Photography by John Kirkland
Kiokee Baptist
Columbia | Organized 1772
The old Kiokee Church is a remarkable piece of rural Georgia history and the oldest continuing Baptist congregation in the state. Founded in 1772 by Daniel Marshall as a mission outpost from Big Stevens Creek Church in South Carolina, it likely took its name from the nearby Kiokee Creek. Over nearly 250 years, the congregation has worshiped in seven different buildings. The first was a small log cabin built by Daniel Marshall, followed in 1792 by a larger structure near the original site. In 1808, a more substantial brick building was completed, and it still stands today. Later buildings included a chapel in Appling built around 1828, a 1875 replacement after a tornado, and a 1907 structure moved from an abandoned Methodist church known as St. Mary’s. The current sanctuary was completed in 1995, with the 1937 building now serving as a chapel.
+ Continue readingThree elements make Kiokee’s history exceptional: its longevity, the legacy of the Marshall family, and the craftsmanship of its 1808 brick sanctuary. Daniel Marshall served as pastor until 1784, followed by his son Abraham and grandson Jabez, together leading the church for 61 years and helping organize Baptist congregations across Georgia and the South. The 1808 brick building reflects a level of skill rarely seen in rural Georgia at that time. Brick was an expensive and labor-intensive material, requiring quality clay, skilled masons, and significant manpower. Only three rural brick churches are known to have been built in Georgia before 1820: Jerusalem Lutheran in Effingham County (1767), Bethesda Baptist in Greene County (1818), and Kiokee.
Constructing Kiokee’s sanctuary would have required master builders in masonry, carpentry, and design talents typically found in the wealthy planter class. This era saw rapid economic growth in East Georgia, fueled by the invention of the cotton gin in 1794, the expansion of slavery to meet plantation labor demands, and the acquisition of fertile land ceded by the Cherokee and Creek nations. The result was a flourishing agricultural economy, with King Cotton at its center, and the means to produce buildings of exceptional quality. Kiokee stands as a lasting testament to that period’s wealth, skill, and enduring faith.