On August 12, 1911, several families of the Baptist persuasion met in the Marlow School House about eight miles north of Sheridan to organize what is now Marlow Missionary Baptist Church.

The church was originally called the Marlow Baptist Church of Christ. In December of 1915, it was decided that the name should be changed to Marlow Baptist Church. On October of 1919 the word Missionary was added to the title; bringing about what we know her by today!

Marlow elected it's first pastor on that day in 1911. He was Bro. J.H. Shoptaw.  Bro. J.D. King became the first to serve in the capacity of Church Clerk.

The church has undergone many changes since then. We've seen pastors come and go, and loved ones pass on before us. But one thing hasn't changed since August of 1911. The church and her members still have an unfailing love for Christ, and the desire to see souls saved in this community. 

Worship Services

August 12, 1911 is the date when several families of Baptist persuasion met in the Marlow school house eight miles north of Sheridan for the purpose of organizing what is now known as Marlow Missionary Baptist Church. On the above-given date, the church voted to have worship services on the third Saturday and Sunday of each month. In August of 1951, the church voted to increase its worship time to half-time preaching. They again widened their worship time to include preaching each Sunday morning and every other Sunday evening. In August of 1962, the church voted to have full-time service each Sunday of the month and in February of 1963 expanded it to include Wednesday night services.

Education

The Baptist College located in Sheridan was consistently supported by Marlow Missionary Baptist Church. In April of 1918, Marlow gave $25 for the establishment of the Baptist College. In February of 1930, again the minutes reported that Marlow was supporting the college with offerings. In March of 1932, Marlow voted for the College to continue and pledged $25 for the next year. It was in this college that C.N Glover was student and teacher from 1921 to 1934. The seed for the present Missionary Baptist Seminary in Little Rock, Arkansas was born in the mind of C.N. Glover and shared with Louis Guthrie and Ben M. Bogard in 1934. In September of 1972, this church voted a scholarship for any pastoral student holding membership here to the Missionary Baptist Seminary.

Ordinations

Marlow in 1919 ordained Lewis Shoptaw to pastoral ministry. Since then, in 1951 it liberated (licensed) Bobby Gene Stevens to preach, ordained Jerry Medlock in 2005 and Shaun Holland in 2006. Following in the history of setting men aside for specific service and use, in 1951, Leon Allen and Commodore Gammel were ordained as deacons. In February of 1975, Henry Earl Whitmire was ordained as deacon, and in February of 1997, Billy Cantrell was ordained. 

Pastoral Support

Marlow has always sought to support to the best of their ability the man that God has placed as their undershepherd. In July of 1918, motion and second was to raise the pastor's support to $100 a year. In October of 1966, the church voted to pay the pastor a salary, rather than just the morning collection. From March of 2004 to the present, Marlow has moved steadily to increase the pastor's salary to a comfortable, full-time, living wage.

Building

From the Marlow schoolhouse located 8 miles north of Sheridan, to the land on which the presnt building now stands, Marlow has labored to provide shelter fromt he elements for its worship of God. The Arkansas Mission Builders came on site to help erect the present building in May of 1999. By November of that same year, the first services were held in this presnt building. By the dedication of God's people, the indebtedness contracted in 1999 was paid in full on the 9th anniversary of being in the building, and Marlow Missionary Baptist Church is debt free. 

Bro. John H. Shoptaw                               1911-1913

Bro. H. I. Green                                             1913-1915

Bro. J. I. Ashcraft                          1915-1920 & 1922-1923

Bro. E. L. Page                                                      1919

Bro. Lewis Shoptaw                                    1920-1922

Bro. J. C. Crabb                                                   1924

Bro. A. J. Cabiness                                       1924-1926

Bro. J. W. Smith                                             1926-1927

Bro. Doring                                                           1927

Bro. W. O. Parks                            1928-1941 &1946-1948

Bro. R. A. Holland                         1941-1942 &1945-1946

Bro. F. E. James                                                    1941

Bro. Lynn Steele, Sr.                     1942-1945 & 1955-1956

Bro. Homer Laster                                       1948-1950

Bro. Raymond Fitzgerald                         1950-1952

Bro. A. C. Moring                           1952-1955 &1958-1962

Bro. John Jones                                             1956-1958

Bro. Bryan Baxley                                              1962

Bro. James Hardin                                       1962-1965

Bro. C. N. Glover                                           1965-1968

Bro. Bill Lindsey                                            1969-1970

Bro. Robert Oden                                        1970-1978

Bro. Randy Murray                                     1978-1980

Bro. Wayne Sewell                                      1980-1981

Bro. Leslie Rhea                                            1981-1983

Bro. Danny Fudge                                        1983-1985

Bro. David Wilson                                        1985-1988

Bro. Tom Scarlett                                          1989-1990

Bro. John Bagby                                             1990-1992

Bro. Charles Lewallen                                 1992-2004

Bro. Robert Standley                                    2004-2017

Bro. John C. Williams                                   2017-2018

Bro. John Mark Williams                            2018-present