Pleasant Hill Church was first called Mt Pleasant and belonged to the Salt River Association. It was built of logs in August 1833. The first pastor was Christy Gentry (1833-1846). In 1834 it became part of the Bethel Association with 41 members. In September of 1851 two acres more or less were given by Samuel B. and Nancy J. Caldwell and John and Gracie Holliman. Five dollars were paid and a deed made to Samuel B. Caldwell and Milton Bledsoe, deacons of Pleasant Hill United Baptist Church. The new brick meeting house was built in 1852. The bricks were made from clay taken from the grounds by slave labor. The new Church was located 2 miles North West of the old building.

Pastors

Christy Gentry 1833- 1846, J. H. Keach 1847- 1850, J. S. Green 1852- 1853, Nathen Ayers 1854-1855, J. T. Williams 1856, J. S. Green 1857-1858, Nathen Ayers 1860-1865, Wm. Cleaveland 1866, W. C. Busby 1868-1872, J. F. Smith 1874, J. S. Green, 1875-1879 P. R. Ridgely; 1880, I. R. M. Buson 1881, J. S. Dingle, 1882, None, 1883-1884, D. V. Inlow 1885-1886, R. T. Colburn 1888, W. C. Busby 1889, W. M. Laughlen 1890, None 1891-1893, Jerome Shaw 1894, W. H. Foley 1895, None 1896-1898, WH. F. Jones 1899-1900, R. T. Campbell 1901-1902, R. I Connoly 1903, W. G. Stephens 1904.

Pleasant Hill Church ceased in 1904 and was inactive until 1920. The Church remained empty until 1921 when a missionary Adolph Vollmer visited the community and asked about a clean up day and starting a Sunday School. The building was in good shape but the brush and trees had overgrown the cemetery. Rev. Vollmer preached his first sermon May 29, 1921 thirty people were present at the morning service and thirty-two for the night service. While the Sunday School used Baptist literature it wasn’t until December 7, 1941 (Pearl Harbor Day) when the Church was reorganized with fifteen charter members:

George M. Kempf, Mabel Kempf, Albert Kempf, Mrs. Rose Bailey, Mildred Ruth Bailey, Mary Elizabeth Bailey, Margaret May Bailey, George Arthur McKinney, Sr. Mrs. Nora McKinney, Francis Virgil McKinney, George Arthur McKinney Jr. Herbert McKinney, Marion Hetheriton, Mrs. Verna Hetheriton and Miss Florence Seigler.

All were baptized at the Baptist Church in Palmyra, Missouri.

The building was wired for electricity in 1942. In 1955 a propane furnace was installed replacing the coal stoves that sat one on each end of the building. Permastone was put on the outside, new paneling on the inside. In 1958 a cement floor was poured.

At one time sheep were kept to keep the grass down in the cemetery. When it was hot and the doors were open for air, it wasn’t uncommon for one to wonder in during church service.

The number of members declined until it had to close. The Quincy Herald-Whig gave front page space, Sunday, March 24, 1996. The headline reading; Nothing But Memories. Marion County Church dies second death in 163 years. With a membership of 14 Pleasant Hill Baptist Church closed its doors.