The handful of faithful Baptists who gathered in l842 to form Shiloh Church scarcely dreamed that their activity would result in a church that would 134 years later have some 625 members, or that the church would call people to worship from a wide a spread community which in 1842 was spaces of undeveloped woodlands. When 28 charter members organized what is known as Shiloh Baptist Church, there was only a scattering of farm houses. On August 30, 1842, Brother W. J. Fickling and Brother William Johnson, two missionaries from the Edisto Baptist Association, started a ten day meeting. The meeting was very successful and on September 21, 1842 they returned for a day of fasting and prayers. On Thursday, September 22 the church was constituted. This small group met in a log cabin on the present site of Shiloh Church.

On May 15, 1843 Mr. Henry Day, Sr. deeded “ten acres of land to be kept in trust for the use and benefit of a place of divine worship for the Baptist denomination, being the lot of land whereon Shiloh Church now stands.” The first church was a log cabin; this structure burned and later a plank building was constructed. Then in 1892 a frame building was constructed and in 1937 the first Sunday School classrooms were added to the building. Outstanding leaders devoted their service to the erection of the new Sunday School area. It was due to these godly men that the church was a success. In 1953 the present sanctuary was constructed and the educational plants were constructed in 1958, 1965 and 1973. The first pastor of Shiloh Church was Rev. W.J. Fickling; he served from 1842 to 1847. Other outstanding pastors of the church were Rev. William Johnson – 1847; Rev. Stanmore B. Sawyer – 1854; Rev. James A. Merritt – 1858; Rev. William Shaw – 1864; Rev. J.A. Seigler – 1869; Rev. N.N. Burton – 1875; Rev. J.A. Seigler – 1882; Rev. J.C. Brown – 1884-1889; Rev. Moley, Rev. Cupes, Rev. M.K. Kneece, Rev. White; also Rev. C.B. Wright – 1902; Rev. Crim – 1903; Rev. Payne, Rev. Little, Rev. Jeffcoat, Rev. John Croft, Rev. Cornell and Rev. Posey. There is no recorded history of the ministries of these pastors.

Rev. Tom Sego was another pastor of the church, he had a successful ministry. Brother Sego resigned and in 1937 Rev. A.T. Howell was called as pastor. For years there was only one worship service held each month. During Rev. Howell’s ministry the church held two evening worship services each month. Rev. Howell had a successful ministry and improvements began. Rev. Howell served the church from 1937 to 1940. Rev. Yates Frady served as pastor for one year. During his ministry from 1940 to 1941 the church began four evening worship services each month. Rev. Albert Boiter served from 1942 through 1944.

Improvements and growth still were being made during the ministry of Rev. George P. Lanier, who served from 1944 – 1945, and during his ministry the church started part-time services; this being two mornings and two evening services each month. Rev. William R. Brown served from 1946 – 1949 and the church was still seeing improvements and growth during his ministry.

The year 1950 will remain one of the banner years of Shiloh Baptist Church. It was the year that Rev. J.C. Rice served. The church began to grow and moved into a building program. He served from 1950 to 1951 and during this time the church built the first parsonage which was a 5 room frame house located off Highway #1. The land was purchased from the Day family. The next thirteen years the church enjoyed a happy, satisfying and successful period during the pastorate of the Rev. J.C. Parker who assumed his duties in 1951. The people of Shiloh took heart and proceeded to carry out an improvement and growth program. The new pastor viewed with pleasure the task of constructing the badly needed sanctuary. Also, additional space was planned for educational buildings and some of these were accomplished during Rev. Parker’s ministry. It was during Rev. Parker’s pastorate that the church realized the need of an organ and this was added. Also, during this time several young men felt the call to full time Christian service and answered the call. The year 1964 witnessed the end of the pastorate of Rev. Parker. The good deeds and the things he accomplished during his years as Shepherd of the Shiloh Church will live forever in the annals of the church history.

Rev. M.P. Nodine served from 1964 – 1965, during his ministry a church office was provided.

Colonel Rankin Heflin, retired Army Chaplain, served as interim pastor from 1965 – 1966.

The Rev. Roy Frierson assumed the pastorship of Shiloh in 1966 and served for three years. During these years he taught the true meaning of missions. Under his leadership the church sponsored a daily radio program and also a Sunday morning program at the Chain Gang. In 1969 Rev. Frierson offered his resignation to accept God’s call to service in the Foreign Mission field and served in this capacity in Ghana.

Rev. George Youman, after completing some years as a Chaplain in the U.S. Army where he ministered to the needs of the service men, assumed the duties as interim pastor and served from 1969 to 1970.

Rev. Daniel E. Johnston, assumed the pastorate of Shiloh Church in January 1970. As history is in the making and events are being chronicled, it seems but natural that this page in history of the church should be left for the historians of a later date. It is most difficult to view and record happenings during the pastorate of a presiding minister. Six years of service to the church have already brought about many changes. Under the able leadership of Rev. Johnston, improvements in our buildings have been made. We have seen a new parsonage built and an addition to the educational buildings. The church offerings are the highest ever. We have also had more young men to go into full time Christian service. All this has shown God’s workings and wise thought and material benefits for Shiloh. After six years of faithful service to the members of this congregation, we dedicate the end of the first period of a faithful ministry to the beginning of the next era of church history. With a membership in complete accord and with sincerity of purpose, we join with him as we turn our eyes westward and gaze into an opalescent sunset and wonder what tomorrow’s sunrise has in store. Rev. Johnston seems to express, in a religious frame, a philosophy of life and personal living. His work speaks of his zest for life, of the joy in his heart and with all a yearning for souls. It is now that his teachings propel us with his God-given message of love and life while it is ours, “For tomorrow we may be with yesterday’s ten thousand years.” A glorious history is that of Shiloh, because the people had a mind to work and as we face toward the future may we remember the task which we face requires unified labor and faith and obedience to God. May it be said of Shiloh in the future “that we too had in mind to work.”