, Joel Phillips (Sr.), conveyed land to pastor, Silas Mercer for a new church site (Wilkes Co. deed book SS, pg. 54). The church was later moved to it’s current location, about four miles from this original site. Silas Mercer, one of the great Baptist preachers in early GA, was the first pastor. Silas came from the church at Kiokee, which was the first Baptist church in GA, established in 1772. It was located about twenty miles northwest of Augusta GA. His son, Jesse Mercer and Robert McGinty were both received into the Phillips Mill church by profession of faith and baptized by Silas in 1787. Jesse was fifteen years old and Robert, about thirty-seven. They remained close associates in the Baptist church for the rest of their lives." Submited by: Jerry McGinty
Phillips Mill Baptist Church, Wilkes County, Georgia was organized on June 10, 1785 at George Lea's home. The early church members present were:
| George Lea | Silas Mercer | William Paraker |
| Owen Fluker | Jesse Tolbert | Dorcas Mercer |
| Rebekah Turner | Elizabeth Parker | Lucy Lea |
| Elizabeth Moncreaf | Sarah Flucker | Florannah Winkfield |
| Anna Winkfield | Nancy Glass | Mary Leverette |
| According to church minutes from 1875, the list of members are; | ||
| Dorcus Mercer | Rebekah Turner | Lucy Lea |
| Elizabeth Moncrief | Floranna Wingfield | Anna Wingfield |
| Sarah Fluker | Nancy Glass | Mary Leverette |
| Marcy Moncrief | Boling Williams | Robert Day |
| Jacob Mercer | Hart Champion | Joseph Moran |
| William Osburn | John Mulkey | Samuel Whiting |
| Samuel Whatley | Thomas Mercer | James Hammitt |
| James Moris | William Evans | Walton Harris |
| Jonathan Ragan | ? Deans Junr? | Zacharah Glass, Snr. |
| John Roberson | Zacharah Glass | Rachel Shipley |
| Nancy Ragans | Rebekah Craft | Mary Fluker |
| L--- Hammitt | Francis Atchinson | Susanna Talbert |
| Franky Day | Elizabeth Crafford | Sarah Pope |
| Lucy Champion | Phiby Foster | --nnis Mercer |
| Lydda Crabb | Anne Stone | Timprinse Mercer |
| Nancy Osburn | Sail? Mercer | Elizabeth Moncrief Junr |
| Tabitha Evans | Grants' Adams | Grants' Ami |
| Gafford Winny ? | Crafford Anny | D. O. Milly |
| Deans' Monday | Grants' Philip | Zachariah Glass |
| Pinkston Lean | Cooks' Stephen | Pinkston's Jack |
| Dean's Mary | Dermott's Lidda | Cooks' June |
| Ragin's Bob & Betty | Sextons' Tony | Turner's Jamy ? |
| Wingfields' Silky | Stephen Gafford | Josiah Moncrief |
| Asa Atkins | Robirt McGinty | Charles Dean Senr |
| Nehimiah Edge | Thomas Robertson | William Foster |
| James Turner | John Lawson | Nathaniel Dean |
| John Ewards | Binjamin Thompson | Francis Dean |
| Anna Hendricks | Elizabeth Wilson | Mary Pinkston |
| Sary Mercer | Elizabeth Dean | --- Lea Nora Jean |
| Stacy Robertson | Rhoda Mercer | Peggy Rice |
| Mary Bullock | Deborah McGinty | John ?West? |
| Jesse Mercer | Wm Watkins | Wm Blanks |
| John Dean | Samuel Pope | ?-ehalah Moran |
| Moriah Blanks | Bridget ?Justins? | Rebekah - arra |
| Bridget Mulky | Hannah ?Bassas? | Rhoda Lea |
| Isbel Davis | Francis Gafford | Anne Gillman |
| Mary Bays | Hannah Digby | John Leverett Dead |
| Wm Digby | Thomas Chivers | Wm Fletcher ?Fluker? |
| Charles Mattox | ?Athnial? Weaver | Simon Burney |
| Samuel Davis | Adam Tarrance | Robert Rowid? |
| David Allin | Susannah Robertson | Jane Robertson |
| Delpha Robertson | Martha Harkins | Anne Ragans |
| Anna Golson | Mary Philips | A_____Pollard Dead |
| Francis Robertson | Rachel Mattox | Sarah Glass |
| Jane Chivers | Sarah Weavers | Mary Smith |
| Elizabeth Mulky | Jimmah Chivers | Sabary Chivers |
| Dean's Winny | Turner's Sam | Chivers' |
| Bunney's Benjamin | Robert Harris | Mary Ewand |
| Mishack Turner's negro woman | Grant's Jack | Binney's Ephraim |
| Terrel's Grace | Terrels Mat | Hannah Cohran |
| Silah Terrell | David Welborn | Thos Wingfield Dead |
| Joseph Bay's | Charles Webb | Jacob Autry |
| Moses Robertson | Joseph Ketchin | Elizabeth Gethright |
| Jesse Crenshaw | John Middow | John Bankston |
| John Perry | Wm Robertson | Edward Butler |
| Binjamin Ozburn | Jacob Shorter | John Graham |
| Jacob Car-- | Absalom Ramy | Jane Burmels? |
| Francis Jordan | Elizabeth Autry? | Elizabeth Mattox |
| Phebe Hubbart | Jane McGinty | Martha Kitchen |
| Susannah Anderson | Presus Crinshaw | Jane Vandamare? |
| Eliabeth R--- | Anna Robertson | Elizabeth Butler |
| Rebekah McGinley | Terrell's Patrick | Grants' Charles |
| Terrell's Fortune | Terrell's Aby | Wm Terrell's boy |
| Finley's Jude | Grant's Jude | Thompson's Jane |
| Finley's George | Nelson's Sal | Dermotts' Matt |
| Cook's John | Philip's Sam | Terrell's Patty |
| Pinkston's Rachel | Stokes' Aggy | Terrell's Lucy |
| Crutchfield's James | Terrell's Cuffy | Golson's Sam |
| Terrell's Sarah | Heard's Aggy | Dermott's Betty |
Partially excerpts from the book, "Our McGinty Family in America" by Jerry McGinty