Thankful Baptist Church of Rome was just a dream in the hearts of men.  In 1863, soon after the end of the Civil War, the birth of the first negro Baptist Church was in the basement of the white First Baptist Church in Northwest, Ga. It was called the Colored Baptist Church. According to a deed recorded in the Floyd County courthouse on July 10, 1868, a plot of land was purchased from Mr. Perry Chisolm, which is the present site of this church.

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Father Jefferson Milner was the founder and the first pastor of the Colored Baptist Church. The initial building was a wooden structure that was later destroyed by fire. This did not stop them from continuing to meet. They built a bush arbor to hold meetings until they were able to construct the building that we now occupy.  One day during worship, someone suggested that a name be given to the church. Sis. Hannah McClendon spoke up and said, “Well, well, I’m so THANKFUL that we can go in”. Someone else spoke up and said, “We have a name! We’ll call the church Thankful Baptist Church!”

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Rev. Milner died in 1895. Since his death, there has been 18 pastors to date that has led a plethora of souls to Christ and pursued their spiritual vision leading to the growth, development, and community impact of the church.

In April of 1991, the late Rev. Nim B. Russell began his tutelage at Thankful Baptist Church of Rome. He is the second longest serving pastor, following Father Milner, where he served for 23 years until his untimely death in 2014. He presented the church with a vision that included staffing of a youth minister, building a 14,000 square foot Family Life Center, production of an album, improvements to the present property and purchasing additional property. Rev. Jamey Colts was appointed as the first youth minister of Thankful in 1992. In 1994, the Russell Family Life Center was completed. Through his vision and under his spiritual guidance, Thankful recorded its debut album “Happy in My Home” through the music ministry under the leadership of Bro. Marvin Williams and Bro. John Sewell. The church participated in a Mission Exchange Program and took a youth group on an international trip to Old East Germany.  In December 2002, Pastor Russell founded Thankful Baptist Church of Kennesaw, where Pastor John Harris, who is also a son of Thankful now pastors. Through Pastor Russell’s spiritual inspiration, sixteen sons and six evangelists were called into the ministry, twelve of which pastor their own churches. Pastor Russell was involved in numerous religious, civic, and community endeavors and affiliations.

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Rev. H. Bernard Young, Sr. began his pastorate in September 2015. During his leadership, the world was plagued with the COVID-19 pandemic. This unexpected and uncertain virus caused a two-year   interruption in normal life, including in-person worship. We adapted to virtual worship for nearly two years before returning to in-person worship in 2022, while continuing to livestream service that continues to reach many. As of February 3, 2023, Thankful Baptist Church of Rome has been under the leadership the Deacon Ministry.

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Thankful Baptist Church of Rome is the oldest African American church in Rome, GA, turning 160 years old in February 2023.  The interior of the sanctuary still boasts its original wooden pews, stained glass windows, and a 19-foot pressed-metal central ceiling. Thankful has been a spiritual and geographical landmark in Rome for many years and was listed in the National Register of Historic Places on September 5, 1985.

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Through the reflections of the past, the unwavering faith in the present, and the expectancy of the future, THANKFUL will continue to prosper, propel, and proliferate the Gospel of Christ.