In the late summer or early fall of the year 1845 there came to the thinly settled community, near the south on Slaughters Creek (of not more than ten houses) a minister of the gospel, by the name of James Eli Ellison, at that time in the early prime of life.

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A few words in general about this early pioneer preacher: Born August 14, 1820, in Monroe County, West Virginia, he was the youngest of fourteen children. His father died when he was fourteen years of age, his mother dying eighteen months later. He then moved to Boone County, where at the age of seventeen years he met Miss Sarah Mitchell, daughter of Reverend James Mitchell, whom he shortly married, they hewing out of the forest a home of their own. He says that when they were married he had ten cents, she had twelve and one-half cents to start out on life's matrimonial sea.

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Reverend Ellison and his wife were converted in 1842, and baptized into the fellowship of the Olive Branch Baptist Church, on Turtle Creek, in Boone County, West Virginia. He immediately felt the call to the ministry of Christ and answered his Lord. He had been preaching about three years when he came to Slaughters Creek and held a ten days' meeting, the results of which are as follows: Twenty-five baptized and thirty-two left at the altar, of which thirty of the thirty-two were later received into the Church the same year.

The people forming the early church came from many of the surrounding communities, Witcher Creek, Wini-frede Junction, Shrewsbury, East Bank and Cabin Creek. At the close of the revival meeting a regular Missionary Baptist Church was organized, with the said twenty-five converts who were baptized at the close of the meeting. Reverend Ellison was called as pastor and deacons were elected and set aside for their special work.